Braised Leeks with Cream Cheese Sauce

Tender braised leeks are topped with a velvety roasted pepper and cream cheese sauce. A surprising and delicious side dish!

When cream cheese is mentioned, one of three things comes to mind - slathered bagels, cheesecake or frosting. Quite honestly, I rarely use cream cheese for anything else. Of course, that is a rather narrow-minded view, as many people use cream cheese in dishes such as mashed potatoes, pasta, and French toast. When Philadelphia Cream Cheese asked that I develop a recipe for a side dish using their product, I felt as though someone was shoving me off my precarious ledge of comfort.

While leeks are part of the same family as onions and garlic (the allium family), they have a much milder taste, particularly when braised. This makes them a willing backdrop to almost any accompanying flavors. Mediterranean ingredients are a particularly good accompaniment for the mellow vegetable. For this sauce, a roasted red bell pepper is blended with cream cheese and a splash of vegetable broth to make a velvety sauce. Quite honestly, I was worried that the cream cheese would make the sauce taste too...well...cream cheesy. Instead, it added a subtle tang and leant a creamy texture to this luxurious, but healthy sauce.

As for the leeks, the process of cooking them is painless. Once cleaned and cut (see my how-to post on preparing leeks), they are sauteed and braised in vegetable broth in under ten minutes and ready to be topped with the roasted red pepper sauce and briny capers. Cream cheese has found its niche in my kitchen, and it doesn't even involve bagels.

Braised leeks recipe:

The cream cheese sauce:

In a blender, combine roasted red bell pepper (see How to: Roast a Bell Pepper), cream cheese and vegetable broth. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and puree briefly. The sauce can be served room temperature or it can be heated in a small saucepan set over low heat.

Braising leeks:

Prepare leeks by cutting off the dark green leaves (discard or save for another use), cutting the leeks in half lengthwise, and thoroughly washing the dirt from between the layers. (For a step-by-step photo tutorial on this process, head to How to: Prepare a Leek.) Cut each leek piece in half again lengthwise.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add vegetable broth, cover and cook until leeks are very tender, about 5 minutes.

Place leeks on serving platter and top with roasted red pepper sauce and capers. Serve.

Braised Leeks with Red Pepper Cream Cheese Sauce & Capers

Sauce:
1 roasted red bell pepper
2 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
3 teaspoon vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Leeks:
4 large leeks
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoon capers

Sauce:
In a blender, combine roasted red bell pepper, cream cheese and vegetable broth. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and puree briefly. The sauce can be served room temperature or it can be heated in a small saucepan set over low heat.

Leeks:
Prepare leeks by cutting off the dark green leaves (discard or save for another use), cutting the leeks in half lengthwise, and thoroughly washing the dirt from between the layers. (For a step-by-step photo tutorial on this process, head to How to: Prepare a Leek.) Cut each leek piece in half again lengthwise.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add vegetable broth, cover and cook until leeks are very tender, about 5 minutes.

Place leeks on serving platter and top with roasted red pepper sauce and capers. Serve.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Printable recipe