Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 5

• 5 long, thin leeks
• 3 hard-boiled eggs

For the vinaigrette

• 1/2 bunch fresh chives, minced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• Salt, pepper

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

Leeks mimosa is a very classic bistro appetizer that’s been somewhat overlooked in recent years, even though it’s excellent! It’s a leek salad topped with vinaigrette and crumbled hard-boiled eggs—quite light but satisfying.

Preparing the leeks and eggs

1. In a pot of lightly salted water, hard-boil the eggs for about 10 minutes, run under cold water, then remove the shells.

2. Meanwhile, rinse the leeks, cut off the darker green part (save it for making soup) and keep the white to light green portion.

3. Cut lengthwise in half without going all the way through (this lets you check for and remove any tough core), then wash the leeks while holding them together so they stay nicely formed. Place in a pot with water and cook for about 30 minutes. They should be very tender (a knife blade should slide through easily). Drain.

4. Peel the hard-boiled eggs and crumble them.

Preparing the vinaigrette

5. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and mustard, then add the oil in a thin stream while whisking. Season with salt and pepper, add the shallot.

6. On a serving platter, arrange the leeks side by side, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the vinaigrette, and sprinkle with the hard-boiled eggs and minced chives.

Tips

It’s important that the leeks are very tender.

Choose thin leeks—they’re better for salads. Save the thicker ones for soups.