Creamy, fluffy, and loaded with garlic - toum is the flavor bomb missing in your kitchen. Pair this Lebanese garlic dip with grilled chicken, roasted veggies, and one of my favorites: french fries. This recipe comes together in just a few minutes and you don't even need a food processor! What's not to love?!?
Toum is a super popular condiment in Lebanon. The word "toum" actually translates to "garlic" in Arabic, but we also refer to the prepared dip as toum, because, well, it's very garlicky.
In Lebanon, toum is absolutely mandatory with chicken shawarma, shish tawook, grilled chicken, roasted chicken, fried chicken... You get the point. But you really can't go wrong pairing it with just about anything.
Considering what a big part of my life toum is, it really was a no-brainer to make it the first recipe I publish on my blog. And the fact that it's the easiest toum recipe ever and naturally vegan is another plus. So let's make this deliciousness!
Ingredients
It really doesn't get much simpler than this! Salt hardly counts as an ingredient because it is essential to every recipe, so really you're looking at a 3-ingredient flavor packed condiment! All you need is:
- Garlic: the star of the show of course! Fresh garlic is a must - no pre-minced jars of garlic! If you must, you can use peeled garlic cloves - but read your labels and make sure there are no additives and that they are as fresh as possible.
- Oil: use a neutral oil for best results. Avocado, grapeseed, canola, and vegetable oil are all great options and you can even use a combination of them. Do not use olive oil as it has a strong flavor that will be overpowering and take away from the star of this dip. It will also make the toum darker instead of that signature white color.
- Lemon juice: blending the garlic with lemon juice helps to mellow out the strong garlic flavor, and the acidity balances out the flavor.
- Salt: enhances the flavor and also aids in the initial blending of the garlic to form it into a paste.
Instructions
First, peel enough garlic cloves until you have one heaping cup - this usually takes 3 to 4 whole heads of garlic.
For faster peeling, place the unpeeled cloves on a stable cutting board, then place the blade of a chef's knife flat against the clove, and use the heel of your hand to smash it. This loosens up the skin and it pops right off.
Just make sure to trim the brown stems with a knife before setting the garlic aside.
Next, place the peeled garlic cloves, lemon juice, and salt in the tall, narrow container that comes with your immersion blender.
For less clean up, use a jar that is wide enough to fit the immersion blender and that is large enough to fit all the ingredients - that way you can store the toum in the same jar you made it in.
If you are following this toum recipe without scaling it, a wide mouth one-quart jar is ideal.
Place the immersion blender in the jar and blend the garlic until you have a paste. You'll have to move it around a few times to get it all blended.
Pour the entire amount of oil on top of the garlic paste - do not stir! Before turning on the blender, submerge it to the very bottom of the jar.
Hold the jar with one hand, and turn on the immersion blender while it is at the bottom of the jar.
As it begins to blend, you will notice the bottom becoming white and fluffy. Once you see that, slowly begin raising the immersion blender until the whole mixture becomes white and fluffy.
I told you this is the easiest toum recipe ever!
Tips for making perfect toum
- Remove the germ. This is an optional step, but as garlic ages, it develops a green sprout in the middle which has a bitter taste. Use a paring knife to split the clove down the middle lengthwise and pry the green sprout out with your fingers.
- Be patient. Don't raise the blender too fast - only move up once the section it's in has already emulsified. Once you get to the top, you might see some residual oil. Give the mixture a quick stir, then blend it for another few seconds until it is completely homogenized. The whole process takes just a couple of minutes.
- Use the narrowest container possible. This really helps with the emulsification process because the blender is closely surrounded by all the ingredients.
- Chill the toum overnight. While you can absolutely enjoy the toum as soon as you make it, the flavors really meld and mellow out if you let it chill overnight first.
Frequently asked questions
- How can I make toum thinner/thicker? The recipe below results in a traditional consistency. However, if you would like it thinner, simply blend in a couple tablespoons of cold water at a time until you reach the desired consistency. For thicker toum, add a little more oil and blend well.
- How can I make the garlic flavor less strong? Toum mellows down with time, so you can simply make it in advance and consume it later. But if you'd like to enjoy it immediately and don't want it so potent, you can microwave the peeled garlic cloves for 2-3 minutes before using.
- How long does it last? Longer than it takes you to finish it! Toum keeps really well in the fridge for a couple of months. The garlic flavor mellows out significantly after a couple of weeks, so keep that in mind.
If you’ve tried making this addictive, easy toum recipe or any other recipe on Forks & Foliage, then please don't forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! I would be so happy to hear how it turned out for you. And if you took any photos or videos, please share them with me on Instagram @forksandfoliage so I can see the deliciousness you made!
Easiest Toum Ever (Lebanese Garlic Dip)
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 cups neutral oil, such as avocado, canola, or grapeseed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Peel the garlic cloves and place them in a wide mouth quart jar or similar sized container, then add the salt and lemon juice.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until it resembles a paste.
- Add all the oil on top of the mixture, then the place immersion blender at the very bottom. Start blending without raising it up. As the mixture emulsifies, gradually raise the blender until the whole mixture is white and fluffy.
- Place a lid on the jar and chill in the fridge, ideally overnight, for best flavor.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and may vary.
Kate says
I never comment on recipes but oh my god? This is incredible. I always thought making Toum was out of reach for me as a cook and I am just overwhelmed with how well this turned out.
Thank you so much for the step-by-step!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Oh yay I am so happy you loved it Kate! Thank you so much for making my recipe and leaving such a kind comment 🙂
Alexa says
I couldn’t get this emulsify properly. I tried blending it for a very long time and slowly raising it up as you said to. The only thing I can think of that I did differently is that I used lemon juice from a bottle rather than from actual lemons. (It’s all I had in hand). Any thoughts as to why it didn’t work for me? And if it would be possible to salvage it?
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Hi Alexa! So sorry to hear that. The reason this happens is if you moved it up before the bottom got white, thick, and fluffy. Once you go up before reaching that point, it will not thicken unfortunately. If you did exactly that and it still came out thin, I'm not sure what the reason could be... I doubt bottled lemon juice would be the reason but I haven't tested it with it so it's possible. You can just use the mixture you have as a dipping sauce, mix into salad dressings, marinate chicken or veggies with it before roasting, etc. Definitely don't toss it 🙂
Arie says
Same thing happened to me. Also used bottled lemon. Have you tried fresh instead?
Seckin says
This is one of my favorite in Lebanese dishes. Thank you for the good recipe:))
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I'm glad you enjoyed it Seckin!
Parul says
Can this be made in mixer or blender is a must??
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
It can be made with a food processor or immersion blender. A high speed blender may work if you use the directions for a food processor. I have not tried it with any other appliance though. Hope that helps!
Marty says
Never heard of it but definitely will try! I just recently heard of garlic confit since I've been vegan, and I was a cook. I digress. Can I ha e some serving ideas please and Thank You!!
Elizabeth says
Made this Sunday but my ratios were a little off. I don't think I had a full cup of garlic. I used avocado oil - and even though it was more of a sauce than fluffy - still SO good. We've been using it as a marinade and topping sauce. Love it!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Oh I'm so glad you're loving it Elizabeth! The consistency could be due to changing the ratio, but if it wasn't a drastic change in the measurements, it most likely needed to be blended more at the bottom to fully emulsify and thicken before slowly raising it up. But either way I'm happy you're enjoying it! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Di says
Easy-peasy and sooo good on roasted veggies and fries!
Am using it on burgers and chicken-great!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Yay I'm so happy you're loving it Di! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Becky K says
I made this using avocado oil and some fermented garlic that I had made, instead of fresh. I Omitted the lemon juice, as the fermentation adds plenty of tanginess, but I did add the salt. It was awesome! Thick and creamy.
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Wow what a delicious twist! Thank you so much for trying my recipe Becky! I'm happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Faye says
Hello;
I am super excited to try this. Am I able to cut the amount of salt in half? Will that affect the texture and taste? I have to be careful with salt consumption.
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Hi Faye! I totally understand. So just to clarify, this recipe has the salt measurement for kosher salt, which contains about half the amount of sodium by volume when compared to table salt. In other words, if my recipe states 1 teaspoon kosher salt but you have table salt, you should use half a teaspoon of table salt. In any case, since the amount of salt mostly affects flavor (and preservation to a certain extent), feel free to reduce it according to your needs. As long as it tastes good to you, it should be fine 🙂
Fran says
The same recipe is also ancient recipe followed in Spain (Alioli) which translates from the catalan "all i oli" / "allium et ollium" - garlic and oil, although it was manually smashed back then and contained less garlic, being more like a sauce which nowadays converted to famous Alioli sauce, although the current one contains egg/milk and is more similar to a garlic mayo.
Still this recipe looks so yummy I can't wait to taste it! Thanks for sharing
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Yes it is very similar to traditional alioli! Long ago toum was also made in a mortar and pestle. I'm thankful for kitchen appliances that make our jobs easier nowadays hehe 🙂 Thank you for your comment Fran! I hope you enjoy this recipe when you give it a try!
Sou says
Amazing!!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Hi Sou! I'm so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Martha says
Just made it. I can already eat it with a spoon. It's so good.
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I'm so glad you love it as much as I do Martha! Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
Sunni says
Hi.. I'm new here.. Is there any way to subscribe? 🤔Or am I just missing the button?
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Hi Sunni! I'm so happy to have you here! There is a green box halfway down the home page and another one on the very side of each recipe page. But if you'd like I can manually add you to my subscribers list. Let me know 🙂
Jean F says
Thanks Gladys fir the Toum recepy you made my day...
Simply put just hummmm
Bravo
JF
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I'm so happy to hear you love it Jean! Thank you so much 😊
Dorie says
Need to buy some jars tomorrow to make this!!! Looks easy and so good!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I'm excited for you to make it Dorie! Thank you ❤
Nicole says
This looks so delicious!! I didn't read through all the comments, but I'm curious if you've ever tried it with roasted garlic instead of raw? I might have to do both!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Thank you Nicole! I personally haven't tried it yet, but one of my followers said she did and the garlic flavor was too mild for her taste, she preferred the original recipe. But feel free to experiment however you like ❤
Bernice says
So delicious smothered on everything!!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Bernice! Thanks for your comment 😊
Elena says
Looks so easy , I can’t wait to try it .I adore Garlic and my family too .I think will be a time saver and a great recipe to be shared, Thank you
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Thank you Elena! It really is super easy. I hope you love it as much as we do! 😊
Neal says
New here...please suggest specific type of neutral oil...thanks
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Hi Neal! I have several suggested in the recipe card, such as avocado, vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc... this recipes works great with any neutral oil! So it's up to you and which oils you prefer to use. I've used them all and have had success with them! Hope that helps 🙂
Sasha says
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I’m a garlic lover and it was perfect immediately- no refrigeration needed to mellow it out. This will be on regular rotation. Thank you!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I am so happy you loved this recipe Sasha! Thank you so much for your kind comment 🙂
Daria says
I've never emulsified anything before trying this. I followed the directions to a T! Besides halfing the recipie. I used a Kitchen Aid immersion blender and it turned out perfect! I'm do glad I ran into this recipe! Super delish and I've only tried it in its first strong stage. I'm excited to try it tomorrow!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Yayyy!! I am so happy you had success with my recipe! Your comment made my day! Thank you so much for making my recipe and coming back to comment Daria ❤
Rubia says
Mine broke, as it has with every other method I've tried. So disappointed, just stayed liquidy and separated.
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Hi Rubia. I'm sorry to hear your garlic separated. The only reason this could happen is if you don't blend at the very bottom of the jar until the mixture emulsifies. If you keep moving the blender up and down, it will stay liquidy. I have it detailed under my "Tips" section. I've tried it with several different immersion blenders and have never had it separate. Just be patient and blend on the bottom until it turns white and fluffy, then slowly move up a bit, stay there and blend until white and fluffy, and repeat. Hope you give it another chance!
Stacy says
You know how long I've waited for this recipe??!! Amazing, thanks for sharing, it's sooooo delicious!!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I'm so glad you love it Stacy!!
Jolene says
My immersion blender heats up too much! I’ve tried at least 4 different brands of blenders. Any suggestions?
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Oh bummer! Does it stop blending when it heats up? My immersion blender starts getting a little warm during the last minute of blending, but not so bad that it stops or affects the speed or result. The exact one I use is linked in the post. But if you have a food processor, you can use the same exact measurements to make toum in it. The only difference is that you have to stream the oil in very very slowly from start to finish while the food processor is on (after you process the garlic cloves, salt, and lemon into a paste). I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Jennifer Stevensen says
This is the BEST recipe ever!!! The method was perfect and made it so easy. I made it for my husband and not only did he love it but we were eating it with a spoon by itself because it was THAT good!! Amazing!! Thank you Gladys for sharing this recipe!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Yayayay!! Thank you so much for you sweet comment! I am sooo happy you and your husband loved it!
Britt D says
This is some serious game changing Toum! While I’ve made it many times before, this has definitely been the quickest I’ve ever done it and it came out delicious!
Not only did this recipe and hack make for an easy clean up, it was so entertaining watching the mixture completely change!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Sooo happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for trying it and leaving a comment!
Angie says
Help
Mine did not get thick, I think my jar is too wide! Is there any way to fix it?
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Hi Angie! I'm sorry to hear that. It could be because of your jar or because you moved the immersion blender up too fast before it got thick. You could try adding a few more cloves of garlic and half a cup of oil on top of the garlic mixture (do not stir), then place the immersion blender in the bottom of the jar and turn it on. Do not move it up until you see the bottom getting thicker, then very slowly move up as each section gets thick. Once it's thick you can taste it and see if it needs a little more salt or lemon juice and blend them in. Please let me know if that helps!
MaryGay says
So much easier than the recipe I have been using! I don’t know if it is considered the “right” thing to do but I made so much that I froze some of it in small and medium cubes and then dropped them in a ziplock bag and I can pull it out anytime I need some. Great for flavoring so many things. Soup, salad dressing, marinades, sauces, etc.
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
I'm so glad you found it easier! I love how you froze them - I'll have to try that myself!! Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
Mary says
Suuuper easy and quick!!! I tried to make it healthier by using avocado oil but I think the flavor suffered a bit, thanks for the suggestion to 50/50 with another oil. I shall try it. Love me some fluffy goodness
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
So glad you found it easy! The more neutral the oil the better 🙂
Kiana Valles says
This is a kitchen staple! So versatile. I’ve already been using it to dip veggies & chicken as well as adding a tiny bit into anything that calls for minced garlic. Recently added some to mashed potatoes and it really cut down time in the kitchen. I love it!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Yesss I love that! It really is so useful in the kitchen! I'm so happy you loved it! Thank you so much for leaving a comment 🙂
Suzan says
Thank you so much for all of the wonderful tips and tricks along with the recipe. This was much easier to make than I ever could have imagined! everyone in the family loves it, especially on potatoes and chicken. I’ll be making again very soon. 😋
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Yay so happy you found this helpful and that you and your family loved the toum! Thanks so much for leaving a comment 🙂
Tess says
AMAZING!!!! Super easy directions to follow. The dip was so creamy and tasty! Definitely a family favorite.
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Yayyy thank you so much for trying my recipe and leaving a comment! I am sooo happy you loved it ❤
Mistofer Christopher says
I can’t wait to try making this and thank you Gladys for this tip and I look forward to many more!!!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Thanks so much Chris! I hope you love it!!
Teddy says
Wonderful and very detailed!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😊
Val says
Incredible. Gonna have to make this a regular staple in my fridge. Goes great on sooo many things.
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Thank you Val! I agree - it is so good on just about anything! Always need a jar of it in the fridge 🙂
Bella says
Love this easy method! Can’t wait to try it! Also, congrats on the blog! So excited for you!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Thank you sooo much Bella! It's a big day for sure. I hope you try it and love it!
Pat says
I love garlic dip, I pretty much use it with everything. I even use it as part of my chicken marinade or even as my garlic aioli sauce 🤤 in my sandwiches. This is by far the fastest, easiest and foolproof recipe!
Gladys @ Forks and Foliage says
Thank you Pat! Yesss I love doing that too! So glad you like this method 🙂