Spinach-and-Cilantro Soup With Tahini and Lemon

By Samin Nosrat

Published March 10, 2019

  • An overhead image of a white bowl sitting on a gridded tablecloth and filled with a green soup finished with a white swirl.
    Paola & Murray for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Angharad Bailey.
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Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(2,192)
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

  • 1 large 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

  • 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

  • 12 ounces baby spinach (about 12 packed cups)

  • 4 cups roughly chopped cilantro (from 2 large bunches)

  • ¼ cup well-stirred tahini

  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

5 grams carbs; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 70 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 4 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 242 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

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
2,192 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!

debsa

I’ve made this soup many many times and each time I tweak it a little My best iteration is to use miso paste and water in lieu of stock. A dash of fish sauce to bump up the umami, and then at the end before purwwing, I chuck in a couple of tablespoons of chili crisp. Yummy yum yum.

Carmen

This is the most delicious soup I’ve tried in a long time.

Brit

I veganized this and added a little nutritional yeast, a splash of cider vinegar, a few scallions and a sprinkle of green za'atar on top.

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