It’s Feed Me Friday! I want to share a recipe with you that’s easy, inexpensive, quick, and “very fall.”  You may already have all or most of the ingredients. It’s a “pantry recipe” you can keep on hand for when the weather screams “Make soup!”

It’s full of flavors that make Autumn so comforting, and since it’s a hot soup with warm croutons, it’s perfect for chilly weather. I enjoyed a bowl of soup with croutons on top, but you could also add a salad to make this more of a complete meal, or you could use it as an appetizer. If you do, just be prepared for it to steal the show!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup & Apple Cider Croutons

• 2 T butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 32 oz box of vegetable broth
• 32 oz of pumpkin puree
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• 1/8 t. ginger
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 3 T. maple syrup

Melt the butter in a large pot and add the chopped onion, cooking and stirring until it’s tender, about 5 minutes. Add half of the vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. If you don’t want to have bits of onion in your soup (I like that), you should put the mixture into a blender and process at this point. Otherwise, leave the onion to prove it’s homemade and keep on cooking!

Stir in the remaining broth, pumpkin, spices, and maple syrup. Combine thoroughly and add the milk. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with Apple Cider Croutons. Makes enough for about 6-8 servings. This is the taste of fall in a bowl!

Apple Cider Croutons

• 1/3 c. butter, softened
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 2 T. apple cider (or apple juice in a pinch)
• 8 slices of bread

Combine the first 3 ingredients. Spread mixture on one side of the bread slices and place them butter side up on a baking sheet. Cut bread into 2 or 4 triangles per slice. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes and then flip the bread, spreading the remaining butter on the dry side and baking 10-15 minutes more.  They make the perfect sweet and crunchy topping for the Creamy Pumpkin Soup, and they’re perfect for dipping.

What are you cooking this weekend?