Cooking with garlic scapes: A guide
What's the story
Garlic scapes are the curly green shoots that grow from garlic bulbs and are harvested before they flower in early summer.
Prized by gardeners and cooks alike, scapes lend a subtle garlic flavor to dishes without overpowering them.
Discover five delicious ways to cook with garlic scapes, and elevate your everyday meals to gourmet masterpieces.
Soups
Transform soups and stews
Finely chopped garlic scapes can be incorporated into soups and stews as an aromatic. Their gentle garlic essence adds depth to the broth without overwhelming other flavors.
In a potato leek soup, for instance, using garlic scapes as 10% of the total vegetable content can subtly elevate the flavor profile.
Pesto
Elevate pesto variations
Classic pesto is typically prepared with basil and pine nuts, but you can switch things up by replacing half of the basil with chopped garlic scapes.
The outcome is a distinctively flavored pesto with a mild garlic undertone, ideal for enhancing pasta dishes or as a spread on rustic bread.
Dressings
Enhance salad dressings
Garlic scape-infused oil makes your salad dressings delicious.
Whiz up some chopped garlic scapes with olive oil in a blender, let it sit for a couple of days, and voila - you've got a flavorful infused oil perfect for vinaigrettes or creamy dressings.
Simply swap it in for regular olive oil in your go-to dressing recipe.
Dips
Create flavorful dips
Adding roasted or sauteed garlic scapes to dips by blending them in creates a deliciously complex and zesty flavor profile.
Mixing them into hummus or bean dips not only enhances nutrition but also adds a unique spin on traditional recipes.
One part chopped garlic scapes to four parts main ingredient (such as chickpeas for hummus) is a good ratio to start with.
Breads
Bake into savory breads
Finely chopped garlic scapes can be added to bread dough before baking. By kneading them in, you allow their subtle flavor to permeate the entire loaf.
Whether you're making focaccia, sourdough, or just simple dinner rolls, adding around $5 worth of finely chopped scapes per pound of flour will ensure your baked goods are the star of any meal.