Spinach and Cilantro Soup with Tahini and Lemon

Paola & Murray for The New York Times.
Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero | Prop stylist: Angharad Bailey

from The New York Times 

submitted by Anne Halsted 

preparation time: 20 minutes 

makes 2 quarts 

 

Drizzling 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 

 

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 

 

For 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. 

 

For 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. Use a blender to purée soup thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and lemon, if desired.  

 

Serve soup immediately and drizzle with tahini sauce. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate remaining soup and drizzling sauce separately for up to a week or freeze soup for up to 1 month. 

 

Since this soup is so simple, the quality of the stock really makes a difference; use homemade or purchase from a butcher, avoid canned or boxed stocks, if possible.