Turkish Leek Stew

Directions

1. 1
   Start by washing and preparing the leeks.
2. 2
   There may be different ways people prepare leeks, but what I usually do first is chop off the hard green leaves along with the tip of the leek.
3. 3
   Then, I slice the leek in half and cut it about 1 inch in thickness and then prepare to wash them.
4. 4
   To really make sure the leeks are clean, let them soak in a bowl of water.
5. 5
   The grit should fall to the bottom of the sink.
6. 6
   To make sure all the grit is out, lift them out of the bowl of water using your hands, put them into a colander and rinse them under water.
7. 7
   Set aside.
8. 8
   In a soup pot over medium heat, brown the ground beef.
9. 9
   Remove grease if desired.
10. 10
    Add the tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste.
11. 11
    Add the leeks.
12. 12
    Depending on your preference, you may want to add a bit more salt and pepper.
13. 13
    Add the water (you will need to monitor as it should be like a stew rather than a soup; you may need to add water if levels go down during cooking).
14. 14
    Cover with a lid.
15. 15
    Cook for about 35 minutes or until leeks are soft.