DASH Lentil & Spinach Soup

This soup starts the way most good ones do — onion, garlic, carrot, and celery sautéed until soft — before the lentils and broth take over and simmer down into something thick and warming.

Using low-sodium vegetable broth and leaning on cumin and paprika for flavor instead of extra salt keeps this pot well within a DASH-style approach to eating, and the lentils bring enough fiber and body that the soup doesn't need meat to feel like a full meal. Spinach stirred in at the end wilts almost instantly and adds a boost of greens.

Finish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice — it lifts the whole pot right before serving.