Levantine Toum
صلصة الثوم·(toom)
MEAL PREP
This isn’t mayonnaise—it requires zero eggs or dairy to whip peeled garlic into a white cloud, and for anyone navigating an autoimmune elimination, it delivers the creamy richness of dairy and the sharp bite of nightshades without triggering a flare-up. While traditional methods demand twenty-five minutes of agonizingly slow oil-drizzling in a food processor, an immersion blender forces the emulsion to stabilize in under five minutes, cutting the ordeal down to ten minutes. Keep blending until the motor whines, then stream the oil slowly.
Before you start
Remove the germ to ensure sweetness.
Slice your peeled garlic cloves in half lengthwise and use the tip of a paring knife to flick out the small, greenish sprout in the center. This prevents a harsh, bitter aftertaste and is the secret to a smooth, sweet paste.
Ingredients
- fresh garlic cloves1 cup
- kosher salt2 tsp
- fresh lemon juice1/4 cup
- avocado oil1 1/2 cup
- ice-cold water2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Load the blending jar.
Place the prepped garlic cloves, kosher salt, and fresh lemon juice into a wide-mouth mason jar or the tall, narrow plastic beaker that came with your immersion blender.
- 02
Pulverize into a paste.
Submerge the immersion blender into the mixture and blend on high until the garlic is completely broken down into a smooth, watery paste.
- 03
Layer the oil.
Pour the entire measure of avocado oil directly on top of the garlic paste and let it sit undisturbed for ten seconds so the oil separates and floats on top.
- 04
Force the emulsion.
Push the head of the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar. Turn it on high and do not move it. Within fifteen seconds, a thick, bright white cloud will form at the base as the blades pull the oil down.
- 05
Pull and fluff.
Once the bottom half is completely emulsified, begin pulling the blender upward with agonizing slowness—about a quarter of an inch at a time. Once you reach the top, add the ice-cold water and pulse for ten seconds to lighten the texture into a fluffy cream.
Notes
Mind the emulsion boundary.
The physics here rely on the blades acting at the boundary line between the watery garlic paste and the heavy oil. If your jar is too wide, the oil bypasses the blades and breaks the emulsion. Always use a narrow container that barely fits the head of your blender.
How to fix a broken toum.
If your ingredients get too warm or you pull the blender up too fast, it will break into a yellow, oily liquid. Don't throw it out. Pour it into a measuring cup, place one fresh crushed garlic clove and a splash of lemon juice in the bottom of your blending jar, and slowly pour the broken mixture back in while blending to re-emulsify.
Check your meat labels.
Toum demands to be served with shawarma or sausages. If you are buying commercial sausages or pre-marinated meats, check the label obsessively. Almost all commercial Middle Eastern spice blends contain seed spices (coriander, cumin, cardamom) and nightshades (paprika). Stick to plain cuts roasted with olive oil, salt, and oregano.
From AIP 10 Minute Meals.