What is zhoug made of?

Zhoug is traditionally made with cilantro, garlic, chili peppers, spices, and olive oil. Typically bird's eye or serrano peppers are used, but we use jalapeño because it is milder and easier to find!

What do you eat with zhoug?

Spoon over a falafel pita, roasted vegetables, drizzle over wraps, stir into yogurt, spoon over eggs, spoon onto fish or grilled chicken shawarma, or mix into hummus. You can even mix it with additional extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice for a punchy salad dressing. For even more ideas, see our full list below!

What is the meaning of zhoug?

Zhoug means a spicy sauce containing chilies. Yemenites believe that daily consumption of zhoug can keep illness at bay and strengthen the heart.

What are other names for Zhoug?

Zhoug can also go by zoug, zough, zhoung, zhug, zoog, skug, skhug, zhoug paste, green paste, or schug!

Zhoug Sauce

Name: Zhoug Recipe (Zhug)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Yemen
Ingredients: 1-3 whole jalapenos, sliced ( start with one, if unsure); 2 fat garlic cloves; 1 bunch cilantro, small stems ok (about 1 cup packed tightly); ½ teaspoon ground cardamon (or whole seeds, please see notes); 1 teaspoon cumin- ground or whole seeds; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds- optional but good!; 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns – optional; ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste; 1/3 cup olive oil, more to desired consistency; 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; ½ teaspoon chili flakes (Aleppo chili is nice), more to taste (optional)

Description

This authentic Zhoug recipe is full of spicy, punchy flavor! A popular Middle Eastern condiment, zhoug sauce is made with fresh cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, cardamom and cumin. Includes a video.

Ingredients

Units

1-3 whole jalapenos, sliced ( start with one, if unsure)
2 fat garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro, small stems ok (about 1 cup packed tightly)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon (or whole seeds, please see notes)
1 teaspoon cumin- ground or whole seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds- optional but good!
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns - optional
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/3 cup olive oil, more to desired consistency
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (Aleppo chili is nice), more to taste (optional)

Instructions

Toast any whole seeds in a dry skillet over med-low heat until fragrant. Note: If using cardamom pods- crush the pods and remove the seeds- just toast the seeds. (Video is not accurate here.) Let cool slightly.
Place the toasted spices and all the remaining ingredients (except the oil) in a food processor and pulse until it’s uniformly chopped. Add oil and lemon juice and pulse into a coarse paste. For a looser version, add a bit more oil.
Taste for salt and heat, adding more if necessary.
Add chili flakes if you like.
Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to one week.

Notes

Toasted whole spices have the best flavor here! Remove cardamom seeds from the pods- leave the pods out. The video is not right. 😉 TIP: The cardamom is the star here, so make sure you use enough so you can taste it.

Chilies: Jalapeños are not traditional yet produce a very consistent and milder heat. You can swap them out for hotter serrano or other green chilies.

Herbs: Feel free to swap out the cilantro for flat-leaf parsley or even part fresh mint. You can also do a blend of all three!

Make Zhoug Yogurt: mix 1-2 tablespoons of Zhoug with a cup of yogurt, add more to taste. Taste, adjust salt.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Calories: 26
Sugar: 0.2 g
Sodium: 29.6 mg
Fat: 2.8 g
Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
Carbohydrates: 0.3 g
Fiber: 0.1 g
Protein: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg