Heat 1 tbsp olive oil (2 tbsp) in a pot over medium-high. Season chicken with a pinch of salt and brown 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove to a plate, until Golden-brown bits on chicken and pot bottom.

Browning is flavor. Don't skip it or the pot tastes flat. • Golden-brown bits on chicken and pot bottom • Savory browned aroma

Add remaining olive oil (2 tbsp), onion (1 whole), and carrots (2 whole) with a pinch of salt. Cook 6-8 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Add garlic (4 cloves) and cumin for 30 seconds.

Bloom spices in oil so they taste deep, not raw. • Onion translucent with faint browning • Toasty cumin aroma

Stir in tomato paste (1 tbsp) and cook 1 minute until darker.

Cooking paste removes sharpness and adds savoriness. • Tomato paste shifts to brick red • Roasted tomato aroma

Add lentils, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer 25 minutes until lentils are nearly tender.

Lentils provide body; keep a steady simmer so they stay intact. • Lentils plump and hold shape • Savory pot aroma deepens

Return chicken and simmer 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and lentils are tender. Stir in spinach (if using) until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice (2 tbsp).

Acid goes in off-heat so it stays bright and clean. • Spinach just wilted; pot looks slightly glossier after lemon • Lemon lifts the whole pot