Toum (Lebanese garlic sauce)
A fluffy white garlic sauce made with just garlic, oil and lemon, no egg. It is the classic partner for grilled chicken and shawarma.
- Time20 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.23 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- 276kcal
- 1gcarbs
- 0.5gof which sugars
- 30.7gfat
- 9.2gsaturates
- 0.2gprotein
- 0.2gfibre
- 0.5gsalt
A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Cut each garlic clove in half and pull out any green germ in the middle, which makes the sauce bitter.
- 2
Put the garlic and salt in a food processor. Blitz for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides, until you have a very fine paste.
- 3
Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil a few drops at a time at first, then in a thin thread. The sauce will turn white and thick.
- 4
Every time the sauce looks very thick, add a spoonful of lemon juice or a little cold water, then carry on with the oil. Keep going until all the oil is used, about 8 minutes in total.
8 min - 5
Taste. It will be strong and punchy, and the raw garlic edge mellows after a day. Spoon into a clean jar.
- 6
Keep in the fridge and use within 1 week. Serve with grilled chicken, kebabs, chips or flatbreads.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
