Season’s on the wane: Time to adjust to what’s good about fall, including cozy crisp nights and soup, of course

Summer, my friends, is slipping away. The days are shorter. The garden is scruffy looking. My allergies are kicking in, and the grill needs a good cleaning.

Sigh.

It’s time for an attitude adjustment and to focus on all the good things about fall — crisp days, even crisper apples, cozy sweaters and, of course, soup.

This Lemon Lentil and Chard Soup recipe is a perfect transitional dish. It’s hearty and warming, but the lemon adds a nice brightness that almost feels summery.

The spicing includes cumin and Aleppo pepper, which is similar to ancho pepper and has an earthy, smoky flavor. It’s about half as spicy as chili flakes, so it’s not too hot. A tiny pinch of cayenne should do the trick if you don’t have any on hand.

I used rainbow chard, and the combination of red lentils and brightly colored chard makes for a soup that just looks like autumn at its best.

• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald’s vice president of sales and marketing and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at soupalooza.com/.

Lemon Lentil and Chard Soup

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 bunch chard

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper

8 cups water

1 pound red lentils, picked over and rinsed

1½ teaspoons salt

½ cup lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)

Ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it just starts to brown, 8 to 12 minutes.

Separate chard greens from stems. Thinly slice the stems; chop the greens.

Add garlic, cumin and Aleppo pepper to the pot; cook about 30 seconds. Add water, lentils and the chard stems; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are falling apart, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, lemon juice and pepper before serving.

Serves 6

— Adapted from eatingwell.com