Garlic is a small, but mighty vegetable. It is naturally low in carbohydrates, fat-free and holds the key to tremendous health benefits including lowering blood pressure, promoting cardiovascular health and improving circulation. One of the easiest ways to add this nutritional powerhouse to your diet is by dressing your meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables with a low-carb garlic sauce.
Varieties of Low-Carb Garlic Sauces
In some cooking circles, garlic is synonymous with Italy. While it is true that garlic is the cornerstone of most Italian dishes, nearly every cuisine has a garlic sauce to call its own. In Argentina, garlic sauce is known as chimichurri. The French call theirs aioli, and in Lebanon Salsit Hamoud wa Toum is the garlic sauce of choice. While each of these sauces is unique and flavorful in their own right, they share several key qualities. They are all simple to make, versatile and low in carbs.
Chimichurri
In Argentina, chimichurri, or garlic sauce, is served alongside everything from steaks to chicken and potato salad. Chimichurri is made by combining fresh garlic paste with finely chopped fresh parsley, cilantro and oregano, olive oil, vinegar, lemon, cumin, salt and dried red pepper. One tablespoon of chimichurri has 60 calories, 7 g fat and 1 g carbohydrates.
Aioli
Aioli is a traditional French sauce made of garlic, olive oil and egg. It is similar to mayonnaise in consistency and can be served with everything from meats to vegetable side dishes. Aioli is a rich addition to any meal and even though it carries more fat than many people are comfortable with, at 11.86 g per tablespoon, it is virtually carb-free, with 0.37 g per serving.
Toum
In Lebanon, garlic sauce is called toum. This thick, tangy sauce is a blend of garlic, salt, lemon, olive and vegetable oils, and is used as a condiment for meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables. It also doubles as a dressing for green salads. Like aioli, toum is a bit fat heavy. One tablespoon contains 13.5 g fat, but a mere 2 g carbohydrates.
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