Schug
Schug- hard to say, easy to eat! Well, a little hard to eat. It’s spicy!
Lately, we have been all about making our own sauces to keep things exciting in the kitchen. Yes, sauces are exciting! You can have plain old grilled chicken, but switch up the sauces and ooh boy is it a fun meal. We sure know how to have fun in the Becker household! We keep adding to our favorite recipes like serving shawarma over mixed greens with tahini sauce, cilantro sauce, and this schug! It feels sort of luxurious having sauce options, do you know what I mean? Three sauces are fancy.
Fun fact: after my husband proposed to me, we ate homemade chicken tendies with three sauces (ranch, ketchup, and honey mustard). Fancy! The proposal was a total surprise (overlooking the sunset on our balcony) and I had already started on dinner. He asked if we should go out to celebrate but I thought nothing says celebration quite like tendies with THREE SAUCES!
What Is Schug?
Schug (also spelled zhug or zhoug) is a fiery Yemenite hot sauce that Yemenite Jews brought to Israel, where it became a beloved everyday condiment. The green version is built on fresh cilantro, hot green chilies and garlic, with a bit of cumin and cardamom for earthy warmth. There is a red version made with red chilies too, but this bright green one is my favorite. It is delicious on everything from shakshuka to latkes to eggs to shawarma!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Schug comes together with just a handful of fresh ingredients (full amounts in the recipe card below):
- Fresh cilantro, lots of it, for that signature green color
- Jalapeños or other hot green chilies
- Garlic
- Cumin and cardamom for earthy warmth
- Olive oil and lemon juice
- Salt
How to Make Schug
This is a 10-minute blender sauce, no cooking required:
- Toast your spices briefly so they smell fragrant.
- Add everything to a food processor: cilantro, chilies, garlic, spices, lemon and salt.
- Blend, drizzling in olive oil, until you have a coarse, spoonable sauce.
- Taste and adjust the salt, lemon and heat.
How to Use Schug
I like mine spicy, so I leave the seeds and veins in the jalapenos. You could remove them for less of a kick, but schug is a sauce for spice lovers! Want some more ideas for using your schug? Put it on pizza or a turkey sandwich. Top a salad instead of dressing, or toss it with beans for a bean salad. Use it on a baked potato or on grilled vegetables. Top a hamburger or tacos. Or dollop on a quesadilla or falafel or steak. It is also incredible stirred into shakshuka or spooned over breakfast latkes. Seriously, you can use schug on almost anything! Let me know what you put it on.
Tips for the Best Schug
- Use fresh cilantro, stems and all. The stems have tons of flavor.
- Control the heat by leaving in or removing the chili seeds and veins.
- Keep it coarse, not baby-food smooth, for the best texture.
- Top with oil in the jar to keep the color bright and green.
How to Store Schug
Store schug in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week, with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it fresh and green. For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray and pop out a cube whenever a dish needs a spicy, herby kick.
Schug FAQ
What is schug made of?
Green schug is made from fresh cilantro, hot green chilies, garlic, olive oil, lemon and warm spices like cumin and cardamom. A red version swaps in red chilies.
What does schug taste like?
Bright, herby and garlicky, with a serious hit of heat and an earthy warmth from the cumin and cardamom. It tastes fresh and green, not just hot.
How spicy is schug?
Quite spicy, but you are in control. Leave the seeds and veins in the chilies for full fire, or remove them for a milder sauce.
What is the difference between schug and harissa?
Schug is a bright, herby Yemenite sauce built on cilantro and green chilies, while harissa is a smoky North African paste made from roasted red peppers. Different vibes, both worth keeping in your fridge.
Is schug the same as zhug?
Yes! Schug, zhug and zhoug are all spellings of the same Yemenite hot sauce. The name gets transliterated from Hebrew and Arabic in a few different ways.
How long does schug last?
About a week in the fridge under a layer of oil, or several months in the freezer if you portion it into cubes.
Schug
Ingredients
- 4 jalapenos (de-veined and seeded if you want it less spicy), sliced
- 2 cups cilantro leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor add jalapenos, cilantro and garlic and pulse until rough chopped.
- Then add cumin and cardamom and pulse again.
- Lastly, add lemon juice and olive oil and pulse until everything is combined but you still have a rough texture. Season with salt to taste and add more olive oil if desired.
Notes
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