Toum (Middle Eastern Garlic Sauce Recipe) is the perfect balance between light and fluffy + rich and creamy with tons of garlic flavor! You can use it as a dip for vegetables, flatbread, or grilled chicken, or as a condiment for just about any sandwich.
The first time I had Toum was in Damascus, Syria and it was served for dipping along with Shish Tawook. The creamy lightness of Garlic Sauce is the perfect accompaniment to juicy marinated grilled chicken!
Toum is a white dip that’s both fluffy and rich at the same time. The main flavor is garlic and it really packs a punch! The only seasoning is salt, lemon juice adds a touch of tang, and oil emulsifies into the sauce for a super decadent-tasting, yet surprisingly light-textured end result.
To this day when I make Shish Tawook I also make Toum to go along with it!
Authentic Toum (Middle Eastern Garlic Sauce Recipe)
Also called Toumiya, Toum is the Levantine pronunciation of the Arabic word for garlic, which is “thoum”. Basically, the name of this sauce is Garlic, which makes sense because that’s essentially the flavor you’ll get.
Ingredients
- Peeled whole garlic cloves
- Coarse salt
- Vegetable oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Ice water
How to Make Garlic Sauce From Scratch
- Add garlic and salt to a food processor and process until the garlic turns into a paste.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the oil 1 or 2 drops at a time. Once ¼ cup of the oil is added, drizzle it in a thin stream instead of drop-by-drop.
- After ½ of the oil is added, start drizzling in the lemon juice with the motor running. Once ½ of the lemon juice is added, alternate between drizzling in lemon juice and oil.
- Continue drizzling in the remaining oil the same way until it’s all incorporated.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the ice water. The sauce will thin out and get super creamy.
How to Store Toum
I recommend storing Toum in a glass container with a lid or in a mason jar in the fridge. This is because like anything garlic-flavored, the smell is quite pungent and glass does a good job of trapping odors and helping Toum stay fresh-tasting.
Equipment for This Recipe
Traditionally, in the Middle East Toum is made using a mortar and pestle. Today, most Toum recipes are made using a food processor.
Even though a food processor speeds up the process a bit, it still takes about 20 minutes for Garlic Sauce to fully emulsify. (I can only imagine how long this process takes when making this by hand with a mortar and pestle!)
Pro Tip: Don’t try to rush the emulsification process, it will take about 20 minutes in the food processor. Taking the time to do it right saves the time and headache of trying to fix a broken emulsification or having to start over.
Tips for Making Toum (Middle Eastern Garlic Sauce)
- For the best flavor, peel the garlic fresh, don’t use the pre-peeled garlic. I know it takes a little bit longer, but I promise it’s worth it.
- If your garlic isn’t the freshest and has started to grow a green sprout in the center (which is known the garlic germ), cut your garlic cloves in half and remove it. These can be quite bitter!
- Use fresh lemon juice. Don’t be tempted by the bottled stuff which has preservatives and can have a bitter flavor.
- Be mindful of the oil you use for this recipe because you will be able to taste it. Vegetable oil is a popular choice, but for the health benefits I also like to use avocado oil or light olive oil.
Garlic Sauce FAQs
What is Lebanese Garlic Sauce Made Of?
There are minimal ingredients in authentic Garlic Sauce! It’s just garlic, salt, oil, and lemon juice.
Is Garlic Sauce the Same as Garlic Mayo?
No! Garlic Sauce is naturally vegan. It’s fluffy, light, and creamy because oil is emulsified with garlic and lemon juice.
Alternatively, Garlic Mayo typically uses egg as an emulsifier and so it isn’t vegan.
How Do I Mellow Out the Garlic Flavor of Toum?
The flavor of garlic really shines in this sauce! To mellow it out a little bit, you can do one of the following:
- Soak your peeled garlic cloves in cold water for 1 hour before making this Garlic Sauce.
- Add up to 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt along with the ice water at the end of making Toum.
- Wait a day before eating Toum. Its flavor mellows out a little bit over time.
How Do You Emulsify Toum?
In order to make a properly emulsified Toum, you need to go slow when adding the oil. It’s really important to add it literally a drop or two at a time at first.
The best advice I can give is don’t rush the process when you’re making Garlic Sauce! I find that it takes about 20 minutes to drizzle in the entire amount of oil.
Why Did My Toum Break or Separate?
The most common reason why Toum separates into a runny, oil slick-type mixture is because the oil was added to quickly. Follow the recipe and take your time and you should be fine.
What Do You Eat with Toum?
In the Middle East, Toum is commonly used as a dipping sauce. The first time I had it was along with Shish Tawook. Come to think of it, I never had Shish Tawook in the Middle East without Toum along with it!
But the uses for this deliciously light + fluffy Garlic Sauce don’t end there!
Here Are a Few More Ways to Use Toum:
- As a vegetable dip on a crudités platter
- Drizzle a little bit of good quality extra-virgin olive oil on top, grab a piece of fresh flatbread, and dip in
- Spread it on a turkey sandwich or a burger instead of mayo
- Dip your fries in it instead of fry sauce, ketchup, or mayo
- Or for that matter, dip your chicken wings in it instead of blue cheese or ranch dressing
More Authentic Middle Eastern Recipes
- Persian Okra Stew (Khoresh Bamieh)
- Molokhia Waraq
- Basbousa (Middle Eastern Coconut Semolina Cake)
- Syrian Ice Cream
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Toum (Middle Eastern Garlic Sauce Recipe)
Ingredients
- ½ cup peeled whole garlic cloves
- ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Add the garlic cloves and salt to a food processor and pulse until the garlic is finely chopped and turning into a paste.
- With the motor running, very slowly drizzle in the oil a drop or 2 at a time. Once ¼ cup of the oil is added this way, you can drizzle it in a thin stream instead of drop-by-drop.
- After ½ of the oil is added this way, drizzle in the lemon juice with the motor running. Once ½ of the lemon juice is added, alternate between drizzling in lemon juice and oil.
- Continue drizzling in the remaining oil the same way until it’s all incorporated.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the ice water. The sauce will thin out and get super creamy.
- Serve, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Faith's Tips
- Net Carbs: 1g per serving (2 tablespoons)
- Total Amount and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 1 ⅔ cups. Each serving is 2 tablespoons for a total of about 13 servings.
- Oil Choice: Be mindful of the oil you use for this recipe because you will be able to taste it. Vegetable oil is a popular choice, but for the health benefits I also like to use avocado oil or light olive oil.
- Storage: I recommend storing Toum in a glass container with a lid in the fridge. This is because like anything garlic-flavored, the smell is quite pungent and glass does a good job of trapping odors and helping Toum stay fresh-tasting.
Nutrition
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