Leek Pancakes

Learn how to make homemade leek pancakes, inspired by Chinese scallion pancakes! Their flaky texture is great for soaking up the soy dipping sauce.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 15

Total Time 50

Servings pancakes

Calories 325kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

For the pancakes

2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup just boiling water plus 1 to 2 extra tablespoons as needed
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups sliced leeks from about 2 large or 4 small leeks
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil divided
2 cloves garlic minced

For the dipping sauce

3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey sub maple syrup to make vegan
1 clove garlic minced

Instructions

Heat water in a saucepan until there are small bubbles on the sides, but turn off the heat before it gets to a rolling boil. This is the "just boiling" water. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and garlic powder. Add the just boiling water. Mix with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together. If it's not coming together, add a few splashes of just boiling water as needed.
Knead the dough for about 2 minutes until it's no longer sticky but not overly moist. You may find that you need to add a little more flour if it's too sticky or moist, or you may need to add a few splashes of water if it's too dry. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl, and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the leeks. Warm a teaspoon each of toasted sesame and olive oil in an 8-inch skillet. Use a cast-iron skillet if you have one, since it's great for cooking the pancakes. Add the leeks and cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat. Then, add the garlic, and cook for a couple more minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the leeks are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the dough has finished resting, divide it into 4 pieces.
On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough into an 8-inch circle. Brush each circle with a tiny bit of olive oil, then spoon ¼ of the cooked leek mixture onto each circle and spread it out. Roll each circle up into a log. Then, take one side of the log and roll it towards the center to form a spiral snail's shell shape.
Flatten the spiral with your palm. Roll the dough slightly back out into an 8-inch circle. Repeat with all of the pancakes.
Wipe out the skillet that you used to cook the leeks. Warm the last couple of teaspoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Place a pancake in the skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until slightly browned. Remove the cooked pancake from the skillet and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pancakes. If you are using a cast iron skillet, you may need to reduce the heat to medium-low after cooking the first pancake to prevent burning the others, since it will get very hot over time.
While the pancakes cook, prepare the sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, honey, and garlic.
When the pancakes are finished cooking, slice them into triangles. Serve with the dipping sauce, and enjoy!
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Notes

Scallions can of course be substituted for leeks.
Store leftover pancakes and sauce in separate containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet.
You can freeze leek pancakes cooked or uncooked. To freeze uncooked, follow all of the instructions up until the cooking part. Stack the pancakes on top of each other with parchment paper in between them. Place in a bag, seal, and store in the freezer for 3 months. You can follow these same stacking and packaging instructions for cooked pancakes. Cook or reheat the pancakes straight from frozen in a skillet with some olive oil for a few minutes on each side. Prepare the dipping sauce fresh for serving.

Nutrition