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Leek

Leek is a mildly onion-flavored vegetable with white and green stalks, commonly used in soups, braises, sautés, and fillings.

Leek — illustrative ingredient image

About Leek

Leek is a cultivated allium with a cylindrical bundle of overlapping leaf bases, used sliced or chopped in soups, braises, sautés, stocks, fillings, gratins, and vegetable dishes. It can also be cooked in sections or halves as a substantial vegetable.

The edible portions have a mild onion-like aroma and flavour. Raw leek has a crisp, fresh bite and sharper allium flavour; gentle cooking makes it soft, sweet, tender, and more rounded in savouriness. The darker leaves are generally firmer and more fibrous.

A leek has a white to pale-green lower portion and darker, flatter green leaves above. It is commonly sold whole, trimmed, or cut. Slicing or chopping distributes it through a dish, while cooking in larger sections preserves a more substantial form; simmering softens the stalk and leaves, with the darker material remaining firmer.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where leek appears

34 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–12 of 34

Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for leek

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Leek

English

Cooked leeks

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

leek (raw)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Leek, Blanched

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Leek, fresh, boiled, drained

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Leek, fresh, fried, no added fat

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Leek, fresh, raw

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Poireau, bouilli/cuit à l'eau

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Poireau, cru

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Poireau, surgelé, cru

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Leek nutrition & diet

Leek nutritional value

Leek, fresh, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the stated food form.

Calories
30.6kcal
Protein
1.6g
Carbs
4.1g
Fat
0.2g

Reference values apply to the named food form, not every preparation, variety or brand. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand. AFCD Release 3, food F005164. Available carbohydrate excludes sugar alcohols; energy converted from kJ to kcal (÷4.184). Australian data may not be appropriate for use in other countries. There are limitations associated with food composition databases. Food composition data used in the database or databases may represent an average of the nutrient content of a particular sample of foods and ingredients, determined at a particular time. The nutrient composition of foods and ingredients can vary substantially between batches and brands because of a number of factors, including changes in season, processing practices and ingredient source, and methods of calculation. Data licensed under the FSANZ Data User Licence Agreement, based on CC BY-SA 3.0 AU: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science-data/monitoringnutrients/afcd/datauserlicenceagreement.

Portions & preparation

Use the cleaned edible white and green portions specified by the preparation, excluding roots and tough outer leaves. Raw, sautéed, braised, or boiled leek should be recorded separately. Butter, oil, cream, stock, pastry, and filling ingredients can materially change the dish beyond the vegetable itself.

Compare the right form: Match references to cleaned leek, raw or cooked, with the same white-to-green portion and inclusion or exclusion of cooking liquids or added fats.

Diet considerations

Leek is a plant-derived allium. Compatibility changes when cooked with butter, cream, meat stock, cheese, pastry, or other animal ingredients. Plain leek differs from soup, gratin, filling, or batter-coated preparations; dishes combined with grains or potatoes have different portion-dependent carbohydrate patterns.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically compatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically compatible
The plain form fits the conventional paleo food groups. Added ingredients and individual interpretations can differ.
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3, 2025 — Leek, fresh, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .