The Simplest Method To Get All The Sand Out Of Your Leeks

Perhaps you find yourself in the mood to make some potato leek soup. Maybe you just want to toss some bits of leek in a grain salad or your favorite quiche. There's just one problem –- leeks tend to be quite sandy.

According to The Spruce, leeks grow best in "sandy soil," as it drains well and keeps their root systems cool. However, as anyone who has ever looked at a leek or any kind of onion would know, these veggies have sooo many layers. In fact, per Today's Dietitian, leeks grow one layer at a time, so their layers actually grow over particles of sand or dirt that may be stuck to them. Pretty wild, right?

Needless to say, even though a little sand won't hurt us, not many of us want to experience that gritty texture. Sure, we may have done it as kids, but we're better than that now (hopefully). Although it may seem like a daunting task to clean out every single layer of a leek, there's a fairly simple solution.

After finding out there could be sand or dirt between every single layer of leek, you might be wondering if it's even worth the struggle to clean them out. How many layers do those things even have?

Fortunately, there's a pretty simple way to clean your leeks in only two steps. According to Food & Wine, you'll first want to cut your leeks lengthwise, rather than into rings as you might normally cut them. With all the layers exposed, you can then easily rinse the halves in the sink to get out all the sand. However, if you're still intent on cutting your leeks into rings, you can do so — just soak them in a bowl of water afterward for the same result.

Although cutting up leeks won't necessarily make you cry like cutting onions will, we totally get that dealing with all that sand can be a hassle. Using this hack, however, all you have left to do is toss those leek slices in some yummy homemade leek and Dubliner scones and enjoy!