This Creamy Zhoug Sauce is a spicy cilantro sauce mixed with yogurt to cool the spice. The flavor is similar to the zhoug sauce from Trader Joe’s. You can use this creamy sauce as a dip for veggies, a spread for a sandwich, or for some extra flavor on the side of your favorite meal.
Weeknight-easy
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: Ways to tone down the spice in traditional zhoug for family-friendly flavor
Worth It: Simple method, great results without fussy steps
Bonus: Flexible serving ideas to keep it interesting
Zhoug sauce origin
Zhoug (pronounced ZOOg) likely originated in Yemen, but is now popular in many countries of the Arabian peninsula. It is also know as skhug or zhug.
Cool down this spicy sauce with some rich and creamy yogurt.
Like any good food blogger or millennial, I love Trader Joes. Like I really love it. I love the atmosphere, the products, and the employees.
Sometimes when I come across a product that I really love it becomes my inspiration for my next Mad About Food recipe. I loved the zhoug sauce, but I have to be honest it was a little too spicy for me.
SO, I made a version of my own. I toned down the spice and stirred in some full fat Greek yogurt to cool it down and this creamy zhoug sauce was born.
What kitchen tools will you need to make this sauce?
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Microplane for grating garlic
- Immersion blender
- Large wide mouth jar
- Small spatula
What ingredients will you need to make this creamy dip?
- Garlic cloves
- Crushed red pepper
- Jalapeño
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Full fat yogurt
Uses for zhoug
- Spread zhoug sauce over a piece of toast or on bread for sandwiches
- Serve creamy zhoug sauce as a dip with raw sliced veggies
- Spread zhoug over cooked chicken or fish
Let’s make some Creamy Zhoug Sauce!
Step 1: Prep Ingredients
First, mince the garlic and chop the jalapeño. I like to use a microplane to grate my garlic cloves.
I also deseed my jalapeño, but if you like an extra spicy sauce you can keep the seeds in.
Step 2: Blend Ingredients
Then, add the lemon juice, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, extra virgin olive oil, jalapeño, and cilantro to a large wide mouth jar. Next, blend the ingredients with an immersion blender until evenly combined.
Step 3: Fold in the Yogurt
Then, add the full-fat yogurt to the jar. Finally, fold the yogurt in the sauce using a spoon or small spatula.
Step 4: Enjoy!
How long will this sauce keep in the fridge?
Once prepared, store your sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to use a half pint jar for this. It will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Check out these other healthy homemade sauces
Keep reading to grab the full recipe! If you make this sauce, please rate and review it in the comments or let me know on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Creamy Zhoug Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 of one jalapeñ0
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 cup full fat yogurt
Instructions
- Mince garlic cloves and seed and chop jalapeño
- Add lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper, salt, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro to a large wide mouth jar
- Blend the ingredients with an immersion blender until it is an even mixture
- Add yogurt to the jar and stir in with a spatula or spoon
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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