Each ingredient matters in this simple Red Lentil Soup

There are lots of personalities in the kitchen.

There’s the precise planner, who follows directions to the letter: 325 degrees for 18 minutes means exactly that. The entertainer turns cooking into theater, happiest when feeding a crowd or flambéing something. Comfort cooks lean on cozy classics, while adventurers serve dinner with a geography lesson.

And then there’s the soup maker — sometimes adventurous, often comforting, always a free spirit.

We measure only when we must, cook by taste, and love to experiment. Soup gives us freedom.

But not this time. For this simple Red Lentil Soup, the flavors depend on following the recipe. Each ingredient matters: garlic and onion add depth and aroma, tomato paste brings richness and umami, carrot balances with sweetness, and chili powder with cumin give it heat.

Most important are the lemon juice and cilantro at the end. Acid brightens everything, taking a flat soup and lifting it to something special. Fresh herbs add the final layer of freshness — cilantro if you love it, parsley if you don’t.

In soup, layering ingredients matters. It starts with aromatics sizzling in the pot, then deepens as you add spices, vegetables, and finally the finishing touches. Skipping one step flattens the taste of the whole dish.

And hey, if you’re still tempted to toss in a little extra of this or that — I get it. After all, we’re still soup makers at heart.

• M. Eileen Brown is executive editor for Shaw Media and an incurable soup-a-holic.

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Red Lentil Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper

Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot, heat olive oil over high until hot. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper and the chili powder, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.

Reheat soup, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro.

Serves 4.

— Adapted from NYT Cooking