Green Beans with Garlic Scapes Aioli
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These green beans with garlic scapes aioli are an easy and extra tasty spring side dish. Fresh green beans are sautéed until toasty and served with homemade garlic scapes aioli. They’re a delicious way to celebrate the season, and they take just 25 minutes to make!
If you’ve spotted those curly, bright green garlic scapes at the market and wondered what to do with them, this is one of my favorite ways to use them. They have a fresh, garlicky flavor that’s a little milder and greener than regular garlic—perfect for spring cooking.
I pair simple sautéed green beans with a garlic scape aioli that really lets that flavor shine. The aioli is creamy, lightly sharp, and full of that fresh garlic note, which coats the tender-crisp beans beautifully.
It’s easy to make, too—just stir minced garlic scapes with garlic and a bit of salt into mayonnaise and let it sit so the flavors meld. You’ll likely have extra, and it’s just as good spread onto sandwiches or served as a dip for something crispy.
For an extra special treat, try using my homemade mayonnaise for the aioli.
What are garlic scapes?
Garlic scapes are the vibrant green stalks that grow from hardneck garlic plants. They appear in spring and early summer, and farmers or gardeners usually harvest them before they flower so all the growing energy can be directed to the bulb.
They’re delicious to cook with. They have an herbaceous and mildly sweet taste that’s much subtler than that of a clove of garlic. A popular way to use them is in pesto, but they also taste great in other sauces like this aioli, chopped up and cooked in soup, or sautéed with other vegetables.
What to serve with garlic scapes aioli
Aioli is a delicious dip for appetizers and all kinds of side dishes. Its thick and creamy consistency makes it perfect for everything from dipping crudités (the fancy word for raw veggies!) to serving alongside artichokes, zucchini fries, eggplant fries, or even french fries. It tastes great on burgers, with salmon, or even spread on some summer corn.
Tips for making the best garlic scapes aioli
It’s easy to make garlic scapes aioli, but here are a few tricks we’ve learned:
- Let it rest – allow the aioli to rest for at least a half hour in the fridge before serving. This allows the flavors to come together and mellow out.
- Chop the garlic scapes fine – use a sharp knife to mince the garlic scapes really finely. This ensures the flavor gets evenly distributed.
- Use homemade mayonnaise – of course, you can use store-bought, but this aioli tastes especially delicious with our homemade mayonnaise recipe.
Green Beans with Garlic Scapes Aioli Recipe
Ingredients
Garlic Scapes Aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise (see notes)
- ¼ cup finely minced garlic scapes
- 1 small garlic clove (finely minced)
- 1 pinch sea salt (to taste)
Green Beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb green beans (trimmed)
Instructions
- Mix the mayonnaise, garlic scapes, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Put the bowl into your fridge until you're ready to serve it. Note: the mayonnaise will taste best if the flavors have at least half an hour to meld.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup finely minced garlic scapes, 1 small garlic clove, 1 pinch sea salt
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and cook them for 5 minutes, tossing them in the pan a few times. You want them to be slightly softened (with a bit of crunch left) and several nice, dark blistered spots.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 lb green beans
- Serve the beans with the garlic scapes aioli on the side or drizzled over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Always looking for new ways to use garlic scapes outside of pesto so this is great! Love green beans for an easy side dish, this is a fun way to change it up!
I stumbled upon your blog while searching for green beans recipes and I love this one. Curious to try garlic scales aioli, looks delicious! Pictures look awesome!
This looks awesome! 🙂 I just discovered scapes myself not too long ago. I made a great white bean dip and have been looking for other recipe ideas since I bought so many of them! Looking forward to giving this a try. Thanks!