Garlic Scapes & Vegetarian Beef

Garlic scapes aren’t something you find often at places like the grocery store. You are much more likely to see them at the farmer’s market, or maybe you have a friend who grows garlic, or local farm where you can find them.

Garlic scapes grow from the tops of hardneck garlic, and are edible. They do have a tough and fibrous texture, and can have a very strong taste, so it is good to find ways to enjoy it without an overpowering raw garlic taste.

For this recipe, I used:

~ garlic scapes (approx 3 cups)
~ 1 bag meatless “beef”
~ 1/4 cup vegetable stock (I use vegetarian Better than Buillion)
~ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
~ 2 garlic cloves, minced
~ 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
~ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
~ salt, to taste
~ vegetable oil, and sesame oil if desired
~ optional, for heat: chili oil, chili oil sauce, chilis, etc.

To start, wash your garlic scapes.

Remove the woodier parts of the scapes. Then slice them into approximately 1-2″ long pieces.

Boil your garlic scapes for about 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.

We are a fan of these Gardein Beefless tips (photo credit: Gardein). I like to microwave them first to thaw. You can leave them whole or slice them.

Heat the oil in a pan – vegetable oil, plus sesame oil if you have it.

Start by stir-frying your meatless “beef”, either whole pieces or cut into strips.

Create your sauce, using the wet ingredients and cornstarch. If you don’t have all these ingredients, that is ok – you can even mix some soy sauce and hoisin sauce or other similar ingredients to make your sauce.

~ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
~ 1/4 cup vegetable stock
~ 2 garlic cloves, minced
~ 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
~ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
~ salt, to taste

Mix your sauce and then stir fry everything together, until your sauce thickens and the garlic scapes are a desired texture.

Serve on its own, or with a side of rice.