Best 7 Zhug Spicy Garlic Spread Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Zhug is a spicy garlic spread that is commonly found in Yemeni cuisine. It is a versatile condiment that can be used to add flavor to a variety of dishes, from grilled meats and vegetables to sandwiches and wraps. Zhug is also a great way to add a little heat to your favorite recipes. With its bold and zesty flavor, zhug is sure to become a new favorite in your kitchen.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

ZHUG



Zhug image

This spicy green sauce is as full of flavor as it is of color. Use it raw as a dip with falafel, vegetables, sandwiches and wraps. Add a fresh dollop to soups, rice, pasta, or egg dishes for an extra spicy boost of flavor. It also works wonderfully as a marinade on meat or fish. Covered with a thin layer of olive oil, it will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator. It's also vegan, gluten-free, low sugar, and low sodium, making it perfect for almost any diet.

Provided by Buckwheat Queen

Categories     100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes     Vegan

Time 15m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 ounce flat-leaf parsley, stems removed
1 ounce fresh cilantro, stems removed
2 cloves garlic
¼ lemon, juiced and zested
3 green bird's eye chile peppers, stems removed
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
2 ice cubes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed

Steps:

  • Wash and dry the parsley and cilantro.
  • Combine parsley, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and zest, chiles, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, ice, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor fitted with a blade. Blend until a smooth paste is achieved, adding more oil as necessary.
  • Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 59.3 calories, Carbohydrate 2.1 g, Fat 5.7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 0.5 g, SaturatedFat 0.8 g, Sodium 19.7 mg, Sugar 0.7 g

ZHUG



Zhug image

Both deeply herby and searingly spicy, this Yemenite condiment is popular all over the Middle East, where it's dabbed on just about everything: falafels, shawarma, grilled meats and vegetables. You can adjust the heat to suit your tolerance: Use fewer jalapeños for something more moderate, or the full amount if you like your sauces to pack a punch. This recipe leans into the earthy, bright flavor of cilantro, but using half parsley and half cilantro is equally popular if you want to vary it.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     sauces and gravies

Time 10m

Yield About 2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 9

10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 to 8 jalapeños, seeded and sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
2 packed cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste

Steps:

  • Place garlic, jalapeño and lemon juice in a food processor or blender, and pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container with a spatula when necessary.
  • Add cilantro, cumin, cardamom or coriander, and pepper, and purée until smooth. With the motor running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil to form a homogeneous paste. Pulse in salt. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.
  • Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Use as a sauce for grilled or roasted meat or seafood, especially full-flavored fish like mackerel, tuna and salmon; spoon it over egg dishes like shakshuka and scrambled eggs; stir it into soups and stews; spread it on sandwiches, especially those filled with falafel, roasted vegetables, or mozzarella and tomato; swirl it into thick yogurt or hummus for a dip.

ZHUG / SPICY GARLIC SPREAD



Zhug / Spicy Garlic Spread image

I found this on line yet to try! A Spicy Yemenite condiment,(Pronounced Zzzz-Hoog, One Syllable) good for soups, stews, or spread on toast when your MIL comes to visit. Also very nice stirred into chicken soup when you have a bad sinus cold. This version is from Claudia Roden's New Book of Middle Eastern Food (Penguin, 1985).

Provided by Rita1652

Categories     Sauces

Time 15m

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon caraway seed
4 cardamom pods
4 strong dried hot peppers (soaked in water 1 hour)
1 whole bulb of garlic (peel)
1 bunch coriander leaves (remove stems)
salt

Steps:

  • Grind and blend all ingredients into a paste.
  • Keeps for quite a while in a tightly closed jar with a layer of oil spread over the top.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 8.7, Fat 0.1, Sodium 5.4, Carbohydrate 1.7, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 0.2, Protein 0.5

ZHOUG (SPICY HERB SAUCE)



Zhoug (Spicy Herb Sauce) image

Zhoug is a spicy herb sauce of Yemenite origin that you find in Syria and Israel. It's often the go-to condiment for falafel and is eaten with bread for those who want heat with every bite. It's a must with Shakshuka, and you'll probably find yourself stirring it into scrambled eggs, spreading it on a sandwich, mixing it with Greek yogurt to make a dip, or just eating it by the spoonful.

Provided by Ana Sortun

Categories     Sauce     Chile Pepper     Cilantro     Garlic     Coriander     Cumin

Yield Makes 1 1/4 cups

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 Hungarian wax peppers, stemmed and coarsely chopped (seeds are good) (see Cooks' Note below)
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (from one large bunch or two small ones)
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (from one bunch)
2 cloves peeled garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Steps:

  • Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. You should have a bright green emulsified sauce. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

ZHUG



Zhug image

This bright green sauce from Yemen - so fresh from cilantro, so spicy from serrano chiles, so vividly aromatic - will open up a whole world in your cooking. Treat it just as you would a basil pesto or a salsa verde: Make it in small batches, in the mortar and pestle, and then spoon it with abandon over your lunch of cooked lentils with Bulgarian white cheese, chunks of ripe tomatoes and cold cucumbers, your dinner of roasted chicken and sautéed zucchini, or even your breakfast of fried eggs. It brings intense new life and dimension to everything it touches.

Provided by Gabrielle Hamilton

Categories     brunch, lunch, snack, weeknight, appetizer, side dish

Time 40m

Yield About 8 servings (1 generous cup)

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, extracted from about 10 cardamom pods
6 garlic cloves, smashed
4 serrano chiles, cut into very thin coins
1 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
3 tightly packed cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 1/2 tightly packed cups roughly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

  • In a small, dry pan, toast the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and cardamom seeds over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until slightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer the seeds to a large mortar and pestle, and pulverize into a coarse powder.
  • Add the garlic and chiles, and season evenly with kosher salt. Grind the mixture together until a tight paste forms, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add about 1/3 of the cilantro and parsley, and continue to pound together into a rough paste, another 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat two more times, adding the remaining cilantro and parsley in two batches, until the mixture is a slightly pulpy paste, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Drizzle in the olive oil while constantly pounding and grinding together the herb mixture until you achieve a loose, homogeneous paste. Continue to mix until it has the consistency of applesauce, about 2 minutes. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving.

ZHUG CHICKEN



Zhug Chicken image

Chicken is marinated in zhug, a spicy green sauce, then baked in the oven with olives, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes for a flavorful dinner or Sunday lunch. Serve with couscous or rice.

Provided by Buckwheat Queen

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Chicken     Chicken Thigh Recipes

Time 2h35m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 8

¾ cup zhug sauce, divided
1 boneless chicken breast
2 chicken legs, bone-in and skin-on
2 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
2 whole artichokes
½ lemon, juiced
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
½ cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained

Steps:

  • Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons zhug sauce over each piece of chicken. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before cooking so chicken is at room temperature.
  • Remover the outer leaves from artichokes to expose the core leaves and hearts. Cut artichokes into quarters. Put them into a bowl, cover with water, and add lemon juice. Mix artichokes around and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • Place marinated chicken into a deep baking dish. Drain artichokes and add them around the chicken, pushing them down to keep them from being exposed and drying out. Top with olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Bake, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 504.8 calories, Carbohydrate 17.4 g, Cholesterol 119.5 mg, Fat 32.3 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 38.5 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 714.4 mg, Sugar 0.6 g

RED ZHOUG



Red Zhoug image

Zhoug (or zhug) is to shawarma what salsa is to tacos-a spicy contrast to whatever rich thing it's with. This is Ori Menashe's red zhoug recipe from Bavel.

Provided by Ori Menashe

Categories     Condiment/Spread     Sauce     Bell Pepper     Cumin     Garlic     Cilantro     Chile Pepper     Condiment

Yield Makes 1 cup

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 cup grapeseed oil
2 large red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded, cut into 8 pieces
8 Fresno chiles (see headnote) stemmed and seeded, cut in half
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground green cardamom pods, with the husks
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, grated with a Microplane
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons packed cilantro leaves, chopped

Steps:

  • Add the oil to a large sauté pan and place on the stove over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bell peppers and chiles and fry while continuously stirring for about 10 minutes, until the peppers start to blister and darken in color. If at any time the peppers start to burn, decrease the heat slightly.
  • Remove the peppers and chiles from the oil, set aside, and let cool. Add the cooled fried peppers and chiles and the paprika, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, cumin, salt, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor and blend, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula when necessary, until the mixture is the consistency of a chunky puree, about 2minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool, then add the cilantro and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Tips:

  • To make the most flavorful zhug, use fresh herbs and garlic. If you can, grow your own herbs or buy them from a farmers market.
  • Use a food processor or blender to make the zhug. This will help to create a smooth and consistent sauce.
  • Adjust the amount of chili peppers to taste. If you like it spicy, add more peppers. If you prefer a milder sauce, use fewer peppers.
  • Zhug can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Serve zhug as a dipping sauce for grilled meats, fish, or vegetables. It can also be used as a marinade or condiment.

Conclusion:

Zhug is a delicious and versatile condiment that can be used in a variety of dishes. It's easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it spicy or mild, zhug is a great way to add flavor to your meals.

Related Topics