{"id":7177,"date":"2022-04-02T21:28:48","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T21:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/?p=7177"},"modified":"2026-10-08T23:21:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T23:21:36","slug":"easy-toum-recipe-authentic-lebanese-garlic-sauce-hadias-cuisine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/easy-toum-recipe-authentic-lebanese-garlic-sauce-hadias-cuisine\/","title":{"rendered":"Authentic Toum Recipe (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I can’t live without Lebanese garlic toum. Having grown up on the stuff, it was a constant condiment in our fridge. A simple sauce that is considered more essential than mayonnaise in Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine, toum is a mise en place staple prepared in most restaurants and snack bars, ready for chefs to draw upon when assembling a sandwich or snack.<\/p>\n

Toum is a classic for a reason! It\u2019s both a condiment and the perfect accompaniment to so many Lebanese and Middle Eastern dishes. It famously coats chicken shawarma, shish tawook, grilled chicken, and even kibbeh naye (a raw meat dish), but it certainly doesn\u2019t stop there. It\u2019s delicious on so many things: smear it inside a wrap, douse your fries or grilled meats with it, or even spread it over toasted baguette. Apply it pretty much anywhere\u2014I\u2019m confident you\u2019ll think of countless other ways to use it too. You name it!<\/p>\n

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Classic toum is an emulsion made with garlic, lemon or citric acid, salt, and oil\u2014a recipe that you can find in my cookbook. But today, I\u2019m going to show you a simpler, more foolproof version that uses cornstarch to help bind the sauce.<\/p>\n

It gives you the same delicious, creamy result, but with a much more forgiving method that\u2019s less fussy and easier to master, especially if you\u2019re new to making toum.<\/p>\n

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Use fresh, firm garlic, and avoid garlic cloves with green center sprouts, as they can negatively affect the taste of the garlic sauce.<\/p>\n

Count me among the garlic lovers! I always add more than the amount mentioned in the recipe because I love the sharp, punchy flavor that garlic delivers in every bite. If you\u2019re nodding in agreement, feel free to add a few extra cloves to the amount called for in the recipe.<\/p>\n

Ingredients Needed to Make Toum<\/h2>\n

Cornstarch:<\/strong> There\u2019s no need to fear using cornstarch when making toum. It simply gives the sauce a glossy appearance and acts as a thickening agent, helping to bind the flavors together without affecting the final taste of the toum.<\/p>\n

Lemon juice:<\/strong> Lemon juice brightens the flavor and adds a refreshing acidity. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and avoid bottled lemon juice. Also, please don\u2019t be tempted to add more than the amount specified in the recipe, as too much lemon juice can overpower the other flavors.<\/p>\n

Oil:<\/strong> Use a neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola oil, and avoid olive oil. Its strong flavor can overwhelm the garlic and affect the delicate taste of the toum. It can also alter the desired pale-white color of the sauce.<\/p>\n

Garlic:<\/strong> Use the freshest garlic you can find. Choose firm cloves and avoid garlic with green center sprouts, as they can give the toum an unpleasant or bitter taste.<\/p>\n

Salt:<\/strong> Use the amount specified in the recipe, but feel free to add more to suit your personal taste preference.<\/p>\n

Water:<\/strong> Use fresh, cold water.<\/p>\n

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The Key to Perfecting Toum<\/h3>\n