I love caramelized onions. Like L to the O to the V to the E kind of love. And so naturally, I fell in love with Julia Child’s recipe for broiled leeks a long, long, long time ago. Alas, while the brilliant chef used an enormous amount of butter in most of her dishes, and since we pretty much don’t eat dairy (does Brie count?), I haven’t made broiled leeks in eons. But now that there’s so many amazing plant butters, I recreated her recipe to be dairy-free and vegan friendly. And it is divine! Try it, you’ll like it.

Broiled Leeks

PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: 30 minutes

• 2-4 leeks or about 2 cups, washed thoroughly and trimmed
• 1 cup water
• 5-6 TBS vegan butter, I like Miyoko’s European Style
• ¼ to ½ cup plant milk, I like Silk’s half coconut half almond
• ½ cup vegan Parmesan, I like Follow Your Heart

Trim leeks up to the point where the dark green part begins. Slice them lengthwise and let sit in water to help loosen all the dirt and sand. Make sure you get all the stems separated. Boil leeks in water that just barely covers them, for 5-7 minutes—I like to use a large saute pan. Add vegan butter, let melt. Add plant milk. Place leeks in a baking dish, add liquid to barely cover. Place in over, bake for 15 minutes. Once leeks begin to brown slightly, add vegan parmesan and broil for about 5 minutes. Note, some people might like to ad and some seasoning but when leeks are at their peak, the flavor is so divine that I prefer they stand on their own.

DISCLAIMER: Our recipes are just that, ours. Some are modified versions of dishes we’ve had elsewhere or old-favorites that contained animal proteins that we replaced with plant-based options, while others are a concentrated effort of trial and error. But all are intended to be altered by you and made to suit your tastes. So if you want more garlic or none at all, go for it. You do you ; ) Now for the serious part … periodically this site does offer health, nutrition and exercise information. The information provided is not intended as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice given by a licensed physician or other health-care professional. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, consult your physician and never delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.