Spinach-and-Cilantro Soup With Tahini and Lemon
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.
- Total:
- Serves: 2 persons
Ingredients
- ¼cup well-stirred tahini
- ¼cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1large clove garlic, finely grated or pounded to a smooth paste
- ¾teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 7cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 12ounces baby spinach (about 12 packed cups)
- 4cups roughly chopped cilantro (from 2 large bunches)
- ¼cup well-stirred tahini
- 2teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Instructions
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.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.Step 3
Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Taste, and adjust seasoning with more salt and lemon, if desired.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.