Year round pesto awaits in this 15 minute, freezer friendly Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto recipe. Find garlic scapes at local co-ops, CSAs or farmer’s markets in late spring and early summer. Their season is short, so get them while you can! Enjoy this punchy pesto on on your favorite pasta, pizza, sandwich or drizzle it over soup. For a cheesy version see my original Garlic Scape Pesto recipe.
Discovering Garlic Scapes
The first year I’d ever purchased a Community Supported Agriculture Share (CSA), these twirly green lanky stems showed up in my box. I had never seen scapes before, and what in the world was I going to do with them?
To my delight and discovery, and after talking with a few farmers about scapes, I started making pesto with them. After-all, one must preserve summer’s bounty somehow, and this scape pesto was an easy decision.
This Recipe Is
- a condiment that’s loud and bold in flavor
- quick to whip up in a food processor
- versatile and delicious
If you make homemade condiments and love the bold flavor of garlic, you’ll enjoy this fun and delicious dairy free scape pesto.
What is a Garlic Scape?
A garlic scape is the flower stalk of a hardneck garlic plant. It tastes like garlic, only spicier and bolder. The stem (or scape) of the growing garlic is removed so that the remaining energy goes towards the development of the bulb, or head of garlic, which is good because this helps the plant develop plump, full flavored garlic cloves. So until the garlic harvest later in the season, we feast on scapes!
Freeze it For Later
I typically make multiple jars of pesto, in small batches, and freeze it in small Mason jars to enjoy throughout the many months scapes are no longer in season.
For smaller portions, I use an ice cube tray to store about 3 tablespoons per cube. Once frozen, they go straight into a zip top bag and back into the freezer. This is especially convenient when I just need a bit to drizzle over soup, or to use in pesto mayo. It thaws quick too.
How to Enjoy Your Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
This pesto can be used like any other pesto but my personal favorites include slathering it on this Sourdough Discard Pizza, and Gluten Free Pizza as a pizza sauce, schmeared on crostini, drizzled on soup or swirled into Pesto Mayo to use on a tasty sammie or stir it into this Creamy Farro with Pesto, Asparagus and Peas.
This recipe is delicious as a condiment with many recipes, I find myself reaching for it often when I want a pop of flavor and color.
Do you know where to find your most local farm or farmer’s market? If not, check out Local Harvest. It’s an excellent resource to find local food!
Traci’s Tips
- How to Choose Garlic Scapes: Look for garlic scapes at farmer’s markets, farm stand or local Co-Ops. They should be bright green with a firm stem and no yellowing parts. Make sure they’re fresh by looking for the curl towards the end of the bulbil (towards the top of the scape). If the scape is straight, it’s past its prime which can produce a tough texture and bitter taste.
- The price of pine nuts have gone through the roof! I’ve been subbing toasted walnuts or almonds for the pine nuts in all my pesto recipes with delicious results.
15 Minute Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients
- 10 (154 grams) Garlic Scapes
- 1/3 cup (30 grams) Walnuts
- 2 tablespoons (12 grams) Nutritional Yeast
- 1/2 Lemon, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/3 cup (73 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 73g
Instructions
- Trim the garlic scapes by cutting just below the bulb. Discard the bulb/tip and cut the scapes in about 1″ pieces.
- In a food processor fitted with the S blade, add the scapes, walnuts, yeast, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process by pulsing until the mixture begins to break down. Scrape the bowl down.
- With the processor running, slowly add all the olive oil. Continue to process until all the ingredients are incorporated and broken down, about 30-45 seconds, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Store in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within a week. Also, you can freeze the pesto in a jar or in an ice-cube tray. Once frozen, in the ice-cube tray, remove and place in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Made it? Leave a comment below!
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Delicious! I used roasted hazelnuts because that’s what I had in my cupboard when my garlic scapes needed to be harvested from the garden, and it turned out amazing! I will be saving this recipe for my yearly harvest to enjoy all winter long from the freezer!
Oh my! Hazelnuts sound amazing, Portia! Thank you for your note and giving the pesto a go. Storing for winter is a perfect way to extend the season! I am doing the same :D
This is so tasty! Thank you for a delicious recipe. Have made 3 batches so far.
Hooray for three batches, Darlene! I’m making my first today! Thank you for your note and giving the pesto a go!
So delicious. A little “spicy” for my 2 year old but the adults loved it
Yay! SO glad y’all are enjoying the pesto, Stefanie!
Thank you for this recipe. I made this without the oil and it was still delicious! I just used 2 TB of plant milk to give it a bit of liquid. Delicious!
Hi Carol! Thank you for your note and tip about no oil. So glad you enjoyed the pesto 👏🏻.
You’re welcome. I just realized that I forgot to rate it so I am doing it now.
So good. Love this recipe! Thank you.
Hi Molly! SO happy you enjoyed it. Thank youuu for your note and rating!
I make garlic scape pesto every year (& all year long with frozen scapes). My recipe is simple: scapes, oil, parmesan cheese & shelled pistachio nuts. So good. I plan to try your recipe & compare. I love nutritional yeast, so I’m intrigued!
Love your pistachio tip, Eileen, and that you make it every year too! It’s a freezer staple here. I hope you love the nutritional yeast version too :D