Toum: the traditional recipe for Lebanese garlic sauce

Have garlic, lemon, salt, and oil on hand? Do yourself a favor and make a batch of toum. Also known as Lebanese garlic sauce, toum is a popular sauce to serve with chicken, roast meats, kebabs, and falafels, or as a dip with chopped veggies, pita, and flatbread. It's even great as a dip for French fries and potato wedges. You can even stir it into soups or other sauces.

You only need four ingredients to make this mouthwatering Lebanese garlic sauce from scratch, and you probably already have them in your kitchen.

Tips for Making Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Don't forget to remove any green parts in the middle of the garlic. These shoots can be bitter and will affect the taste of your toum.

Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, or avocado oil.

Take your time when blending the toum. Alternate between lemon juice and oil, adding them slowly to the sauce. If you hurry the process, the toum won't emulsify properly and will be too liquidy.

If your toum isn't emulsifying, add one boiled potato to the sauce. With potato, the sauce will last about one week in the fridge.

How to Store Toum

Store your Lebanese garlic sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.

How to Make Toum

Cut the garlic in half lengthwise. Take out and discard any green shoots.

Put the garlic into a food processor.

Add the salt.

Pulse until the garlic is finely minced.

As you pulse the garlic, gradually add the oil one tablespoon of oil at a time, until the garlic takes on a creamy texture. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.

Once the garlic takes on a creamy appearance, alternate between adding a little oil and a little lemon juice.

Pulse until everything is incorporated and the sauce is fully emulsified.

Pour the sauce into a glass container. Cover with a paper towel and refrigerate overnight. The following day, discard the paper towel and secure the lid onto the container until ready to use.