If you love French onion dip, think of this as its lighter, brighter springtime cousin. Leeks are cooked low and slow until soft and jammy, then folded into tangy yogurt, salty parmesan, and plenty of lemon for a dip that’s deeply flavorful and satisfying, yet still light and refreshing. It’s simple, flavorful, and perfect for spring entertaining.
P.S. The most time-consuming part is simply prepping the leeks—but once that’s done, the rest comes together easily.
Ingredient highlight
Leeks! These alliums are rich in iron, folate, vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C along with flavonoids (particularly kaempferol), which can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.
Servings 6 – 8
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 3 leeks (about 1.5-1.75 lbs), roots and green tops trimmed off (don’t throw away green tops)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan (from about 2.5 oz) + more for topping
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
To serve:
- Chopped chives or dill
- Olive oil (your best one!)
- Black pepper
- Crackers, toasted sourdough, pita
- Carrots, snap peas, radish, etc…
Instructions
- For the dark green tops of the leeks, discard any outer leaves that are spongy or beat up, then trim the very tops. Wash well, then thinly slice, and then chop them up some more.
- For the bottom half of the leeks, cut them in half lengthwise, then thinly slice. Add them to a bowl and fill with water and swish well to remove grit and let it sink to the bottom. Lift the leeks out (don’t pour) onto a kitchen towel and pat dry.
- In a large skillet over medium-low, warm the olive oil and butter until melted. Add all of the leeks and salt and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until very soft, silky, and lightly golden. Let cool for 10 minutes – we want them warm or room temp but not hot.
- In a medium to large bowl, mix together the yogurt, parm, lemon zest and juice until combined.
- Stir in most of the leeks, reserving a couple of spoonfuls for topping. Taste and adjust by adding more salt and/or lemon, if needed.
- Spread onto a shallow plate or bowl, swirling to create pockets with the back of a spoon. Top with reserved leeks, herbs, olive oil, black pepper, and an extra sprinkling of parm.
- Serve at room temp with crackers, veg, etc…for dipping.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Prep 3 leeks (see recipe)
- Cook the leeks
- Mix together yogurt, parm, lemon zest + juice
- The entire recipe can be made ahead. Just bring it to room temp and add your toppings before serving.
- Prep any herbs for topping and veg for serving
Substitutions:
- I wouldn’t try making this one vegan. You could make the jammy leeks (using all olive oil) and stir them into a cashew cream spiked with lemon and some soy sauce.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This dip is best served at room temp, but if it’s cold, it’s still delicious!
- Spread it onto toast, put it on a burger, or scoop it on top of any bowl as a “sauce”.
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