Trimming and Cleaning

When you’re cutting off the leek greens, save as much of the white as you can. Sometimes there are white leaves running underneath the first several inches of green, so don’t just chop the green off at the base—trim away the leaves to see if they reveal any white that can go into the soup.

Leeks can be treacherous to clean because of sand hidden between the leaves. To get rid of the sand, remove the greens, trim off the hairy roots, and cut the white lengthwise down the middle. Hold each half under running water with the green end facing down. Flip through the leaves and rub them with your thumb to loosen any stubborn sand. Once they’re washed, give them a shake. Check your cutting board for sand before chopping the leeks.