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Wild leek pesto: the recipe, and how to store it safely

By Ghislain Poirier Updated October 19, 2026 2 min read

A small handful of wild leek leaves is enough for a jar of pesto, especially if you stretch it with parsley. Here's the recipe, how many leaves to pick, and why this pesto belongs in the fridge, never on the counter.

Wild leek pesto: the recipe, and how to store it safely

Pesto is the best way to enjoy a small harvest of wild leek: 60 g of leaves is enough for a jar. This version stretches it with parsley, which softens the taste and spares the patches, and swaps the pine nuts for toasted sunflower seeds, which are cheaper and nut-free. Spread on toast or tossed with pasta, it tastes like spring.

Prep
15 min
Cook
5 min
Servings
4
Season
Spring
Rating
Not rated yet

Ingredients

  • 60 g wild leek leaves (about 375 ml / 1 1/2 cups, lightly packed)
  • 30 g flat-leaf parsley or baby spinach (about 250 ml / 1 cup, lightly packed)
  • 60 ml (1/4 cup) hulled sunflower seeds
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) finely grated aged hard cheese (Parmesan or an aged Quebec cheese)
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) canola, sunflower or olive oil
  • Salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Toast the seeds. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sunflower seeds for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Let them cool slightly.
  2. Prepare the leaves. Rinse the wild leek leaves and the parsley, then dry them well. For a milder taste and a brighter colour, blanch the wild leek for 30 seconds in salted boiling water, plunge it into ice water, then squeeze it dry.
  3. Chop. In a food processor, pulse the leaves, parsley, seeds, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, scraping down the sides as needed.
  4. Add the oil. With the machine running, pour in the oil in a thin stream until the pesto is thick but pourable.
  5. Add the cheese. Pulse in the cheese, taste and adjust the salt.
  6. Store. Spoon the pesto into a clean jar, smooth the top and cover it with a thin layer of oil. Keep it in the fridge and eat it within 4 days, or freeze it in ice cube trays.

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How many leaves to pick for a jar

In Quebec, wild leek is a vulnerable species. For your own consumption, the law allows you to pick no more than 200 g of any part of the plant, or 50 bulbs or 50 plants, per year. The 60 g of leaves in this recipe is therefore less than a third of your yearly limit.

Pick only one leaf per plant and leave the bulb in the ground: it will grow back next year. And make sure you identify each leaf correctly, because false hellebore, which is very toxic, looks like it. It's all in our guide to picking wild leek in Quebec and our article on wild leek's toxic look-alikes.

Why this pesto belongs in the fridge, never on the counter

A pesto is fresh plants in oil. Oil limits oxygen, and the bacteria that cause botulism grow precisely where there's no oxygen. The Quebec government points out that the risk exists when fresh plants are stored in oil, and that it persists even in the fridge, especially with pestos.

For food businesses, the rule is strict: a pesto that hasn't been acidified using a controlled process must stay at 4°C or below, and its best-before date can't be more than 7 days after it's made. The Public Health Agency of Canada also advises keeping foods stored in oil, such as vegetables and herbs, in the fridge.

At home, here's what to do:

  • keep your pesto in the fridge and eat it within 4 days;
  • to keep it longer, freeze it in ice cube trays, then move the cubes to a bag;
  • never leave a pesto or an oil flavoured with wild leek at room temperature.

Variations

  • Milder: blanch all the wild leek leaves for 30 seconds. Raw, wild leek has more bite.
  • Other seeds or nuts: pumpkin seeds, walnuts or pecans are good stand-ins for the sunflower seeds.
  • Cheese-free: leave it out and add an extra pinch of salt.
  • All wild leek: replace the parsley with 30 g of wild leek leaves. The taste will be stronger, and your harvest bigger.

How to use it

On pasta, an omelette or a baked potato, as our Quebec foraging calendar suggests, but also on toast, in a vinaigrette or on grilled fish. This summer, take over with our zucchini leaf pesto, and in June, with garlic scapes from the garden.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How long does wild leek pesto keep?

A few days in the fridge: aim for 4 days, in a clean jar covered with a thin layer of oil. To keep it longer, freeze it in ice cube trays.

Can you keep wild leek pesto at room temperature?

No. Fresh plants stored in oil can allow the bacteria that cause botulism to grow. Always keep your pesto in the fridge, at 4°C or below, or in the freezer.

Should you use the bulbs?

No. The leaves have all the flavour you need, and the bulb must stay in the ground so the plant grows back the next year. One leaf per plant is enough.

What can replace wild leek?

Garlic scapes, in June, or garlic chives, which you can grow in the garden. The taste will be different, but just as fragrant.

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