Spinach-and-Cilantro Soup With Tahini and Lemon

By Samin Nosrat

Spinach-and-Cilantro Soup With Tahini and Lemon
Paola & Murray for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Angharad Bailey.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(2,178)
Comments
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The simplicity of this soup’s technique belies its depth of flavor, which is both vivid and complex. The soup is made bright with lemon and fresh with cilantro, but the secret ingredient is tahini, which is layered into the soup to thicken it, and then drizzled generously on top in the form of a gently spiced sauce. The result is a soup that’s both vegetal and creamy, tangy and rich. You’ll find it so tasty that you’ll forget you're drinking your vegetables.

Featured in: A Spinach Soup Fit for a Cleanse

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Ingredients

Yield:2 quarts

    For the Sauce

    • ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1large clove garlic, finely grated or pounded to a smooth paste
    • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

    For the Soup

    • 7cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
    • 12ounces baby spinach (about 12 packed cups)
    • 4cups roughly chopped cilantro (from 2 large bunches)
    • ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
    • 2teaspoons fine sea salt
    • 2tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (20 servings)

70 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 242 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    First, make the sauce: Combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin and red-pepper flakes with 2 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed to achieve a drizzle-able consistency, and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Next, make the soup: Add stock to a Dutch oven or heavy pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in spinach, cilantro, tahini and salt, and return to a boil. Turn off heat, and stir in lemon juice.

  3. Step 3

    Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Taste, and adjust seasoning with more salt and lemon, if desired.

  4. Step 4

    Serve soup immediately, and drizzle with tahini sauce. Cover and refrigerate remaining soup and sauce for up to 1 week, or freeze soup for up to 1 month.

Tip
  • Because this soup is so simple, the quality of the stock really makes a difference, so use homemade or purchase some from a butcher. Avoid canned and boxed stocks if possible.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,178 user ratings
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Comments

Sally

@maria c: Cilantro stems are more tender and less woody than most herbs and actually contain a huge amount of flavor. For any recipe, not just this one, discard the bottom bruised part of the stems and finely chop the rest. No need to remove individual leaves from the stems!

Todd

So, the second time I made this, I added a couple of Yukon gold potatoes and then pureed the lot of it. The flavor didn't change significantly and it gave the soup a more satisfying mouthfeel and finish.

Leonard

This is a very healthy soup, but the nutritional info is wrong because it is based on TWENTY servings. Given that the recipe makes 2 qts, 20 servings would equate to approx 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp per serve!

Shannon

Not sure where I went wrong. I followed the recipe and ended up with a foam of tahini on top of a mess of spinach water. It looked like a giant pot of cat vomit. I had to throw it down the sink.

Maryanne

I love this soup. It’s thin but so tasty. I made mine with a bag of frozen peas and 2 bunches of fresh mint - and threw in a couple handfuls of mixed greens. Nutrition in a bowl - and delish.

Vanessa

Hi all. I've fallen in love with this soup. I make it at least once a month, if not more frequently. I'm going to be cooking for a crowd this summer and want to bring this recipe along; curious if anyone has experimented with serving it chilled as a summer soup? Color, flavor retention? I'll definitely thin the sauce, it is always too thick as written and will be a gloppy mess if served that way cold.

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