Three-cornered leeks (or Allium triuetrum) are an edible wild plant that belongs to the Allium family of plants, which also includes onion, garlic, leek and chives. The whole of the plant is edible which means you can eat the leaves, buds, flowers roots and bulbs.
Three-cornered leeks are actually an invasive species in the UK, that were introduced in the 18th century, Invasive species are non native plants and animals that spread quickly and upset the natural balance of habitats and environments damaging or killing off natural populations of plants and animals in the process. It is an offence under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales to plant or cause invasive species to grow in the wild. However it is perfectly fine to pick and gather them for food which makes them the perfect plant perfect for foraging. Safety note, please don’t ever pick or eat plants that may have had pesticides or chemicals used on them.
Three-cornered leeks are very easy to identify, as the name suggests the plant stems are triangular with three distinct corners or edges to them. The flowers are white and bell shaped with distinctive green stripes running down the centre of each petal. You can also identify them by smell, if you crush a stem of leaf is should release a similar scent to leeks or onions.
Three-cornered leeks are very versatile and tasty you can eat the stems, bulbs and flowers raw in salads like spring onions. The flowers have a beautiful fresh and peppery taste. Or you can cook them and add them to a variety of savoury dishes like stir-fry’s, stews, soups and pasta. There are several easy three-cornered leek recipes below from omelettes, soups and pesto to tempura, muffins, garlic bread and decorative ice cubes.
1. Three-cornered leek and cheese omelette
Three-cornered leeks taste fantastic in omelettes and they are so simple to make. Simply whisk 3-4 eggs in a bowl or jug then add a handful of diced three-cornered leek stems and salt or pepper to taste. Then pour the mix in a hot pan that has a little melted butter. Sprinkle cheese over the top and cook each side until golden brown.
2. Tempura three-cornered leeks
Tempura batter ingredients
1 egg gently whisked
1 cup of flour
1 cup of ice cold water
Another quick and simple recipe, simply heat some oil in a pan. Then mix all the tempura batter ingredients together until it forms a nice sticky batter. Wash the three-cornered leeks, shake the water off and then dip them in plain flour to help the batter stick better. Dip them in the batter and then quickly fry them in the pan until both sides are golden brown. Enjoy fresh with soy sauce and honey or another dip of your choice.
3. Three-cornered leek garlic bread alternative
You can use three-cornered leeks as an alternative to garlic in garlic bread. They aren’t as strong as garlic but they still have a lovely garlicy onion taste. Simply crush or chop up three-cornered leek stems and then mix them with butter. Spread onto bread and then toast, bake or cook the bread on a campfire to melt the butter and give the bread a gorgeous crunch.
4. Three-cornered leek and nettle soup
- Several handfuls of nettles
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- A handful of three cornered leeks stems
- 1 large potato
- 50g of butter
- 50ml of double cream
- 1l of vegetable stock
Firstly chop and dice all the vegetables up finely (don’t worry about the nettles yet). Then heat some oil or butter in a pan, add the vegetables and cook them for about 10-15 minutes or until they have started to soften. Pour in the stock and cover the pan and cook on a low heat for a further 10-15 minutes. Next add in the nettle leaves and simmer everything for a further 5 minutes or until the leaves are wilted. Add in the butter, creams and a bit of salt or pepper to taste then simply blend the soup before serving. You can also sprinkle some freshly washed three-cornered leeks on top as well for decoration and extra flavour.
5. Three-cornered leek ice cubes
These are more for decoration than flavour but they look fab in drinks. Simply wash some three-cornered leek flowers and then freeze them with water in ice cube trays. Then pop in drinks as pretty floral decorations.
6. Three-cornered leek pesto
Ingredients
- 2 handfuls of three cornered leek stems
- 50g of nuts, you can use anything from pine nuts and walnuts to almonds and cashews.
- 50g parmesan or another hard cheese
- The juice of 1 lemon or lime
- 50-75ml of Olive oil
Wash and finely chop the three-cornered leeks and then add them into a food processor with all the other ingredients and half the olive oil. Blend until smooth and then add in the rest of the Olive oil with salt and pepper to taste. Your pesto should keep in the fridge for a week or freezer for a month. You can enjoy it with pasta with freshly washed three-cornered leeks on top as well for decoration and extra flavour.
7. Three-cornered leek and cheese muffins
Ingredients
- 150g plain flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 beaten eggs
- 50g butter softened
- 150g grated cheddar cheese
- Handful of three-cornered leeks
First preheat the oven to 200oc. Then wash and finely chop the three-cornered leeks. Next mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add the eggs and butter and mix well. Finally add in the leeks and cheese. Scoop the mix into muffin cases and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
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