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This Lebanese Garlic Sauce, known as Toum, is a garlic lover’s dream. It’s intensely garlicky, ultra creamy, and whipped to perfection in just a few minutes! Use it as a dip, spread, or sauce for everything from roasted veggies, Mediterranean bowls, and grilled tofu.
Another 5-Star Mediterranean Staple!
If you’ve already fallen in love with our Homemade Pita Bread, Hummus, and Baked Falafel, we’re confident this naturally vegan sauce will be your new go-to!
It’s bold, fluffy, and the perfect dip and spread for all of your favorite veggies, breads, and Mediterranean sandwiches.
Best of all, it’s surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few ingredients. Once blended, it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a month, making it super easy for meal prep.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Garlic: Raw garlic cloves are the star here and provide the bold flavor that toum is known for.
- Oil: Forms the base of the emulsion and gives toum its rich, spreadable consistency. Use a neutral tasting oil for best results.
- Lemon juice: Balances the intensity of the garlic flavor with its bright acidity. Fresh lemon juice is much better than pre-bottled lemon juice here!
- Water: Ice water helps blend the garlic completely smooth and contributes to the fluffy consistency.
- Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the sauce. We recommend starting with 1 teaspoon and increasing to taste.
Equipment Needed
How to Make Lebanese Garlic Sauce
- Remove the garlic germ. Peel the garlic cloves, then halve them lengthwise to remove the garlic germ (the green little sprout!). The germ can have a slightly bitter or harsh flavor, and removing it keeps the toum mellow.
- Finely mince the garlic. Add the garlic and salt (start with 1 teaspoon) to a food processor and process for one minute, or until the garlic becomes finely minced. Stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl as needed.
- Slowly pour in the oil. While the food processor is running, slowly pour in two tablespoons of oil. Again, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat once more until the garlic begins to look creamy and emulsified.
- Add remaining oil, lemon juice, and water. Continue adding the oil 2 tablespoons at a time, followed by the lemon juice and water. Alternate between the three until everything has been added and the garlic sauce is well incorporated.
- Enjoy! Serve this Lebanese Garlic Sauce immediately or refrigerate until chilled before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
Toum is a traditional Lebanese condiment served with grilled meats and warm pita bread, but it’s versatile enough to be spread on just about anything that needs a bold boost of garlicky goodness!
It’s especially delicious paired with roasted vegetables, spread on falafel, and Vegan Mediterranean Buddha Bowls, or used as a dip for crispy potatoes.
Or, spread it on a Veggie Burger or Homemade Veggie Sandwich for a pop of flavor!
Storage Instructions
This sauce will keep for up to 1 month when stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. If stored in plastic, it may spoil more quickly.
Quick Tips
- Add the oil slowly! Just like vegan mayonnaise or other oil-based sauces, toum is an emulsion. Drizzling the oil in gradually helps the mixture thicken properly and prevents it from breaking.
- Opt for fresh garlic. As garlic ages, the germ in the center of the clove turns green and begins to sprout, which can give it a sharper, more bitter flavor. For toum, where garlic is the star of the show, fresh cloves will give you the best, smoothest taste.
- Choose the right oil. The oil you use plays a big role in this Lebanese garlic sauce’s final flavor and texture. Stick with neutral oils like canola or vegetable oil for best results. Avoid strong-tasting oils like unrefined coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or vegan butter, as these can overpower the garlic or prevent the sauce from emulsifying properly.
More Homemade Sauce Recipes You May Enjoy:
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Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Lebanese Garlic Sauce Recipe
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: ~3 cups
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Lebanese Garlic Sauce, known as Toum, is a garlic lover’s dream. It’s intensely garlicky, ultra creamy, and whipped to perfection in just a few minutes! Use it as a dip, spread, or sauce for everything from roasted veggies, Mediterranean bowls and grilled tofu.
Ingredients
- ½ to 1 cup peeled garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 3 cups neutral oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons of ice water
Instructions
- Remove the garlic germ. Peel the garlic cloves, then halve them lengthwise to remove the garlic germ (the green little sprout!). The germ can have a slightly bitter or harsh flavor, and removing it keeps the toum mellow.
- Finely mince the garlic. Add the garlic and salt (start with 1 teaspoon) to a food processor and process for one minute, or until the garlic becomes finely minced. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Slowly pour in the oil. While the food processor is running, slowly pour in two tablespoons of oil. Again, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat once or twice more until the garlic begins to look creamy and emulsified.
- Add remaining oil, lemon juice, and water. Continue adding the oil 2 tablespoons at a time, followed by the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Alternate between the three until everything has been added and is well incorporated.
- Enjoy! Serve this Lebanese Garlic Sauce immediately or refrigerate until chilled before enjoying.
Notes
- Storage: This sauce will keep for up to 1 month when stored in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. If stored in plastic, it may spoil more quickly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dips & Spreads
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Lebanese
