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green Yemenite spicy schug sauce

Spicy Schug Sauce

5 from 3 votes
Add some spice to your life, and to your kitchen, with this authentic Yemenite schug recipe. Schug is often eaten on falafel in pita or meat dishes like shawarma. It's also great with humus, grilled chicken, yogurts, eggs or anything you want to add some kick to.
I’m an Ashkenazi girl with a Separdic stomach. And at my Shabbat table, we have guests from all over the world where we typically have six continents represented. You know my motto is "keeping everyone around the table happy!" This also applies when serving hundreds of guests each Shabbat. By night, I serve fish simmering in the traditional spicy Moroccan tomato sauce Charaime (Haraimi). By day, it's baked salmon with lemon or pesto. And there are salads and dips running the entire spectrum of Jewish cuisine, including plenty of schug.
This recipe can be made ahead since it can last days in the fridge. (But it won’t because it will be devoured). And since it is so fast and easy, it can be made fresh each time. I’ve made schug with an immersion blender, but I recommend preparing it in a food processor for the best consistency.
There are many different variations of red or green schug recipes around, and there are even different spellings: schug, zhug and skhug. The delicious taste of this hot sauce comes from the blend of nutritious fresh produce and a list of spices that also have their share of vitamins.
By the way, did you know that the longer a green chili pepper sits on the vine, it begins to change color until it’s red?
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 32 teaspoons
Course: sauce
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 31
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 5 jalapeno peppers for aesthetics, I use four green and one red
  • 1 cup parsley (one bunch)
  • 1 cup cilantro (one bunch)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
 

  1. Preparing recipes with spicy peppers takes a bit of care. Jalapeno and other hot peppers can leave a residue of capsaisin on your hands for hours or even days. Be careful not to touch your face, eyes or that of a child who needs something mid-preparation. Best is to use a pair of one time use gloves.
  2. Carefully cut and remove stems from the peppers.
  3. Next cut peppers lengthwise to remove seeds and any excess white pith. Most of the heat is in the seeds, so if you want to bring the heat to the next level, add some when the recipe is finished, but I doubt you will need it.
  4. Put the peppers in the food processor.
  5. Cut most of the stems from the parsley and cilantro. Leaving some stems is fine.
  6. Add the parsley and cilantro to food processor and give a rough chop. Schug should be a bit chunky, as opposed to a creamy pesto, but the texture is a personal choice.
  7. Then add the remaining ingredients and pulse, scraping down the sides, if necessary. Taste and adjust salt and seasonings to your liking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1teaspoonCalories: 31kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 73mgPotassium: 7mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 32IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Makes approximately one cup of schug. Keep refrigerated in an air tight jar or container.
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