50 Ways to Use Garlic Scapes

What to do with garlic scapes - These simple and easy recipes will explain how to use and cook these fresh spring greens from your garden or the farmer's market. 

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I've posted a couple of recipes lately in which I used garlic scapes, and almost immediately, I got emails:

Garlic scapes? What are garlic scapes? Where do I buy them? Help!

I have to be honest. I never heard of garlic scapes before they came in our box from our CSA.

But they came several weeks in a row, so I had to figure out what to do with them.

Apparently, garlic scapes are the shoots that garlic bulbs send up as they're growing. Garlic bulbs want to become garlic plants, so they send up green things like onions do. The shoots get so long that they curl.

Farmers harvest these shoots so that the plant uses its energy to make a bigger bulb instead of making a bigger plant. That's how plants work.

Scapes appear about three weeks before garlic bulbs are ready to harvest, and that swollen bit near the end is the part that would become a flower if left on the plant. The plant is trying to flower and make seeds to make new garlic plants. Again, that's how plants work.

Garlic is planted in the fall and grows over the winter, so scapes are common springtime sights in CSA boxes and at farmer's markets. They are not frequently found in grocery stores.

Garlic scapes definitely taste like garlic, but the flavor is very mild and almost sweet. They're like garlic essence, without the bite you back quality of a clove of raw garlic.

Because they're so mild, you can use them raw or cook them. Like a green onion, you can slice them and use them to garnish an omelet or in a salad. However, the part between the swollen flower and the tip is often tough and fibrous, so you probably don't want to use that raw. It's okay to cook or use in purées, but it doesn't have a particularly nice texture for salads or garnishes.

If you love garlic like I do or if you like garlic but hate to smell for days, you should definitely look for garlic scapes.

50 Ways to Use Garlic Scapes

Quick & Easy Vegetarian Pesto Pasta Primavera

Tossed in a basil pesto and packed with colorful spring and summer vegetables, this vegetarian pesto pasta primavera is a quick and easy way to use up fresh produce!

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Zucchini Eggs

This simple and easy zucchini and eggs recipe uses fresh veggies to make a healthy, low carb, gluten free dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese to serve.

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Garlic Scape Pesto and Mushroom Pizza

This pizza couldn’t be easier to make, and it’s just packed with flavor. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I would have to use some garlic scape pesto to make a pizza of my own.

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Baked Cream Cheese Wontons With Garlic Scapes

Mix the cream cheese with garlic scapes, green onion, sugar, and a pinch of salt, all to taste. I like my filling to lean towards sweet.

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Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic Scape Pesto is a unique and delicious pasta sauce, packed with a bright garlic flavor. But don’t wait to make it—garlic scape season is short!

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Grilled Garlic Scapes With Lemon & Parmesan

A quick summer side dish, these grilled garlic scapes garnished with lemon and Parmesan are a delicious addition to any BBQ or cookout.

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How to Make an Easy Summer Quiche Recipe with Scapes

Easy summer quiche recipe using garlic scapes and ham.

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Shrimp and Garlic Scape Scampi

Recipe for shrimp, garlic scape pesto, and parsley in a wine/butter/lemon sauce over pasta.

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Garlic Scape Taco Sauce

After throwing everything together in my mini food processor and adjusting the taste with a bit of lime juice and salt, I had a surprisingly good taco sauce on my hands.

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Garlic Scape Pesto Cheesy Flatbread Pizza

Mild garlic flavor from the garlic scape pesto, plus plenty of shredded cheeses, makes a Cheesy Garlic Scape Flatbread--a seasonal treat that can be enjoyed year round thanks to your freezer!

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Garlic Scape Pasta Primavera

It’s a fresh and easy meatless dinner… And, you can use whatever veggies you have on hand!

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Garlic Scape Pistachio Pesto Hummus

Garlic scapes, basil, parsley and pistachios combined in a traditional hummus base for a fresh Spring dip. Freeze the pesto to make this year round!

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Garlic Scapes Hummus

It is insanely good. I don’t know if it really qualifies as hummus, it doesn’t have tahini (which I don’t care for much), but it is so good. I hope I can make some for a party or, crossing my finger here that I still have scapes, our next potluck.

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Chicken Meatballs with Garlic Scape Pesto

Ground chicken and garlic scape pesto makes a flavorful meatball. Serve this tasty Spring treat over pasta, in a meatball sub, as an appetizer or on a pizza!

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Garlic Scape Mustard

The process is so simple! Just soak the seeds in your liquid of choice, purée them with vinegar & then cook it down for a few minutes. Voila, mustard. I really expected it to be much more complicated. This batch is zesty from the brown mustard seeds, dry mustard & garlic scapes. It reminds me of a spicy brown mustard but it's not too hot.

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Garlic Scape Herbed Cream Cheese

A fast and flavorful spread for appetizers or snacks, this zesty cream cheese marries fresh herbs with garlic scapes for a Spring treat. Spread this on crackers or tortillas, pipe it into peppers, or dunk a carrot for a fresh from the farm share appetizer.

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Garlic Scape Soup

If you are lucky enough to have a lot of garlic scapes, you can make a batch of this simple but satisfying soup. Don’t let the 4 cups of scapes scare you. They are quite mellow by the time the soup is ready.

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Garlic Scape Dip

Garlic Scape Dip is the perfect dip for any garlic lover out there. Tangy and garlicky, it’s great for a snack, spread or party.

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Garlic Scape Carbonara | Garlic Scapes Recipe | Sarah’s Cucina Bella

This pasta is fantastic as a meal served with a big garden salad and some crusty bread. If desired, add a half-cup of fresh, lightly cooked peas to the mix for a little added nutrition (and sweetness).

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Red Lentils and Garlic Scapes

Classic Indian spices, turmeric, cumin and coriander, flavor this vegetarian dish of red lentils and garlic scapes, with the scapes adding garlicky crunch.

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Garlic Scape Vinaigrette

Tender garlic scapes tossed with baby greens, floated into soup, or ground as pesto are a garlic lover’s fantasy. I prefer mine paired with olive oil: pesto, vinaigrette, and flavored oil.

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Garlic Scape Pesto and Fresh Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

One of the most popular ways to prepare your scapes (and freeze and keep them too) is to blend them up into a pesto that I could barely help but eat off the spoon. Then, if you’re really feeling decadent… you can pull out a little sourdough and fresh mozzarella and make this sandwich.

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Creamy Avocado Pasta with Garlic Scape Pesto

This garlic scape pesto avocado pasta is a healthy, vegetarian dinner the the entire family will love.

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Simple Roasted Beets & Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are absolutely divine, and this recipe is a great way to serve them along with some garden beets and flakey sea salt.

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Lemon Garlic Scape Compound Butter

Looking to use up your garlic scapes? Use a food processor to create garlic scape compound butter and freeze some for cold winter days.

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Garlic Scape Beef Satay

This fragrant beef skewer is a great menu item for summer grilling. The garlic flavor really shines through and you don’t have to worry about soaking skewers ahead of time. The rich peanut sauce accompanies the beef skewers well but reduce the amount of peanut butter if it seems too thick for your taste.

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Steak Salad with Charred Vegetables

I hope this salad inspires you to cruise a local farmers market or co-op, call over the neighbors, and indulge in the simple flavors of the season.

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One Pot Pasta with Zucchini and Leeks in White Wine Sauce

One pot pasta with zucchini, garlic scapes and leeks in white wine lemon sauce. Everything cooks at the same time in one pot. Vegan recipe.

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Bacon-Wrapped Garlic Scapes

Tightly wrap each of the scapes with one piece of bacon, spiraling down the scape as you go.

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Garlic Scape Vinegar

The vinegar will be beautiful in simple vinaigrettes to dress greens and cucumbers from the garden, and also added to a marinade for grilling meat and seafood, splashed on sautéed chard, collards or kale, or for dunking crusty grilled bread.

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Zucchini Noodles with Garlic Scape Pesto

This recipe is simple and farm fresh. However, If vegetable noodles are’t your thing feel free to sub with traditional pasta.

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Garlic Scape Soup with Potatoes

This light vegan soup has potatoes, spinach, and lots of garlic scapes all simmered and puréed.

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Garlic Scape Ravioli

Hubby and I devoured our ravioli with a simple sauce of olive oil, white wine, spinach and lots of Parmesan. The kids all ate the plain pasta scraps as fettuccine tossed with marinara and cheese.

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Vegetarian Stir-Fried Garlic Scape

In this recipe I combined garlic scapes with carrots, baby corn and shiitake mushrooms. I finished the dish with a little bit of rich savory soy based sauce to coat all the ingredients.

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Roasted Garlic Scapes

The scapes mellowed to a sweet taste and the woody stalks softened to a chewy, almost crunchy texture. It was a bit like having roasted cauliflower or Brussels sprouts, just garlic flavored.

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Potato Salad with Garlic Scapes, Snap Peas, and Scallions

The scapes’ gentle garlic notes enhance the subtle sweetness of the potatoes and peas.

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Simplicity

The presentation was almost the best part as the charred garlic scapes really catch your eye. Since mine were so large, they were a bit fibrous, but the taste – smoky, slightly sweet garlic – was outstanding!

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Garlic Scapes and Steak Stir Fry

Garlic scapes are a spring specialty so take advantage while you can. This steak and garlic scape recipe is simple and surprisingly full of flavor.

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Garlic Scapes and Roasted Beet Salad

My husband and I savored the subtle garlicky flavor of the tender garlic scapes and from now on I will grow garlic just for this meal every year.

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Garlic Scape Pesto Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus and Mushrooms

I decided to just make the scrambled eggs with asparagus and mushrooms the same as usual except that I would beat the garlic scape pesto into the eggs before adding them to the pan to cook.

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10 more easy ways to use garlic scapes

Remember, if you're using them raw, you will want to trim off and discard everything above (and including) the swollen flower part.

• Slice and add to any stir fry.
• Slice and add to any sauce, especially red or white spaghetti sauce.
• Slice and use as a garnish for anything savory - omelets, pasta, guacamole, salsa, meat. They go with just about everything.
• Chop and add to softened cream cheese.
• Chop and add to garlic bread.
• Chop and sprinkle on bruschetta or pizza.
• Slice or chop and throw into a green salad.
• Sauté until tender and add to mashed potatoes.
• Toss in olive oil and pressed garlic and grill them.
• Toss in olive oil and pressed garlic, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and roast them in the oven.

Garlic scapes are a wonderful treat to enjoy in the late spring and early summer, and you'll wish that they were available all year round. Maybe you'll even take up growing garlic in your own yard! It's easy!