Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce) & Taratour (Tahini Sauce)
Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce) & Taratour (Tahini Sauce)
Ingredients
For the Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)
- 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled (approximately 1 head of garlic)
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1/4 cup ice
- 4 cups neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons citric acid
- as needed cold water, to thin
For the Taratour (Tahini Sauce)
- 1 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup ice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño, sliced, optional
- as needed cold water, to thin
Instructions
- 1
For the Toum: Place the garlic cloves into a food processor. Blend the garlic until it is constantly hitting the blade. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl as needed. If the garlic isn’t circulating, add more garlic until it blends smoothly.
⏱️ 3 min
- 2
Add the 2 tablespoons of salt to the garlic in the food processor and blend well until fully incorporated.
⏱️ 1 min
- 3
Add the 1/4 cup of ice to the garlic mixture. Continue blending. Once the mixture sounds grainy (like sand), slowly drizzle in the first 2 cups of neutral oil while the food processor is running. Ensure the oil is added in a very thin, steady stream to allow for proper emulsification.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Add the 2 tablespoons of citric acid to the mixture. Continue slowly drizzling in the remaining 2 cups of neutral oil until the sauce becomes thick, fluffy, and white. This process may take several minutes.
⏱️ 5 min
- 5
If the Toum is too thick, add a few drops of cold water at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If the garlic flavor is too strong, continue adding a little more oil to mellow it out. Transfer the Toum to an airtight container and refrigerate.
⏱️ 2 min - 6
For the Taratour: In a clean food processor, combine the 1 cup tahini, 1/2 cup ice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend these ingredients until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
⏱️ 2 min
- 7
With the food processor running, gradually add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce should be pourable but still thick enough to coat a spoon.
⏱️ 1 min
- 8
Add the roughly chopped fresh parsley and the sliced jalapeño (if using) to the food processor. Pulse a few times to incorporate them into the sauce without completely pureeing them. Transfer the finished Taratour sauce to a sealed container and refrigerate.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce) & Taratour (Tahini Sauce)
For the Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)
- 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled (approximately 1 head of garlic)
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1/4 cup ice
- 4 cups neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons citric acid
- as needed cold water, to thin
For the Taratour (Tahini Sauce)
- 1 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup ice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño, sliced, optional
- as needed cold water, to thin
Instructions
- 1
For the Toum: Place the garlic cloves into a food processor. Blend the garlic until it is constantly hitting the blade. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl as needed. If the garlic isn’t circulating, add more garlic until it blends smoothly.
⏱️ 3 min - 2
Add the 2 tablespoons of salt to the garlic in the food processor and blend well until fully incorporated.
⏱️ 1 min - 3
Add the 1/4 cup of ice to the garlic mixture. Continue blending. Once the mixture sounds grainy (like sand), slowly drizzle in the first 2 cups of neutral oil while the food processor is running. Ensure the oil is added in a very thin, steady stream to allow for proper emulsification.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Add the 2 tablespoons of citric acid to the mixture. Continue slowly drizzling in the remaining 2 cups of neutral oil until the sauce becomes thick, fluffy, and white. This process may take several minutes.
⏱️ 5 min - 5
If the Toum is too thick, add a few drops of cold water at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If the garlic flavor is too strong, continue adding a little more oil to mellow it out. Transfer the Toum to an airtight container and refrigerate.
⏱️ 2 min - 6
For the Taratour: In a clean food processor, combine the 1 cup tahini, 1/2 cup ice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend these ingredients until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
⏱️ 2 min - 7
With the food processor running, gradually add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. The sauce should be pourable but still thick enough to coat a spoon.
⏱️ 1 min - 8
Add the roughly chopped fresh parsley and the sliced jalapeño (if using) to the food processor. Pulse a few times to incorporate them into the sauce without completely pureeing them. Transfer the finished Taratour sauce to a sealed container and refrigerate.
⏱️ 1 min