A Middle Eastern sauce dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min

Organic sourcing

Green chilies and fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley are often treated with pesticides, making them worthwhile to source organic.

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 5 green chilies
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• to taste sea salt

Method

1. Rinse the cilantro and parsley thoroughly under cold water and pat dry.
2. Roughly chop the cilantro, parsley, and green chilies, discarding the chili stems for ease of blending.
3. Peel the garlic cloves.
4. In a food processor, combine the cilantro, parsley, chilies, garlic, cumin, cardamom, and coriander.
5. Blend the mixture while gradually adding the olive oil until a smooth, thick sauce forms.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and season with sea salt to your taste.
7. Transfer the zhug to a jar and let it sit for at least an hour for the flavors to meld.

Notes

• Zhug can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week.
• Adjust the chili quantity for preferred heat level, using different varieties if desired.
• Serve zhug alongside grilled meats, falafel, or as a condiment for wraps.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Middle Eastern recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.