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Lebanese · Levantine

Toum

Vegetarian

ثوم · toum

A fluffy, snow-white emulsion of garlic, lemon and oil with no egg, whipped until it holds its shape like mayonnaise. The essential Lebanese sauce for grilled chicken and shawarma.

Toum is a Lebanese sauce from Lebanon, ready in about 25 minutes and made with garlic and neutral vegetable oil. It serves 24 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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A creamy white sauce elegantly presented with garlic and olives on a slate board.
Photo: Demian Grygorchuk / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
0 min
Total
25 min
Serves
24
Level
Intermediate
Calories
176

Ingredients

24 servings (2 tbsp each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Process the garlic (opens in a new tab) and salt, scraping down often, until finely minced and pasty.

  2. Step 2

    With the motor running, add the oil in a very slow, thin stream, alternating every 100 ml or so with a splash of lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and iced water, until all is used and the sauce is thick, white and fluffy.

    • 15 min

    If it looks thin and greasy it has split; start again with a fresh clove and an egg white, then slowly add the split sauce.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer to a jar and chill. The sharpness mellows after a day.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Lebanon · Commonly attributedClosely associated with Lebanon; also made across the Levant.Also popular in Syria, Palestine, JordanMore food from Lebanon
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Sauces · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Dips & spreads
Cooking method
Raw, Blended, Whipped
Taste
garlicky, citrusy, creamy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
Garlic · Lemon juice
Techniques
Wet grinding · Knife skills · Emulsification

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

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

176 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 29 g · recipe makes 24

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 1%
  • Carbohydrate 4%
  • Fat 96%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy176 kcal612 kcal
Protein0.3 g1 g
Carbohydrate1.6 g5.4 g
Net carbohydrate1.5 g5.1 g
Sugars0.1 g0.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0.1 g0.3 g
Fat19.2 g66.7 g
Saturated fat1.4 g4.9 g
Trans fat0.1 g0.3 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium146 mg509 mg
Salt equivalent0.4 g1.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
19 mg
Calcium
8 mg
Iron
0.1 mg
Magnesium
1 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
0 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
1 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” 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

Common mistakes

  • Pouring the oil too fast — patience is the whole technique.

Serve with

  • Serve with grilled chicken, shish tawook, batata harra or in shawarma wraps.

Food safety

  • Always refrigerate garlic-in-oil sauces; never store at room temperature.

Storage

  • Keeps 3–4 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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

Used in steps 1, 2

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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