Roasted Garlic Scape Soup

Note: I like to roast my scapes, garlic, and shallots (both skin on) over some charcoal, but you could place yours in the oven on high heat if you prefer. It’s summertime so I make every attempt not to heat up the kitchen.

Start by rubbing the olive oil all over the garlic scapes, garlic, and shallots, and season with some salt. Place onto hot grill, turning as it grills. You want some nice char marks on the scapes, and to soften the shallots and garlic. Once they are slightly charred, remove from the grill and set aside.

Chop up garlic scapes and carefully remove skins from garlic and shallots.

Get a pot onto the stove and pour in chicken stock. Add cubed potatoes, garlic scapes, garlic, and shallots, and cook for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Once they are fork-tender, this is when you want to bust out your immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender, carefully ladle, in batches, the soup mixture into a blender, making sure you cover the top and keep it pressed down. Hot stuff in blenders without a towel over the top, once covered, can lead to a mess. Trust me. Whichever route you take (I used an immersion blender), blend until you have a nice smooth puree.

Keep the pot on medium to low heat and continue to cook. Add half-and-half, black pepper, red chili flakes, and fresh thyme. Stir, cook for a few minutes, and taste. If more salt is needed, add a bit more.

Now you are ready to serve. Ladle into a small soup bowl, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and dig in.