Laban bi toum (garlic yoghurt dip)

Name: Laban bi toum (garlic yoghurt dip)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 500 g yogurt, full-fat plain, chilled; 2 cloves garlic, peeled; 3 g salt; 2 g dried mint, rubbed between the palms; 10 ml olive oil (optional)

Vegetarian

لبن بثوم · laban bi-tūm

Plain yoghurt beaten with garlic pounded with salt and a little dried mint. The simple cool sauce of the Levant, spooned over stuffed vegetables, kibbeh and lentil dishes.

Laban bi toum (garlic yoghurt dip) is a Levantine dip, ready in about 20 minutes and made with yogurt and garlic. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 5 min
Cook: 0 min
Rest: 15 min
Total: 20 min
Serves: 6
Level: Beginner
Calories: 54

Ingredients

6 servings (about 85 g)

500 g Yogurt (opens in a new tab), full-fat plain, chilledFor a thick dip use half yoghurt, half labneh.Contains milk
2 cloves (8 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), peeledUse 3 for a strong, traditional bite.
3 g Salt (opens in a new tab)
2 g Dried mint (opens in a new tab), rubbed between the palms
10 ml Olive oil (opens in a new tab) (optional)To finish.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Pound the garlic (opens in a new tab) with the salt in a mortar to a smooth, creamy paste with no lumps.
- 2 min
- Mortar and pestle (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Whisk (opens in a new tab) the yoghurt (opens in a new tab) in a bowl just until smooth; over-whisking thins it.
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels
3
Step 3
Stir in the garlic (opens in a new tab) paste and the dried mint (opens in a new tab). Chill for 15 minutes so the garlic flavour spreads through.
- 1 min
4
Step 4
Taste and adjust salt. For a sauce to spoon over kibbeh or stuffed courgettes, thin with a little cold water to a pouring consistency; for a dip, keep it thick. Drizzle with olive oil (opens in a new tab) to serve.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Levant · Commonly attributedA basic preparation found throughout Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan, with countless home variations in garlic strength and the use of mint.Also popular in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Dips & spreads · Sauces
Cooking method: No-cook
Taste: garlicky, tangy, refreshing, creamy
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Mediterranean-style · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Yogurt · Garlic · Dried mint

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom yogurt

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

54 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 85 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 22%
Carbohydrate 33%
Fat 45%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	54 kcal	63 kcal
Protein	3 g	3.6 g
Carbohydrate	4.5 g	5.3 g
Net carbohydrate	4.4 g	5.1 g
Sugars	3.9 g	4.6 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.1 g	0.1 g
Fat	2.7 g	3.2 g
Saturated fat	1.8 g	2.1 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	11 mg	13 mg
Sodium	233 mg	275 mg
Salt equivalent	0.6 g	0.7 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 141 mg
Calcium: 108 mg
Iron: 0.4 mg
Magnesium: 12 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 24 µg
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 0.1 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.3 µg
Folate (DFE): 8 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
Optional ingredients are not included: olive oil.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Pounding garlic with salt gives a smoother, milder result than a garlic press.
For khiyar bi laban, stir in 200 g finely diced cucumber.

Common mistakes

Using sweetened or vanilla yoghurt.
Leaving garlic in chunks; it should vanish into the yoghurt.

Serve with

Over kibbeh, mahshi (stuffed courgettes or vine leaves) and shish barak.
With mujaddara, rice and lentils, or grilled meats.

Food safety

Keep chilled and do not leave yoghurt- or cheese-based dips out of the fridge for more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather).

Storage

Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days; the garlic gets stronger each day.

Variations

Khiyar bi laban (Lebanon): With diced cucumber and more mint, served as a cooling salad.
Cooked laban (laban immo base): Yoghurt stabilised with cornflour or egg and simmered for cooked sauces; a different preparation from this cold one.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Yogurt, full-fat plain, chilled500 g
Garlic, peeled2 clove · 8 g

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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