Garlic Sauce or Lebanese Garlic Sauce is more like a spread and goes great with Falafel, Shawarma Sandwich, or Kabab. Its consistency is a little thicker than the usual sauces. This sauce is made with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
Earlier, I wanted to make this sauce, but I only knew the egg white recipe. And I know I just cannot eat the garlic sauce that has egg in it. So then I stumbled upon Trader Joe's Garlic Spread. This is eggless Garlic Sauce/ Spread that tastes exactly the same.
You can pair this Garlic Sauce with Falafels along with some homemade hummus. Or you can also try this flavorful Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus, which is my favorite. Of course, you can also try this delicious Mediterranean Pasta Salad or Orzo Pasta Salad too. Other sauces that you can: Green Chutney, Tamarind Chutney, and Chimichurri Sauce.
When I first moved to the United States, we used to live in Michigan. And there were several Mediterranean restaurants that we used to love. Olli's & La Pita was our favorite. There we stumbled around a sandwich corner that used to serve Falafel Roll. Those rolls were stuffed with falafel, pickled beets, and onions. They used to serve it with the most amazing garlic sauce.
So that inspired me, and I started searching for an eggless recipe. I have tried different recipes with different proportions. Sometimes the sauce turns out too oily and sometimes too potent. So after a couple of trials, I now have a recipe perfect for my taste buds.
GARLIC SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- GARLIC: This is the main ingredient for the garlic sauce. Pick the garlic that is firm and has a strong flavor. I have used 1 garlic bulb for the recipe. Depending on your taste, you can double or halve the garlic.
- OIL: For this recipe, you need a neutral oil like Canola Oil, Sunflower Oil, Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Oil, etc. Olive Oil will not work in this recipe. Olive Oil has a strong flavor that will affect the flavor and change the color of the Garlic Sauce.
- SALT: Salt is just for flavoring and also helps in combining the flavors properly.
- LEMON JUICE: Lemon Juice plays a supporting role as it helps in emulsifying and combining the sauce properly. If you add oil alone you will get a liquid consistency. But lemon juice helps in binding the ingredients and result in thick and Creamy Garlic Sauce.
TIPS TO REMEMBER
- Try to use fresh and firm garlic cloves in the recipe. The more firm garlic cloves are, the sauce will turn more flavorful. Old garlic cloves or frozen or already cut garlic cloves will not make Garlic Sauce that flavorful.
- If you don't want Garlic Sauce to taste so potent then you can soak garlic cloves in water for a few minutes. This will reduce the strong garlic flavor.
- Make Garlic Sauce in a Food Processor and not in the blender. It is difficult to emulsify the ingredients using an Immersion Blender or any regular blender. The trick to make the garlic sauce is to slowly drizzle oil and lemon juice alternatively while the motor is still running. You won't be able to achieve this in a regular blender.
- Add lemon juice and oil alternatively. This will help in emulsifying the ingredients and combining them properly.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can Creamy Garlic Sauce be Frozen?
Actually, no, you cannot freeze garlic sauce. If you freeze it, you may lose the creamy texture of the sauce. Though you can store it in a refrigerator for10-15 days or up to 1 month. You can make it in small batches and consume the sauce in that period.
What can Garlic Sauce be used for?
This creamy Lebanese Garlic Sauce is so versatile that you can pair it with almost anything. I actually use it in a sandwich, rolls, falafel, chips, etc. But it is mainly used with Shawarma, Kababs, grilled food, etc. If you like garlic flavor, then you can pair it with anything you want.
Is Garlic Sauce Healthy?
I won't say it's healthy as it has 1 cup of oil in it. But this Lebanese Garlic Sauce does provide some health benefits. Garlic is the main ingredient, and we know garlic offers so many health benefits. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is also a good source of antioxidants. Not only that, but it also helps in lowering blood pressure.
Is Garlic Sauce Spicy?
Garlic Sauce is not exactly spicy, but it does have a potent flavor of garlic. If you are not a fan of garlic, then you won't like the sauce. However, to reduce the powerful taste of garlic, you can soak garlic cloves in water for a couple of minutes before blending.
Lebanese Garlic Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bulb Garlic
- 1 cup Oil like Canola Oil, Suflower OIl, etc.
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- Salt
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and slice them lengthwise and add in the food processor. Add salt with garlic cloves and start to blend until minced. Scrape down the sides to remove all the garlic pieces.
- With the food processor still running, add 2-3 tablespoon of Olive Oil and blend. Scrape the sides and keep blending until the garlic turns creamy.
- Once the garlic starts combining with the oil, increase the speed of the processor. Alternatively, add ¼ cup of oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until all the ingredients are combined well and form like a sauce, This may take 10-15 minutes. (Note: You can also add some ice cubes (if needed) for more airy texture).
- Transfer the prepared sauce in the glass jar. You can store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
Notes
- Try to use fresh and firm garlic cloves in the recipe. The more firm garlic cloves are, the sauce will turn more flavorful. Old garlic cloves or frozen or already cut garlic cloves will not make Garlic Sauce that flavorful.
- If you don't want Garlic Sauce to taste so potent then you can soak the garlic cloves in water for few minutes. This will reduce the strong garlic flavor.
- Make Garlic Sauce in a Food Processor and not the blender. It is difficult to emulsify the ingredients in an Immersion Blender or any regular blender. The trick to making garlic sauce is to slowly drizzle oil and lemon juice alternatively while the motor is still running. You won't be able to achieve this in a regular blender.
- Add lemon juice and oil alternatively. This will help in emulsifying the ingredients and combining them properly.
Leave a Reply