Garlic paste is a great way to add garlic flavor to food without changing the texture. It’s a delicious addition to soups, sauces, marinades, dips, or any food crying out for more garlic flavor. You can use the store bought versions, but if you’re looking for a true garlic taste – without the preservatives that are often added to lengthen shelf life, making your own is fairly simple. All you’ll need are peeled and minced garlic cloves and salt, preferably coarse kosher salt. 
Sprinkle a little salt over the minced garlic on your cutting board, then turn your chef’s knife on an angle and move the edge of the knife back and forth across the garlic until it’s soft and smooth. The pressure from your knife, combined with the pressure from the kosher salt grains, will help break down the garlic, turning it into a flavorful paste.
The knife movement sounds far trickier than it actually is. You’re using the almost-flattened blade of the knife to crush or grind the garlic and salt grains together. If you’re worried about salt content in your cooking, you can make the paste without the salt by following the same process and just grinding the garlic on the cutting board by itself. If you are using salt, be sure to compensate for the amount of salt in the paste when you add it to other dishes.
Happy pasting!
