Chickpea & Rice Stuffed Leeks in Aromatic Spiced Tomato Sauce

Chickpea & Rice Stuffed Leeks in Aromatic Spiced Tomato Sauce

Intensely flavorful chickpea and rice stuffed leeks in a spiced tomato sauce that balances fresh herbaceous flavors and warming spices for a perfect comforting flavor balance.

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Fusion, International, Mediterranean, Vegan

Keyword Chickpeas, Leeks, Rice

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 369kcal

Equipment

Large roasting pan with lid that can go from stovetop to oven I used my Le Creuset braiser which is pictured and has a 3.3 liter / 3.5 quart capacity.

Ingredients

stuffed leeks

2 large leeks
0.5 cup short grain rice
1.5 cups chickpeas
1 red onion finely diced
5 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely diced
2 red chilies finely diced, optional
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried summer savory or substitute oregano
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon black pepper
1.5 teaspoons salt

tomato sauce

400 grams tomato puree or crushed tomatoes, 1 standard small can (around 15oz)
0.5 cup water optional, see recipe notes
1 yellow onion finely diced
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon allspice
2 dried bay leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F
Finely dice the onions and mince the garlic, chili and cilantro.

prepare tomato sauce

Sauté the diced yellow onion and minced garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned.
Add the tomato and seasonings and reduce heat to simmer while you prepare and stuff the leeks.

prepare leeks

Cut the green tops off the leeks but try to keep them as long as possible.
Use a knife to make a shallow cut in the sheath enough to be able to peel one leaf off. Repeat until the end then thoroughly wash each leaf.
Heat a large pot of water on the stovetop. Blanche the leeks in batches for 20-30 seconds each until they soften. Set aside in a bowl.

assemble and bake

Combine all the filling ingredients together in a bowl - if the mixture is very crumbly and not adhering together, then use a fork to mash the chickpeas a bit until the mixture holds together.
Lay out the leek leaves - the larger ones should be big enough to stuff but you can line up a few of the smaller ones together (slightly overlapping).
Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling onto each leek as shown in the photos (imagine the bottom of the leek as a square made up of two triangles - then fill the top triangle of that square with filling).
Gently wrap the leek around the stuffing - don't worry if it isn't perfectly sealed.
Lay each stuffed leeks out in the tomato sauce in the roasting pan.
After you've stuffed all the leeks, cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
To get a bit of a golden hue to the leeks, put them under the broiler for 2-3 minutes after baking.

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