Use leeks and orzo pasta to make a risotto full of delicious herbs and vegetables topped with a fried egg for a hearty and filling dinner.
Jump to RecipeYou may be asking yourself, “What is a leek?” Well, don’t worry, I was wondering the same thing when I first found this recipe in the Cooking Light magazine. But, I love orzo pasta. So Leek Orzo with Fried Eggs was something I wanted to try.
Of course, I had to look up a leek online to see what it looks like so I would know what to look for in the store. And I searched for how to chop a leek. I wasn’t even sure which part of the vegetable we should be eating.

But, that’s also why I like to try new recipes. I get to try new foods that I would have never picked up in the store and learn how to use them. Leeks look similar to green onions but they are much bigger.
To cook the leek, you’ll want to cut off the roots at the bottom (which can be planted to grow your own leeks). Then cut off the dark green leafy tops. Very few recipes call for the tops because they are very tough. I saved them in my freezer bag to use next time I make homemade vegetable broth, which is about the only thing they are good for.
Once you have the edible portion of the leek, you’ll want to make sure you clean it thoroughly. Since this recipe uses chopped leeks, it’s easiest to go ahead and chop the leeks first. Then run them under water in a strainer to clean off any dirt.
The original recipe calls for chicken broth, but I wanted to make mine vegetarian-friendly so I decided to use vegetable broth instead. Plus, I had a lot left from making my own a few days before. It was a good way to use that up as well.

Leek Orzo with Fried Eggs Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 leeks
- 1 lb orzo
- 1/3 cup white cooking wine
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 eggs
Preparation
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer with the water and keep this warm.
Meanwhile, chop and clean the leek as described above and chop the yellow onion.

Heat two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and leeks and saute for about 10 minutes.

Add the orzo to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, to toast the orzo.

Add the wine. If you are using a gas stovetop, you may want to turn off the flame in case of any spills. Cook for another minute or two until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Pour in 2/3 cup of the warm vegetable broth. Cook for a few minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the broth, 2/3 cup at a time, making sure that it’s almost completely absorbed before adding more. Stir occasionally as you add the broth.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and pepper.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, warm one tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook for about two minutes. Then cover the pan and cook for another 2-5 minutes, until the egg is cooked to your liking. Since Justin and I like our eggs done differently (I can’t stand a runny yolk) I used a small pan and cooked the eggs individually.

Finally, serve the meal by dividing the orzo mixture into four serving bowls. Top each with a cooked egg, and garnish with parsley.


Recipe
Originally Published On: August 29, 2018
Last Updated On: July 31, 2023

Leek Orzo with Fried Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 leeks
- 1 lb orzo
- 1/3 cup white cooking wine
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 eggs
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, warm the vegetable broth and water, stirring occasionally to keep warm
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter and 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- Clean and chop the leeks and onion then add to the skillet
- Saute the leek and onion for about 10 minutes
- Add the orzo and toast the pasta for a few minutes, stirring occasionally
- Carefully pour in the white cooking wine and stir until most of the liquid evaporates
- Pour in 2/3 cup of the warm broth mixture and stir until it is absorbed
- Continue adding 2/3 cup of broth at a time, stirring until absorbed, until all of the broth is used
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and pepper
- Heat another skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil and swirl to coat the pan
- Crack the eggs into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes
- Cover and cook another 3-10 minutes, depending on the desired doneness of the eggs
- Divide the orzo into four serving dishes and top each with an egg and remaining seasonings and cheese
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Recipes with Orzo
- Swai Fish with Orzo
- Honey Mustard Chicken with Orzo
- Leek Orzo with Fried Eggs
- Cheesy Spinach Orzo Pasta Sides
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Basil in Orzo Pasta
- Shrimp Orzo with Lemon
- Grilled Summer Orzo Salad
- Chicken Orzo Pasta with Vegetables
Appreciate the vegetarian friendly recipe. I have never been a fan of leek but this looks oddly delicious. Next time I’m at the supermarket, I’ll make sure to pick up leek and test this out!
This was my first time ever eating a leek. I don’t know that I would have it in a lot of recipes, but it was good in this one!
Yumm this looks so good and simple!! Kind of like a fried rice dish, but with pasta. Orzo is my fave!!
It’s similar to fried rice, but I really like the orzo in it for something different.
This looks like a totally delicious veggie meal! I love any recipe with leek in… will try this one out!
It’s so yummy. This was the first time I had used leek in any recipe so it was definitely interesting!
I had no idea what a leek was! Thanks for that heads up. lol. I seriously am the worst. But i love the simple recipe and I’m always down for anything that I can put a fried egg on top of!
I didn’t either! But I love finding new foods and ways to use them.
Leeks are like the national vegetable of Wales, where I’m from! Surprising not many people know about them!! This sounds so nice. Leek and Potato soup is amazing for colder days if you enjoyed the taste of the vegetable!
Oh interesting, I didn’t know much about them until I found the recipe with leek in it. I’ll have to look up a recipe because I love potato soup!
What a delicious recipe! I always enjoy your recipes because they are so easy to follow!
Thanks, Kim! This was a bit different from other recipes that I’ve made, but it was a good one.
I’ve had leek once and it wasn’t very good but I am pretty sure it’s because I prepared it in a way I didn’t enjoy. So I would be totally open to trying this! I had no idea the dark green was to tough to enjoy.
I think it worked well in this since there are so many flavors. But I’m not sure I would like it if leek was the dominant flavor.
I am going to pin this recipe. This looks really tasty and I am always looking for fun ways to use vegetables that I will actually like!
I always enjoy trying new things, too. I’ve made this recipe a few times now and I like adding the leek for a bit of flavor, but it isn’t too strong.
This looks absolutely delicious! My kids and husband would love it. I will certainly be making this over the long weekend.
My kids weren’t quite sure about this one, but my husband and I enjoyed it very much.
OMG this looks incredible. You always have the best recipes! I will definitely be making this for sure!
Thanks, Tonya! We just do a lot of experimenting and sometimes it comes out amazing!
This looks absolutely delicious, and I am betting my kids would love it as well! We are visiting my mama this weekend and she usually grows leeks, so I will see if she’s got some ready in her garden yet for me to bring home!
Oh, I bet they would be even better fresh like that!
Oooh this is a very interesting recipe! Ive never tried making anything around leeks before but this def look good! Especially that fried egg finish!
This was the first time that we tried anything with a leek. I hadn’t even seen the vegetable before trying this recipe.
This sounds delicious! I don’t use orzo often. I think I often forget about it. I’m going to have to try this out for sure though!
Oh man, I love orzo pasta! I’ve been trying so many recipes with it lately. It’s such a perfect combination of pasta texture with the small pieces similar to rice.
Well this looks pretty dang good and I can say I’ve never had it or anything like it!
It’s definitely different, but I like trying new vegetables so it was a good one. Especially with orzo pasta and a fried egg on top.
Leeks are such an interesting vegetable. I haven’t had it cooked in many forms that I enjoy but I would be willing to try this! I love orzo
Orzo makes everything better 🙂
I don’t think I have tried orzo but I love trying out new dishes so I will give this recipe a try. I usually use leek only in my chicken stir fry dishes.
Orzo has become my favorite pasta recently. I will try anything with orzo in it.
This sounds so delicious! I love the idea of adding the fried egg…Looking forward to trying this recipe!!!
I really liked the fried egg on top. It added a bit more flavor and was something really different, which is always fun.
I almost never cook with leeks. It’s one of those foods I love but never prepare. This recipe looks like a great reintroduction.
This recipe was the first time I had ever used a leek before. I didn’t even know what it was at first!