published Jan 03, 2022, updated Aug 10, 2022 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!
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
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)
