Leek à Brás – Vegetarian Portuguese Dish

Leek à Brás is a variation of the popular Portuguese Bacalhau à Brás, a typical dish from Portugal. In this recipe, the shredded salted cod is replaced by sliced leeks. It’s a flavorful, simple, easy-to-make option, and as a bonus, it’s vegetarian, which is relatively rare in traditional Portuguese recipes.

This recipe, based on the Bacalhau à Brás dish, dates back to a tavern cook named Brás from the Mouraria neighborhood in Lisbon. Today, Bacalhau à Brás is one of Portugal’s most popular cod dishes. Inspired by this recipe, dishes like Leek à Brás and Chicken à Brás were created, which have also become very popular and are often served as daily specials in restaurants.

Leek à Brás is a delicious vegetarian twist on the traditional Bacalhau à Brás, making it a perfect dish for large gatherings. If you’re looking to plan a family reunion, considering diverse meal options like this ensures that everyone at the table has something tasty to enjoy.

Next, we explain how to prepare this delicious Portuguese Leek à Brás recipe.

A white plate with a portion of leeks à Brás, a Portuguese recipe. The dish sits elegantly on a decorative tablecloth.
Typical Portuguese vegetarian dish – Leek à Brás

Want to learn how to make the traditional Bacalhau à Brás recipe? See the recipe below.

Ingredients for Leek à Brás

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 leeks, sliced
  • 200 g French fries (or shoestring fries)
  • 4 eggs
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • 6 or more black olives to taste
A flat lay displays ingredients on a patterned tablecloth, all labeled in Portuguese for a classic Receita do Brás: black olives, salt, olive oil, onion, chopped parsley, calamari potatoes, eggs and leeks. The items surround a bowl of potato chips.
Ingredientes para fazer Alho-francês à Brás

Tools Needed

  • Large frying pan
  • Fork
  • Wooden spoon or spatula
  • Knife
  • Bowl for beating the eggs
A black frying pan, a white bowl, a wooden spoon, a knife, and a fork are placed on a floral-patterned tablecloth. The vibrant design adds a special touch to the table.
Utensils you need to make leeks à Brás

Preparation

  • Servings: 2 large or 3 medium
  • Total preparation time: 30 minutes (including prep and cooking)
  • Difficulty: Easy

Leek à Brás – Easy Step-by-Step Recipe

  1. Preparation of Ingredients:
    • Slice the onions, garlic, and leeks into thin rounds (only the white part).
    • Beat the 4 eggs until the yolks and whites are well mixed.
    • Chop the parsley to use at the end.
A yellow plate on a decorative tablecloth holds sliced ​​onions and leeks, reminiscent of a classic Brás recipe. The thinly sliced ​​onions sit on the left side of the plate, while the leeks are elegantly layered on the top and right.
Onion and leek cut into slices.
A person is beating eggs in a white bowl with a handle, preparing a Brás Recipe. The bowl rests on a surface patterned with abstract and floral designs in blue, red and black.
Stir the eggs until everything is mixed in.
  1. In a large frying pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and spread it evenly. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and leeks, and sauté over medium heat until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
A frying pan on the stove contains chopped onion and leeks being sautéed. A wooden spoon stirs the ingredients, with the counter and part of the stove visible in the background.
You should sauté the onion and leek until golden and soft.
  1. Season the sauté with salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the French fries may already be salty.
  2. Add half of the French fries and mix well.
Turn off the stove and add the previously scrambled eggs. Mix constantly until the eggs are creamy and everything is well incorporated. (Don't let the eggs cook and become like scrambled eggs)
Add half of the straw fries to the stew and stir everything together.
  1. Turn the stove back on to medium heat and let the eggs cook until done. It should have a creamy texture.
  2. Remove from the stove and add the remaining French fries. Mix everything together.
A frying pan on the stove straw potatoes, onion and leek wrapped in eggs are mixed. The ingredients are sautéing until a golden yellow color.
Return the pan to the stove and let the eggs cook a little, they should be creamy.
The mixture has a yellow hue, from the eggs. A wooden spoon is resting in the pan, stirring the contents.
Add the remaining straw potatoes and mix
  1. Add the black olives and parsley, and it’s ready to serve.
A dish of leeks à Brás is presented in a pan. This delicious recipe includes leeks, straw potatoes and scrambled eggs, garnished with parsley and topped with black olives for a traditional twist.
Decorate with parsley and black olives and the dish is ready to be served.

Side Dishes and Serving

Leek à Brás pairs very well with a salad of lettuce, onion, and tomato.

As for wines, we recommend a dry, fresh white wine, such as Vinho Verde from the Minho region, which is an excellent choice.

Tips and variations

You can add a little butter to the sauté to enhance the flavor of the leeks., but it won’t be vegetarian anymore.

When cooking, add half of the straw potatoes first, and the rest at the end. This will ensure the dish stays crispy.

Variations: The original recipe is Bacalhau à Brás, but we find this version even tastier, as the flavors blend together beautifully. You can also make it with other vegetables and create a “vegetables à Brás” using julienne-cut vegetables like carrots, savoy cabbage, or whatever you prefer. This is a very versatile recipe and an excellent option for a vegetarian meal.

A ceramic platter holds a serving of Bacalhau à Brás, a traditional Portuguese recipe made of shredded cod mixed with sautéed onions, potato sticks, black and green olives, garnished with fresh parsley. The platter rests on a blue textured surface.
Typical Portuguese dish – Codfish à Brás

Storage and Reuse

Leek à Brás is equally delicious the next day, so you can make a larger batch and enjoy it in the following days.

It should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen in a well-sealed container for up to 2 months. However, keep in mind that both in the refrigerator and freezer, the straw potatoes tend to lose their crispy texture.

To maintain the crunch, you can add more straw potatoes when serving, without needing to cook them.

A white plate is filled with Leek à Brás, a plate of chopped vegetables mixed with eggs, black olives and fresh parsley garnish the top. In the background, a patterned tablecloth adds an inviting touch to this delicious recipe.
Leek à Brás a delicious version of the traditional Cod à Brás

Conclusion

This is a delicious, simple, and quick-to-make Portuguese vegetarian recipe. If you enjoyed this recipe and are not vegetarian, try our version of Bacalhau à Brás.

Give this recipe a try—it will surely become a classic in your culinary repertoire.

Bon appetite!

Um prato branco com uma porção de alho francês à Brás, uma receita portuguesa. O prato fica elegantemente sobre uma toalha de mesa decorativa.

Leeks à Brás

Jorge Bastos
Leek à Brás is a variation of the popular Portuguese dish Bacalhau à Brás, in which leek sliced into rounds is used instead of shredded dried cod. It’s a tasty, simple, and easy-to-make recipe, and as a bonus, it’s vegetarian, which is uncommon in traditional Portuguese recipes.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine portuguese
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 1 Large Frying Pan
  • 1 Fork
  • 1 Wooden spoon or spatula
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Bowl for mixing eggs

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 tbsp tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 Leeks
  • 200 g shoestring fries
  • 4 eggs
  • Salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • bunch of parsley
  • 6-10 Black olives The quantity is to taste.

Instructions
 

  • Slice the onions, garlic, and leek into thin rounds (use only the white part of the leeks)
  • Whisk the four eggs until the yolks and whites are well combined.
  • Chop the parsley to use at the end.
  • Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and spread it well. Let it heat, then add the onion, garlic, and leek. Sauté over medium heat until golden (about 5 minutes).
  • Season the sauté with salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the straw potatoes may already be salted.
  • Add half of the straw potatoes and mix everything well.
  • Turn off the heat and add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly until the eggs are creamy and everything is well incorporated. (Do not let the eggs fully cook.)
  • Turn the heat back on to medium and let the eggs cook until done. The texture should be creamy.
  • Remove from the heat and add the remaining straw potatoes. Mix everything well.
  • Add black olives and parsley, and it’s ready to serve.
Keyword Bras, Leeks

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