Stuffed Leeks with Labneh & Spinach, Almond Sauce

Leeks have long held a quiet but important place in Palestinian cooking. They appear in stews, pies, rice dishes, and vegetable preparations that rely less on complexity and more on patience—letting heat slowly soften and draw out their sweetness.

This recipe builds from that familiarity, but takes a more contemporary form.

Stuffed vegetables are central to Palestinian kitchens, usually filled with rice, meat, or herbs and cooked slowly until tender. Here, the structure remains, but the filling shifts. Leeks become both the wrapper and the main ingredient, folded around spinach and labneh, then served over a smooth almond sauce.

It’s not a traditional preparation in its exact form, but it follows a very familiar logic: taking a seasonal vegetable and giving it care, texture, and depth.

For this dish, we worked with two different olive oils, each chosen for what it brings to a specific part of the recipe.

The Picholine was used in the stuffing. Its bright, green profile and gentle pepperiness cut through the richness of the labneh and lift the earthiness of the spinach. Because the filling is delicate and lightly seasoned, the oil becomes especially noticeable here—adding freshness without overpowering the other ingredients.

For the baking and cooking, we used Koroneiki. Its fuller body and more robust character make it well suited for heat, carrying the sweetness of the leeks and deepening the almond sauce as it cooks. It brings warmth and structure to the dish, helping the aromatics develop slowly and evenly.

Using two oils in one recipe allows each part of the dish to hold its own balance. One adds brightness and clarity, the other depth and roundness.

Together, they shape the dish in quiet but essential ways.