Recipe: Spinach and Cilantro Soup with Tahini & Lemon
I LOVE Food52. Always have, and I always will. But the recipes aren’t always fully suited to me, so I often use them as inspiration on my way to something that works.
Here is an adapted version of their Spinach & Cilantro Soup with Tahini & Lemon recipe.
I tailored this one with two goals: postpartum recovery and healthy hormones. It features simple modifications, freezing tips, and essential nutrient details for busy women who still want to eat well.
Spinach and Cilantro Soup with Tahini & Lemon: A Hormone-Healing and Postpartum Power Soup
Total Time to Make:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
7 cups organic chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a plant-based version)
12 ounces organic baby spinach (about 12 packed cups)
4 cups organic roughly chopped cilantro (from 2 large bunches)
¼ cup organic well-stirred tahini
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus more to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
½ teaspoon organic ground cumin
Red pepper flakes (optional; omit if breastfeeding or sensitive)
Organic olive oil to garnish (optional)
Nontoxic silicone containers for freezing individual portions
Instructions:
Prepare the soup base: Add the stock to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add the greens: Stir in the spinach, cilantro, tahini, garlic (if using), cumin, and salt. Return to a boil.
Blend: Remove the soup from heat and use an immersion blender to purée the mixture until smooth. If using a blender, take care to leave a vent open to avoid pressure buildup.
Adjust seasoning: Stir in lemon juice and taste. Add more lemon juice or salt as desired.
Serve and store: Serve immediately or divide the soup into nontoxic silicone containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat individual portions as needed for a quick, nutritious meal.
Why This Soup is Perfect for Busy, Health-Conscious Women
A Soup for Healthy Hormones
This soup features essential greens, lemon juice, and cilantro for massive nutrient density plus a natural detox boost, to naturally support hormone balance. Plus, the tahini provides a touch of protein and healthy fat to stabilize blood sugar, support hormone production and cellular health, and give the soup a rich, satisfying flavor.
Even if you’re super busy, finding an hour to shop, prep and store this soup will be worth it for the nutrients it keeps giving and giving.
Using nontoxic silicone containers means you get to pass on the terrible chemicals in many plastic storage containers that are known endocrine disrupting chemicals.
A Soup for Postpartum Wellness
Soups are one of the best meal options during postpartum recovery because they are easy to digest and packed with readily available nutrients.
Unlike salads or raw vegetables, where the body needs to break down fibrous cell walls, blended soups allow your body to absorb the nutrients quickly and efficiently—especially important when recovering from childbirth.
Additionally, soups can be made in bulk and frozen in advance, making them ideal for busy new moms. By freezing individual portions in nontoxic silicone containers, you can avoid harmful chemicals and easily reheat a quick, healthy meal whenever needed.
Nutrient Breakdown: How This Soup Supports Women At Every Stage
Spinach:
Nutrients: High in iron, magnesium, and vitamin K
Benefits: Iron supports red blood cell production, crucial for postpartum recovery and energy. Magnesium helps with muscle relaxation and stress reduction, aiding hormonal balance. Vitamin K supports bone health and plays a role in blood clotting, which is important during and after childbirth, although bone health is part of a woman’s lifelong journey (and intimately tied to her hormones).
Cilantro:
Nutrients: Rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K
Benefits: Antioxidants reduce inflammation and protect against oxidative stress. Vitamin A supports skin health, vitamin C strengthens the immune system, and vitamin K aids bone health. These nutrients promote overall wellness and recovery, particularly beneficial for hormonal balance and detoxification.
Tahini:
Nutrients: High in healthy fats, calcium, and protein
Benefits: The healthy fats in tahini are vital for hormone production and energy. Calcium supports bone health, which is especially important for breastfeeding mothers and women over 35. The protein helps repair tissues and supports overall recovery, ensuring energy levels stay stable postpartum.
Garlic (optional):
Nutrients: Contains vitamin C and antioxidants
Benefits: Garlic boosts the immune system and helps reduce inflammation, key to recovery after childbirth. Its anti-inflammatory properties also support cardiovascular health and hormone balance, contributing to overall wellness.
Cumin:
Nutrients: Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
Benefits: Cumin supports digestion and boosts immunity, helping with postpartum recovery. Its anti-inflammatory effects promote hormonal health and balance, while aiding in nutrient absorption, making it a great addition to any postpartum diet.
Lemon Juice:
Nutrients: High in vitamin C
Benefits: Vitamin C boosts the immune system, aids collagen production for skin healing, and enhances iron absorption, essential for postpartum recovery and energy levels. Its antioxidant properties also support hormone regulation and overall wellness.
Organic Olive Oil:
Nutrients: Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E
Benefits: Supports hormone regulation and reduces inflammation, promoting overall recovery. The healthy fats provide sustained energy and balance hormones, while vitamin E enhances skin elasticity and healing, important for postpartum and general women’s health.
Each of these ingredients supports hormonal balance and overall wellness, making this soup a powerful meal for busy women who want to optimize their health without spending all day in the kitchen (this goes double for postpartum people!).
Soups: Supportive Nourishment, Natural Detoxification and Optimizing Digestive Health During Winter
During the colder winter months, digestive health can be more vulnerable as our bodies work harder to stay warm and balanced.
Cold weather often slows down digestion, making it important to eat warm, easily digestible foods that are gentle on the stomach. Blended soups are ideal for this because they offer warmth and comfort while providing easily absorbed nutrients.
Unlike raw vegetables or salads, where your body must work harder to break down fibrous cell walls, blended soups deliver nutrients that are readily available for your body to absorb.
The warmth of the soup also helps stimulate digestion, aiding in nutrient absorption and promoting gut health.
A nutrient-rich soup like this one is packed with ingredients that naturally support your body’s detoxification processes. The ample antioxidants from ingredients like spinach, cilantro, and lemon juice help neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, which is crucial for protecting your cells and aiding in detoxification.
Cilantro is especially known for its ability to bind to heavy metals, helping to remove toxins from the body.
Spinach provides a high dose of fiber, which supports healthy digestion and elimination of waste.
Lemon juice enhances liver function, which is the body’s main detox organ, helping to flush out harmful substances.
Detoxification is closely linked to natural hormone balance, as your liver plays a key role in metabolizing and eliminating excess hormones from the body.
By promoting detoxification through nutrient-rich foods, you’re supporting your liver’s ability to regulate hormone levels, which can help balance your mood, energy, and overall wellness.
By incorporating blended soups into your winter diet, you're not only keeping warm but also supporting your body’s ability to efficiently digest and absorb essential vitamins and minerals, ensuring you stay nourished and energized during the colder months.
Why Soups Are Gamechangers for Busy Women, and for Women in Postpartum Recovery
Easily Digestible: stress makes your digestion sensitive (postpartum is the stress of recovering from childbirth + learning how to be a new parent). Soups, especially those blended like this recipe, are gentle on the stomach and help you absorb essential nutrients more quickly than solid foods.
Time-Saving: soups can be made ahead and frozen in individual portions, allowing you to have a healthy, homemade meal ready to go whenever you need it. This is so useful for busy women who are rushed for any reason.
Supports Hydration: soups naturally provide hydration. Hydration is foundational for detoxification and hormone balance. It’s also extra important for new mothers, especially those who are breastfeeding. Keeping hydrated also helps with milk production and overall energy levels.
Shopping List for Spinach & Cilantro Soup:
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
12 ounces baby spinach
4 cups chopped cilantro (about 2 bunches)
¼ cup tahini
1 clove garlic (optional)
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Recommendation for New Mamas and Busy Women: Make Ahead & Freeze
Prepare this soup when you have a chunk of time. Pregnant women who want to stock up on healthy postpartum meals can prepare this during pregnancy and store it in nontoxic silicone containers to ensure you have nutritious, easy-to-reheat meals ready during the busy postpartum period. Having pre-made, nutrient-dense meals like this one on hand can be a lifesaver when you need a quick meal that supports both healing and energy.
This adapted recipe offers the perfect combination of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals for postpartum recovery, all in a delicious, easy-to-make soup!