Pumpkin Soup with Homemade French Baguettes

Soup Sunday | Pumpkin Soup & Homemade Crusty French Baguettes

As autumn sets in, my desire for all things pumpkin escalates. After some browsing and flipping a coin, I settled on this pumpkin soup recipe, with a few modifications. The children enjoyed it, although they didn’t ask for a second serving, while the adults found it much tastier. That said, it didn’t quite have as much of a pumpkin flavor as I had anticipated. To complement the soup, I baked some homemade baguettes.

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5.0 from 8 reviews

Pumpkin Soup

Author: Heather

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock (we used Vegetable Broth)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 3½ cups cubed fresh pumpkin (we used 4 cans pumpkin puree)
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 chopped red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• dash of nutmeg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream (we used frozen whipped topping)
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

1. Directions
2. If using fresh pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin into ½-inch cubes.
3. In a pot, heat the stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
4. Puree the soup in batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.
5. Return the puree to the pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the parsley and nutmeg, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Mix in the heavy cream, then serve in bowls garnished with fresh parsley.

3.1.09

The baguette recipe is straightforward and quick. I prepared the dough in a bread machine, following the instructions for the last two steps as indicated. This recipe is adapted from “The Best Bread Machine Cookbook Ever,” by Madge Rosenberg.

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5.0 from 8 reviews

Homemade Crusty French Baguettes

Author: Heather

Serves: 2 baguettes

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 2-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. cornmeal (to be sprinkled on baking sheet)

Instructions

1. For the dough, add yeast, bread flour, salt, and water as per your bread machine’s manual and select the DOUGH cycle. Once the dough cycle is complete, take the dough out, divide it into two equal parts, and shape each one into a round ball, pressing to remove air bubbles. Place the rounds on a lightly greased plate or cookie sheet, ensuring space for them to rise.
2. Cover with a clean towel or a bowl and leave in a warm, draft-free area to rise for about 20 minutes. If it’s a cooler environment, you may require an additional 5 to 10 minutes. To check if it’s ready, press lightly on the dough; if the imprint remains, it’s ready. If it springs back, let it rise longer.
3. Preheat your oven to 375° F. Roll each dough ball into a long rope shape suitable for your baking pan. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan and lay the dough down, keeping them at least 4 inches apart if using an open pan.
4. Cover and let the baguettes rise until they double in size again, roughly 30 minutes.
5. Once risen, spritz or brush the top with cold water (alternatively, place a pan of water in the oven for the first 20 minutes of baking). Use a sharp knife to make several diagonal slits across the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, spritzing with water once or twice more if not using the water pan.

3.1.09