Green Beans with Garlic Scapes Aioli

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!

For more delicious green bean recipes, also try our sautéed green beans with garlic and green beans with bacon and boursin.

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If you've ever seen garlic scapes, with their tangly bright green tendrils, at farmer's markets or grocery stores in the spring and wondered what to do with them, this recipe is for you!

We take simple sautéed green beans and serve them with homemade garlic scapes aioli for a delicious side dish that screams spring.

We love using our homemade mayonnaise for the aioli, but you can definitely use store-bought. There's nothing complicated about making it, simply mix in the minced garlic scapes, fresh garlic, and some sea salt and let it rest for a half hour in the fridge.

You'll have more aioli than you need for the green beans so use the leftovers on sandwiches, on a snack board with crackers and crudités, or as a dip for french fries!

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 and have an herbaceous and mildly sweet taste that's much subtler than a clove of garlic. A popular way to use them is in pesto, but they taste great in other sauces like this aioli, or 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.

Green beans and garlic scapes aioli ingredients

All you need for the green beans is a pound of fresh green beans and some olive oil.

You only need four ingredients for the garlic scapes aioli:

• Mayonnaise – this recipe is great with homemade mayonnaise, but you can use store-bought, and even light mayonnaise works for a lighter-tasting aioli.
• Garlic scapes – to use the garlic scapes, you'll trim off and discard the bulbs and finely mince the stalks.
• Garlic – for an extra kick of garlic flavor.
• Sea salt – to make all the flavors pop!

How to make green beans with garlic scapes aioli

These green beans are an easy and delicious side dish for weeknights or any occasion. We pan-fry them but you could easily toss them on a grill or barbecue for that nice char.

Here's how this dish comes together in a few simple steps:

1. To make the aioli, simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Put it in your fridge until you're ready to serve (ideally at least a half hour).
2. Next, cook the green beans with olive oil in a large frying pan, tossing them a few times until they're soft (but still have a bit of crunch) and have some nice dark blistered spots.
3. Serve them with the aioli on the side or drizzled on top. Enjoy!

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

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.

What to serve with these green beans

These green beans with garlic scapes aioli are the perfect spring side dish! They go with just about everything you can think of from chicken to ham, tofu, and even seafood.

Since garlic scapes are seasonal, this is a great side dish for your Easter feast. It's also a great way to introduce dinner guests to garlic scapes!

Spring dishes that taste especially delicious with green beans and garlic scapes aioli

• Creamy Carrot Pasta
• Sweet Sautéed Radishes
• One Pan Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Asparagus

Favorite green bean recipes

• Long Green Beans with Anchovies and Sriracha
• Green Beans with Maple Tahini Dressing
• Healthy Green Bean Casserole