Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)
This toum recipe makes a creamy spread to use on bread, as a dip or marinade. Make this delicious Lebanese garlic sauce with 4 ingredients!
If you’re new to Silk Road Recipes, you may not know that this is my second recipe site. I launched Kevin is Cooking back in 2013, and I share a lot of homemade spice blends and condiment recipes there. This first appeared there in 2014, and I felt it best to move here on Silk Road Recipes, to which it’s better suited to the cuisines.
I make this because of course, condiments and spice blends are always best when they’re made fresh. Besides, I don’t see the benefit of buying premade spice blends, spreads, and dips when they are SO simple to make at home!
New Version Tip!
I’ve been making this more and more in smaller batches (cut this recipe into thirds) and use an immersion blender. It’s amazingly creamy and made in under 3 minutes! See the recipe card below for details.
Toum recipe – Lebanese garlic sauce
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
This garlic sauce, also known as toum (the Arabic word for garlic), is a simple condiment with a big and bold garlic and lemon flavor.
The consistency is creamy and thick, similar to mayonnaise, but there are no eggs in this spread. The thick consistency is why it’s sometimes referred to as a dip.
Like aioli, mayonnaise and Hollandaise sauce, toum is an emulsified sauce. The ingredients are combined using a high speed food processor to keep the oil molecules from separating.
Make this simple toum recipe and keep a batch on hand in your fridge. Although, fair warning- if you’re like me, it won’t last long because you’ll be spreading it on everything!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Garlic – As the primary flavor in toum, I recommend using fresh, raw garlic cloves.
- Vegetable oil – You should be able to replace this with another neutral cooking oil, depending on your flavor preference or what you have on hand.
Olive, avocado, and sunflower oils would make great substitutes, but try a small test batch first, to make sure it emulsifies properly and that you like the flavor.
Toum recipe video
If you’ve never made an emulsion before, I recommend watching my video, which is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Making Lebanese garlic sauce isn’t difficult, but how the ingredients are incorporated makes a big difference in the overall consistency.
Instruction notes and tips
- Puree the garlic and salt to form a paste.
- Add the oil and lemon juice:
This step is VERY important to do correctly. While the food processor runs continuously, slowly drizzle in the oil and lemon juice in alternating amounts. If you add too much too quickly, it will break the emulsification and the sauce will come out too thin. - Finish and store: Once all of the oil and lemon juice has been added, the consistency should be thick like mayonnaise. Transfer to a lidded jar or airtight container and keep in the refrigerator.
Uses for Lebanese garlic sauce
- Deli wraps – This is a popular addition to gyros and shawarma. Spread a thin layer on a piece of flatbread or lettuce leaf before making your wrap. You can even use it on cold sandwiches or hamburgers in place of regular mayonnaise.
- Kabob plates – Pair with beef and lamb koobideh, or spread it onto other grilled meats and vegetables.
- Grilled cheese – Use toum instead of butter or mayo on the outside of bread for an amazing grilled cheese sandwich.
- Roasted poultry – I actually rubbed this garlic sauce under the skin of my holiday turkey once. It added a ton of flavor and kept the turkey moist.
It would taste great on roasted chicken or Cornish hens as well. - Garlic bread – Spread a layer on fresh bread and top with herbs for a delicious side to any meal.
Toum recipe notes
- Storage – The garlic sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
- Adjust the quantity – If you don’t plan on using the condiment very often, simply halve the recipe to make a smaller batch. We go through a batch quickly at my house!
- Kitchen tools – You should be able to use a high-speed blender if you don’t have a food processor. It can also be made with an immersion blender, but I don’t recommend using that until you have made the toum sauce a few times successfully.
Other flavor-packed dips and spreads to make
Just like toum, any one of these recipes can be made to use as a spread on wraps, sandwiches, or grilled meats. Make a platter with a little bit of each and see which is your favorite!
- Mutabal (charred eggplant dip)
- Tyrokafteri (Feta cheese spread)
- Muhamara (roasted red pepper dip)
- Shatta sauce (Middle Eastern chili paste)
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Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)
Ingredients
- 28 cloves garlic (See Note 1)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 3 cups vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice divided (See Note 2)
Instructions
Food Processor Method
- Add the garlic and salt in the food processor and run for 10-20 seconds to purée.
- Stop the processor and scrape down the sides, then process again until you have a fine paste.
- NOTE: From this point forward, keep processor running until the sauce is finished. With food processor on, slowly pour in 1 cup oil. The garlic will begin to emulsify and turn into a paste. Next, slowly add in 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Wait a few seconds, until the lemon juice is well absorbed, then add another 1 cup of oil.Repeat this step, alternating with 1 cup oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice, until you’ve incorporate 3 cups of oil and 4 tablespoons lemon juice. This process will take 8-10 minutes.
- The result should be a thick sauce, with a thick, creamy consistency (like mayonnaise). Transfer garlic sauce to an airtight jar and keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
Immersion Blend Method (my new favorite) Small Batch
- Add the 9 or 10 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/3 cup of the oil to jar or immersion blender container and run for 10-20 seconds to purée. Add remaining 2/3 cups oil and puree to emulsify completely (for a less mayonnaise type consistency, feel free to double the lemon juice). Finished product should resemble mayonnaise in texture.
Video
Notes
- Some slice each clove and remove any green inner sprout which may give a bitter taste, optional.
- For a less mayonnaise type consistency, feel free to double the lemon juice.
- Used as a condiment for pita, wraps, sandwiches, spread onto grilled bread, place under the skin of chicken prior to roasting, etc.
- This recipe yields 4 cups. Halve the recipe if you don’t plan on using it as often.
- Nutritional information based on 64 tablespoons (1 tablespoon serving).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Holy smokes, this stuff is *phenomenal.* Added the oil in a stream ½ the width of a pencil lead and the lemon juice by drops. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thanks, so happy you enjoyed this one. This goes on everything!
What happened? The video hot link is missing!
I also want to know if I can use an old fashioned blender to make this.
The video is in the recipe card for viewing? Do you have an ad blocker on your browser? Sometimes they block the video. Yes, you can use an old fashioned blender, but it make sit hard to scoop everything out. Let me know!
This was a fail for me as written. I followed directions to an T other than using a few extra cloves of garlic. I can’t imagine that made the difference. After 10 minutes of continuous blending, I never got an emulsion and was left with a separated garlic oil. I decided to make aioli with the oil by using my immersion blender, a slender cup, and 4 whole eggs. That came out perfect and delicious so I’m really glad I was able to salvage the ingredients from this failed recipe.
So sorry to read that was your experience Audrey. It should have worked as written, but maybe try my other way to see? My go to way to make now is using my immersion blender for quick and smaller batches. The recipe card notes this, too. Hope you give it a try.
Thank you! We are trying new things in our home and transitioning to all food made from scratch. This fits right in! Do you think it would be freezer friendly?
That’s great, thanks so much for following along Janine! I would not freeze it. As it thaws, that emulsion will break, leaving you with the liquid, acidic ingredients, and oil floating on top.
Can you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
You sure can Rick although sometimes it can have a slightly bitter taste. Stick to vegetable, corn or canola oil.
I have heard that olive oil will yield a bitter taste, so a neutral oil, like canola or vegetable, is recommended.
I was very excited to make this and it’s very straight forward but all I got was oily garlic liquid it smells wonderful but it now seems unusable. I am Using my food processor and added everything very slowly…wondering what I did wrong?
Working the garlic into a paste and then adding a little oil and then the acid (lemon juice) in intervals is key. Too much, too soon “breaks” the emulsion. My only other thought, and I added this to the recipe card Notes, is to use an immersion blender. Works EVERY time!
I started this using my immersion blender but I think my jar was slightly too wide. I transferred it to my food processor but am not getting an emulsification. Any tips?
At this point I’d go with another cup, preferably tall and one that fits your immersion blender, and go that route.
Just made this sauce and it is delicious!! The ingredient list says 4 TBSP of lemon juice, however the instructions below say 4 TSP lemon juice. Could you clarify please.
Thanks for the question and for following along here Kathy. It’s a total of 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, sorry if there was confusion.
I followed the recipe using a Ninja blender on the lowest setting and prepeeled garlic cloves from an Asian supermarket. It turned out perfectly flavored with a beautiful pudding like texture. Thank you so much for sharing!
I too use the immersion blender (blending stick) and it is amazing for this. Thanks Crystal!
Love this stuff pretty much great on everything. I love garlic but this takes it to a new level.
Have you tried this with French fries yet? Better too with my Kolokithokeftedes or Chebureki!
I do need to make this and put it on everything😇. Would olive oil be too strong a flavor to use in this?
I have heard that olive oil will yield a bitter taste, so a neutral oil, like canola or vegetable, is recommended.
You could use olive oil, but sometimes it can have a slightly bitter taste. Stick to vegetable, corn or canola oil.
As a Lebanese and this garlic is one of our staple condiments, I can say that you nailed it. You are the first person to make it the right way. Thanks so much. If you want to make the red toum you just add tomato paste by the tsp. Till you get the desired taste. You can also add some chili powder not flakes with the red toum if you wanted spicy. Enjoy
Wow, thank you so much for this comment Imane! I love this stuff and I look forward to trying the red version, thanks!
I love garlic sauce! And this one looks great. What would you do to make it thinner, kinda like a dressing? Thanks!
I would add a tablespoon of cold water a bit (tablespoon) at a time and whisk in to desired consistency Wilma.
My husband is allergic to citrus is there anything I can substitute for the lemon juice instead
What comes to mind would be equal parts white or apple cider vinegar Terrell. Hope this helps.
Hi! If I have a jar of minced garlic in oil, do you know how much I should use for this recipe? Thanks!
You would have to use fresh garlic cloves. Let me know how it turns out for you!
What a tasty recipe; can practically smell all that delicious garlic through my computer! Excited to give this a try, indeed!
This sauce is exactly what I need. I love garlic flavor so much!
You have to give it a try! I hope you enjoy it!
This sounds like such a terrific condiment! I’m going to try it with olive oil.
Thank you! You have to give it a try!
I have heard that olive oil will yield a bitter taste, so a neutral oil, like canola or vegetable, is recommended.
This Lebanese garlic sauce is looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
This is such an easy and tasty spread. Enjoy Erin!
This was so tasty and there are so many things this would go perfect with!
Try them on the Beef and Lamb Kabobs Amanda, so good!
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to almost put this on everything! So excited!
This is so easy to make. I want to put it on everything!
I almost do! It is so good!
Agreed Haley, so easy and so good. 🙂
This is so delicious. So easy to make.
Perfect on grilled meats Dave.
I have always wanted to know how to make this sauce. Wow!!! Just wow!! This sauce alone makes me want to buy a rotisserie, for chicken, FOR THIS SAUCE! Sooooo sooooooo good!
Super easy, BIG flavor Les!
Love all spicey food
Thanks, me too!
I haven’t actually made it yet, but I know from the ingredients this is a winner, and no more buying from a local restaurant which may have ingredients not so clean as this one. I have a lot of garlic to use, so will be doing it this week.
This is fantastic for, and on, so many things!