Leeky Beans

By on the 10 September, 2025

Quick comfort springs to mind when I think about this bowl of beans. Leeks cooked down until soft and caramelised with allium sisters, onion and garlic create a mellow, almost melty base for a humble tin of beans. Cannellini are a staple in my pantry, but feel free to use butter beans, navy beans or any white bean variety instead. And don’t be put off by the bean juice. It’s just water, salt, bean starch and goodness. Finish the dish with a spoon of thick Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.

  • dinner, main course, comfort food, one pot cooking
  • vegetarian, contemporary, healthy food, vegetable forward, seasonal cooking, pantry staples, comfort food, one pot cooking
  • quick, easy, family friendly, beans, cannellini beans, protein, fibre, fridge storage, freezer storage, vegetable forward, healthy, homemade, pantry staples, cooking ahead, comfort food
  • Leek and beans cooked until soft and mellow. Quick comfort food doesn’t get any better than this.
Leeky Beans plated in a bowl and topped with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Plated Leeky Beans with Pumpkin Seeds & Greek Yoghurt

Recipe:

serves: 4 + leftovers preparation time: 15 minutes cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 large leek (400g) leeks
4 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
1 medium (200g) onion
finely chopped
½ teaspoon iodised table salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
freshly cracked
8 garlic cloves
finely sliced
4 x 400g tinned cannellini beans
keep the bean juice
1 vegetable stock cube
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ lemon
60g baby spinach

Dish up with

Full fat Greek yoghurt
Pumpkin seeds

The labelled ingredients used in the Leeky Beans recipe. Leek, onion, oil, salt and black pepper, vegetable stock cube, garlic, cannellini beans and their bean juice, Dijon mustard, lemon and spinach.
Leeky Beans Ingredients

Method

Prepare leeks

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and finely slice just the white and light green bits. Tip the leeks into a large bowl and rinse well with cold water. Leeks can be gritty, so use your fingers to remove any soil. Using your hands, scoop the leeks out of the sandy water and into a waiting colander. Shake the colander, draining off the excess water.

Saute leeks and onions

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and onions, along with the salt and black pepper (season in layers) and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Saute garlic, add beans and simmer

Add the sliced garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the cannellini beans and their juice, along with the stock cube, 250ml water and the mustard. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and bubble away for 25 - 30 minutes, until thickened. Cooking time depends on the brand of beans.

Create bean fond

Use a wooden spoon to smoosh the beans a bit, this releases starch and will thicken the sauce some more. Scrape the bottom of the pan too, the dark caramelised bits (bean fond) deepen the flavour.

Add lemon juice and spinach

Add a good squeeze of lemon juice, along with the spinach and stir though, until the leaves are wilted.

Season beans and taste

Taste the beans before adding more salt. The salt at the start and the stock cube should be enough to balance out the flavours.

Plate up

Spoon into bowls and finish with a drizzle of Greek yoghurt and the pumpkin seeds.

Storage + Leftovers

Leeky beans are even better the next day and can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge. Eat warmed up leftovers with toasted sourdough or jammy boiled eggs.