Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

Have ever bought one of those pre-peeled tubs of garlic cloves. Where you think you’ll have no problem using it up because “you LOVE garlic!”, yet you don’t own a restaurant and aren’t in the habit of eating 10 cloves a day? Well, I’ve done it too. And instead of wasting it and letting half the bucket go rotten, make toum! When we first had it, at a Lebanese restaurant, I thought it was some kind of funky hummus and Hubby thought it was sour cream (to go with the kebabs we had). Quickly proven wrong, it was a wonderful discovery that I knew I had to make.

Its the Lebanese version of horseradish and could easily be used as a garlic’y horseradish replacement. In fact, I plan on having it with roast beef and gravy tomorrow. A fluffy garlic paste that hits you right in the keester with its powerful taste. And it tastes good on just about anything. Tonight it went with my lamb ossobuco and I put it on the yu choy that was simply cooked in brown butter.

Just a note that you want to alternate the oil and lemon juice to make everything emulsify, get fluffy, and combine into a perfect paste. And according to the recipes I read, do NOT use olive oil.

And yes, it really is as white as it looks in the picture!

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Toum

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup garlic cloves - peeled roughly 3 heads of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups canola oil or vegetable not olive!
  • 1/8 - 1/4 cup lemon juice at least 1/8th, more for personal taste

Instructions

  • Whiz the garlic cloves in a medium sized food processor. Pulse for about 10 seconds at a time until almost paste like.
  • Start off with a hearty splash of oil and the salt, and begin the whizzing.
  • Slowly drizzle in the oil, alternating with a portion of the lemon juice every 1/4 cup of oil drizzled in. Don't skip this step!
  • End result will be a fluffy, texture, reminiscent of super whipped mashed potatoes.

Notes

Store in airtight container, in the fridge, for up to a month.
TOUM (LEBANESE GARLIC SAUCE)
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5 thoughts on “TOUM (LEBANESE GARLIC SAUCE)

    1. In the recipes that I found, they all say to use a neutral tasting oil and that heavier oils will prevent the oil coming together. I have seen recipes with grapeseed oil, though. If you try it and it comes out wonderfully, I’d love to know!

  1. I followed directions and almost burnt down my food processor because the sauce did not harden like in your photo… It turned out liquidy… I kept it in the fridge hoping for the oil to solidize and will try to mix it again. I hope it solidify like on your photo.

    Btw, any other tips? :-p

    1. Hmmm.. I’ve never run into that problem. When you are alternating the oil and lemon juice are you maybe adding too much of one of the other and not letting it incorporate? Sorry, that’s the only thing I can think of!

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