Toum (Garlic Sauce) 🧄 🇱🇧

Description

Fluffy, snow-white garlic emulsion—pillowy, sharp, and spreadable—perfect for shawarma, grilled meats, and roasted veg. ✨

Hook
Four ingredients, one steady drizzle: it’s mayo-light but 100% dairy-free. 🔥

Ingredients

• 🧄 Fresh garlic, peeled (large cloves): 80 g (≈20–22 cloves / 2.8 oz)
• 🧂 Fine salt: 6 g (1 tsp / 0.21 oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧊 Ice-cold water: 30–60 ml (2–4 tbsp / 1–2 fl oz), as needed
• 🫙 Neutral oil (sunflower/canola/grapeseed): 400 ml (1¾ cups / 13½ fl oz)
• > Equipment: food processor (preferred) or immersion blender + tall jar. Keep all ingredients cold.

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Start the paste
2. Add garlic and salt to the processor. Blitz 30–45 sec until very finely minced; scrape bowl. Add half the lemon juice and 1 tbsp ice water; blitz to a smooth paste.
3. 2️⃣ Build the emulsion (slow drizzle)
4. With motor running on low, pour oil in a thin thread (about 1 tbsp every 10–15 sec). Alternate occasionally with 1–2 tsp ice water to keep the mixture cool and fluid. Scrape bowl as needed.
5. 3️⃣ Finish & balance
6. When ~¾ of the oil is in, add remaining lemon juice. Continue drizzling the rest of the oil (and tiny splashes of water if it tightens) until the sauce is cloudy-white, fluffy, and holds peaks.
7. 4️⃣ Rest & store
8. Taste for salt/acid. Transfer to a clean jar; rest 10 min (flavors mellow). Refrigerate up to 3 weeks; the flavor softens by day 2.
9. > Temperature cue: If the bowl feels warm or the toum looks greasy/split, stop and add 1–2 tbsp ice water, blitz 30 sec, then resume a slower drizzle.

Total Time

⏱️ Prep: 10 min

🍳 Processing: 8–10 min

😌 Rest: 10 min

🕒 Total: 28–30 min

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