Lentil soup

Read through the recipe and gather the equipment. Use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything. Everything is prepared and measured before the pot goes on the heat.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium heat until it flows easily. Add the onion, carrots, celery and 1/4 tsp fine salt. Cook, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes, if using, and stir constantly over medium heat until the spices smell toasty. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and keep stirring until the paste darkens a shade, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils, the diced tomatoes with their juice, about 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, the bay leaf, if using, and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then turn to medium-low heat so small bubbles rise lazily. Set the lid ajar and simmer, stirring now and then, until a bitten lentil is creamy, not chalky, about 25 to 35 minutes.

Blend part of the soup for body. Turn off the burner and lift out the bay leaf, if you used it. Pulse an immersion blender in one spot until about a third of the soup is smooth, then stir it through. With a stand blender instead, blend about a third of the soup with the jar no more than half full, the center cap removed and the opening covered with a folded towel, then stir it back into the pot. The broth is thick, with plenty of whole lentils.

Stir about 2 cups baby spinach into the soup over medium-low heat until it wilts and turns bright green, about 1 minute. Take the pot off the heat.

Squeeze the juice from half the lemon into the soup and stir. Taste the soup. Aim for earthy and warm with cumin, well salted and bright at the finish. If it tastes flat or muddy, add fine salt to taste and black pepper to taste. The soup tastes bright and well seasoned.

Ladle the soup into bowls to make 4 servings. Drizzle each bowl with olive oil to taste and sprinkle the parsley over the top. Cut half the lemon into wedges and serve them on the side. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers and reheat them to 165°F (74°C), checked with an instant-read thermometer. The soup is portioned and garnished.