This spicy herb sauce known as Zhoug is the answer to all of your hot sauce prayers! Made with jalapeño, garlic, lemon, olive oil, cilantro and spices, it’s good on and in just about anything.
If you’ve never heard of zhoug, it doesn’t mean you’ve never tasted it before. Zhoug is often served with Israeli foods such as falafel, you can find it at shawarma stands, and it often accompanies hummus. Did someone say hummus!?
A sauce with many other names…
Zhoug has roots in Yemeni cuisine and is also used in Israeli cuisine. Other names for this spicy herbacous sauce include skhug, zhug, sahawiq, just to name a few. And it also has language specific names depending on the color of hot pepper used.
Zhoug is traditionally made with fresh red or green hot peppers, fresh herbs and spices. For my recipe I went with jalapeño (because I love vibrant green sauces), cilantro, cumin and coriander. If you don’t love cilantro sub parsley, it would be just as delicious. Or if you like both do a combo!
This sauce comes together fast in a food processor
Then of course I use fresh garlic, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. For sauces such as this one, I like to use a high quality organic EV olive oil such as Paesano.
Once you have all of your ingredients you just toss ‘em all in a food processor or blender and whiz a few times until blended. Then I like to top mine with a few pinches of pepper flakes.
You can use crushed red peppers flakes, or go with Aleppo pepper flakes, which are milder than crushed red pepper flakes. Aleppo pepper is from the Halaby pepper and is used in Middle Eastern cuisine.
This sauce is packed with flavor and is so versatile
And speaking of mild, you can use only half of a jalapeño pepper here and/or leave out the inner flesh of the pepper. It’s the seeds and membranes of peppers that make them the most spicy!
Spicy carrots with roasted chickpeas + zhoug
What to do with zhoug?
Now that your sauce is made, what to do with it. Well, the question isn’t what can you do with zhoug, it’s what CAN’T you do with zhoug!
I like it in my Carrot Noodles with Roasted Chickpeas + Zhoug. And there are so many ways to use this spicy fresh condiment, too.
Here are a few zhoug ideas to get you started…
- as a dip for falael
- in grain bowls
- on grilled seafood and meat
- stirred into hummus
- slathered on grilled veggie kabobs
- stirred into savory yogurt
- on scrambled eggs
- with fajitas
- on tacos (yes, it goes great with Mexican!)
- stirred into rice
- with a meze platter
- served with pita bread
- on roasted potatoes & veggies
- with this Mujadara recipe
Serve zhoug with my Mujadara recipe!
However you decide to use Zhoug, I hope you like it as much as I do. And if you make this zesty spicy sauce be sure to let me know! You can comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Feeling saucy? You might like these recipes…
Pumpkin Seed Pesto (vegan, GF)
Avocado Ranch (vegan, GF)
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
cup
|
- 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1 small jalapeño use only have and remove seeds for milder
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp flake salt or to taste
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch pepper flakes such a aleppo or crushed red pepper
Ingredients
|
|
- in a small food processor or blender, chop cilantro, jalapeño and garlic
- add remaining ingredients and blend
- enjoy sauce at room temperature, store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator
Original recipe created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com