Grilled Leeks with Pine Nut Vinaigrette
Whole leeks charred over the grate, dressed with a jar vinaigrette mixed at camp.
- calories
- 290
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 58
- protein
- 5 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 500 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Leeks | 8 large | trimmed, dark green tops cut off |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp plus 1/4 cup | the 2 tbsp is for the grill, the rest for the dressing |
| Pine nuts | 1/2 cup | toast them at home |
| Apple cider vinegar | 3 tbsp | |
| Dijon mustard | 1 tbsp | |
| Honey | 2 tsp | |
| Grated parmesan | 2 tbsp | the dry shelf-stable kind |
| Salt and pepper | 1/4 tsp each, plus more for the leeks |
Method
- Split each leek lengthwise down through the root so the halves hold together. Swish them in a bowl or pot of cold water and fan the layers apart with your thumb. Grit hides in there and does not rinse out on its own.
- Shake off the water and rub the cut sides with the 2 tbsp of oil. Salt them.
- Lay the halves cut side down on a hot grate. Five minutes, until the cut face is dark and the layers have gone slack. Flip and give them another five on the skin side.
- Shake the vinaigrette jar hard for twenty seconds. Pine nuts, vinegar, mustard, honey, parmesan, salt, pepper, and the 1/4 cup of oil all go in cold and come together on their own.
- Pile the leeks on foil, pour the jar over them, and eat them with your fingers by the root end.
The source blends the vinaigrette in a food processor. There is no food processor at a campsite, so this version keeps the pine nuts whole and shakes everything in a jar. Mustard is what makes that work — it holds the oil and vinegar together without any mechanical help, and the nuts become texture rather than paste.
Leeks are one of the few vegetables that improve under direct fire. The outer layers char, the inner ones steam in their own water, and the whole thing goes sweet. Split them through the root or they fall apart on the grate, and wash them after splitting, not before. This is a side dish; it needs meat, beans, or a pot of rice next to it to be dinner.
Packing
Pine nuts, parmesan, salt, and pepper go in the jar at home. Vinegar, mustard, honey, and oil get added at camp, or bring the whole thing pre-shaken if you are driving in. Leeks ride in the cooler; they wilt fast in a hot car.
Variations
- No grill: wrap the oiled halves in foil and bury the packet in coals for fifteen minutes.
- Skip the parmesan and it is vegetarian and dairy-free both.
- Walnuts or sunflower seeds stand in for pine nuts at a third of the price.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/grilled-leeks-with-parmesan-and-pine-nut-vinaigrette