More Than Our Story

Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

Toum: A traditional Lebanese garlic sauce.

Total Time: 20 Minutes (up to 1 day for best results)

Ideal for Meats and Vegetables

Table of Contents

Inspiration

Toum is an incredible Lebanese garlic sauce. It goes well with all dishes, and because there are no eggs it makes a delicious vegan-friendly, plant-based alternative to mayonnaise. If you’ve ever had shawarma, chances are you’ve encountered this garlic-lover’s dream.

HEART HEALTHY
Toum contains garlic which is a superfood that contains many heart-protective benefits. Garlic is also an allium vegetable, meaning it contains high levels of organosulfur compounds which have been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. Further, toum also contains no egg yolk unlike other garlic dips, meaning there is less cholesterol - so get dipping.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup, peeled garlic cloves (about 4 garlic bulbs)
  • 3-4 cups of oil (You can use canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, avocado oil, or any other neutral oil – olive oil is not recommended because it has a stronger, more forward flavor)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • Pinch of sea salt

Preparations

This longer you take preparing the toum the better, trust me it’s worth the time.

  1. Place the peeled garlic and the salt in a food processor and blend until well minced
  2. Add the oil slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Take your time, the final result is worth it.
  3. Once fluffy, alternate between pouring oil and lemon juice.
  4. Looking to spice things up: Add some diced fresh chilli or dried Aleppo pepper flakes.
  5. For best results: Cover with a paper towel, and let set overnight in the fridge.

TIME SAVING TIP:
You want your toum creamy and well-mixed. Once the mixture becomes fluffy, alternate between pouring in small amounts of oil and lemon juice. The entire process should take about 15 minutes.

Tips

  • Great with roasted meats or vegetables.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • You can freeze any unused garlic for later use.
Picture of Daniel

Daniel

Daniel is an extremely curious person, a wealth of random knowledge and facts. Extremely passionate about a vast array of interests ranging from health to history, science to athletics, everything culinary and the list goes on. Trust us, you would want to be on his team for Trivial Pursuit. Daniel is also years into his battle with brain cancer. He experienced a seizure while on a Zoom call at work in late 2020 and quite literally, his life changed within minutes. After his operation he started to talk about his story but had always known it was more than just him. From then, More Than Our Story became a PROJECT that has evolved into the starting point it is today.

Related Recipes

Recipes

Salsa verde is a super easy and healthy way to notch up the flavor of any dish. It's perfect with chips, topping a bowl, or as a marinade.

Recipes

Like a South American salsa, this condiment with tomato, chilies, onion, cilantro, garlic, oil, and vinegar goes great with everything!

Recipes

Made from a spicy, umami blend of chilis, oil, garlic, nuts and peppercorns - chili crisp is one topper you’re not going to want to miss out on.

Recipes

Cajun seasoning is a robust, versatile and flavorful blend of spices commonly used in Cajun cuisine to add heat and flavor to dishes.

Recipes

Bursting with fresh herbs, garlic, vinegar and a chili kick, our tantalizing Chimichurri recipe will teleport your taste buds to Argentina.

Recipes

Toum is a heavenly Lebanese garlic sauce. It goes well with all dishes and makes a delicious, vegan-friendly, plant-based alternative to mayonnaise.

Recipes

This tapenade recipe is so good it will keep you coming back and looking for new ways to enjoy it, and trust us the possibilities are endless.

Recipes

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend used widely throughout the Middle East, that pairs with anything: dips, breads, vegetables, and meats.

Recipes

Homemade applesauce is a healthy, easy to make snack, perfect for anytime, that provides an energy boost before or during longer workouts.

Recipes

Great with raw vegetables, crackers or bread! Learn to make your own hummus base, along with five delicious flavor variations.

Recipes

With the same nutty smell and fluffy texture, if you love popcorn, you’re going to love popped sorghum. Its tiny size is so adorable you’re going to want to incorporate this in

Recipes

Ras El Hanout,”head of shop”, is a North African spice blend of the best spices the seller has to offer.

Recipes

A great mango salsa recipe with enough kick to light you up! Ideal for shrimp or lobster, and great on tacos.

Health

Oils are an integral part of cooking. They appear in many of our favorite recipes, and play a pivotal role in various cooking techniques.