Zhug (Yemeni Cilantro-Chile Sauce)
- 15m Prep Time
- 0sCook Time
- 15m Ready In
About 1 cup With the lesser amount of chiles, zhug is somewhat like Salsa Verde or Chimichurri: It’s a perky, herbal accompaniment to grilled meats and falafel, a dipping sauce, or a last-minute “enlivener” for soups and braises. With the larger amount of chiles, it’s better to think of zhug as a chunky hot sauce or relish. We like to add ground black cardamom seeds, which lend a subtle smoky, aromatic flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 to 8 serrano peppers, seeded
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 ½ cups packed coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
- ½ cup packed coarsely chopped parsley leaves and stems
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground green or black cardamom seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- (½ teaspoon ground caraway)
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 2 to 8 serrano peppers, seeded
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 ½ cups packed coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
- ½ cup packed coarsely chopped parsley leaves and stems
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground green or black cardamom seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- (½ teaspoon ground caraway)
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Coarsely chop: 2 to 8 serrano peppers, seeded; 4 garlic cloves
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Step 2.
Add to a food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped. Add and pulse into a chunky paste: 1 ½ cups packed coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems; ½ cup packed coarsely chopped parsley leaves and stems; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon ground green or black cardamom seeds; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; (½ teaspoon ground caraway)
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Step 3.
The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 5 days.