I love love Trader Joes Zhoug sauce and we use it often, but I’m trying to reduce our single use packaging, and this is way better anyway. I finally have notes down so we can make and gift it on our own. I have written about 3 dozen green sauce-ish recipes here, SK Cooking Club etc. - each a little bit different. This one, heavy on the heat and herbs, and a few warm spices. Because it is so warm, I think of it like a concentrate instead of just straight up (ie. putting a dollop in salad dressing or mashing with avocado). Adding just a pinch of sugar and squeeze of lime to balance it. Zhoug is of Yemenite origin, and usually found on tables in Syria and Israel. It truly boosts anything and will certainly be a go-to summer condiment for salads and flatbread and grilled items.
Uses
Stir a spoonful into a salad dressing
Mix with plain Greek yogurt to make a dip
With avocado toast
As a protein marinade for any meat, often mixed with some toasted sesame oil and citrus for meat and chicken, or painted on seafood after grilling.
Cucumber salad with this, a splash of champagne vinegar, tons of dill, shaved red onion
Egg sandwich spread
Grilled corn
Pasta salad with lots of grilled zucchini, more herbs, baby tomatoes, feta cheese
If you make it, leave a comment about how you used it!
ZHOUG SAUCE
Makes about 10 oz.
You can use a bit more oil if you’d like a thinner yet richer sauce, something closer to traditional Italian pesto. The below will be very herb heavy, as I prefer it this way so it can be thinned with citrus for dressings, marinades, smashed with avocado and the like. It will separate a bit which is absolutely fine and expected.
The sauce will last for 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Getting spicier as it sits so heads up!
Riffed from both Ottolenghi and Cookie and Kate
Ingredients
4 cloves garlic
3 jalapenos, stemmed, partially seeded and chopped
1 bundle of parsley (1 packed cup)
1 bundle cilantro (1 packed cup)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
dash of cayenne
1/2 tsp. cardamom
pinch of sugar
3/4 tsp. sea salt
squeeze of lime
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Directions
Put the garlic and jalapenos in a food processor and pulse a few times to chop. Add the parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne, cardamom, sugar, salt and lime juice and pulse a few more times. With the motor going, drizzle in the oil, scrapping down the sides to get an even, smooth sauce (still a little chunky tho).
Taste for salt and seasonings. You can always add more cayenne if needed but it will get spicier as it ages.