At the end of every spring, on the cusp of summer, we’ve got a pile of garlic scapes we get to do something with. You may have them in your CSA box or buy them at your farmer’s market, and wonder what to do with them.

Usually I make this Garlic Scape Pesto which is delicious, but I still have leftovers of it in my freezer. Here are some other ideas for scapes on this blog going back to 2009.

I wanted to try something new, and I’m so glad I did! This soup is easy, nurturing, satisfying, gently subtle, and all out delicious. This will be my new go-to scape recipe.

Cut off the tough ends of your scapes, and the fibrous flower ends. You can see what my chopped bits look like in the photos below.

Scape Soup Recipe

3 Tablespoons of butter
4 cups of chopped garlic scapes
2 teaspoons full of fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 large Yukon Gold potato
1 quart vegetable broth
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Freshly grated nutmeg (about 1 teaspoon)

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium high heat.

Add the chopped garlic scapes, thyme, salt and pepper, and sauté for a few minutes.

Stir in the potato and broth, and turning down the heat, cook for 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft.

Add the half-and-half, and purée the soup in a blender.

Stir in the lemon juice and nutmeg.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!