fall spanish pardina lentil soup {gf} // seeded baguette

over columbus day weekend justin and i were apart for most of the weekend - every year he is a vendor at the grass drags event which runs all weekend long morning until night and is an hour and a half drive from our home. needless to say he is exhausted when he comes home and is simply ready to crash.

so when monday rolled around we enjoyed ourselves a very, very lazy day.

our monday included our ritual "sunday" morning breakfast, lazing in our pj's, a bottle of champagne and 

this soup! a soup so incredibly easy to make, making it the perfect late lunch for lazy weekends.

i am so thankful that we are able to continue to enjoy bounty from the garden - rainbow swiss chard, leeks, garlic, carrots, onions and winter squash are still plentiful.

herbs are also good at braving the fall chill - basil & oregano, the most delicate of my herbs have since gone by but rosemary, thyme, winter savory, tarragon and parsley still thrive despite the cooler temps.

soups are so perfect for using what you have on hand. this particular recipe is very versatile depending on the season you are currently experiencing - spring lentil soup using asparagus, onions, baby spinach - summer lentil soup with zucchini, fresh tomatoes, green beans. quick, easy & healthy.

the spanish pardina lentils found their way into my shopping basket during my williams- sonoma legume & bean spree. they have a beautiful variety of heirloom beans, totally worth checking out.

golden acorn squash, spanish pardina lentils, leeks, onion, garlic, rainbow swiss chard & carrots are paired with fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley. homemade veggie stock, also incredibly easy to make is highly recommended. certainly in a pinch you can use a good quality veggie broth or stock. homemade stock does take this soup to the next level   - clean and bright.

let's talk about my second favorite thing - bread!

this seeded baguette to be precise - was the perfect accompaniment to a piping hot bowl of lentil soup.

the baguette was made the day before - it was an impromptu recipe, i was craving homemade warm bread fresh from the oven so i made some. the recipe yields 2 small baguettes - perfect for weekend consumption.

so in this post you get a 2 for 1 - a soup recipe and a baguette recipe.

i know, i'm awesome.

are you in the practice of making your own veggie stock?

do you take advantage of lazy weekends or are you the type that can't sit still?

Fall Spanish Pardina Lentil Soup
serves 4

you will need:
1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion - diced

2 garlic cloves minced

3 carrots carrots, sliced into half moons

2 large leeks, trimmed, washed & sliced  - light green & white parts only
 small/medium golden acorn squash - peeled, seeded & cubed

4 cups homemade veggie stock

1/2 cup Spanish lentils, rinsed and sorted
handful of rainbow swiss chard - leaves & stems roughly chopped

minced herbs -1 tsp thyme, 1t sp parsley, 1 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp winter savory

salt & pepper to taste

assembly:
in a medium soup pot over medium heat drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pan, saute onions and garlic until fragrant. add carrots & leeks- saute until leeks begin to soften.

add cubed acorn squash, veggie broth, lentils, swiss chard & herbs - bring to a boil. reduce to low heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes; until lentils are soft.

season with salt & pepper - garnish with additional herbs.

Seeded Baguette
yields 2 small baguettes

you will need:
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet of yeast)
3-4 cups spelt flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
3 - 4 tbsp mixed seeds 
(i used pepitas, sunflower, hemp, poppy, black & tan sesame seeds)
cornstarch wash - 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water

assembly:
proof yeast in a medium mixing bowl by sprinkling yeast over warm water (not hot) - about 10 minutes until foamy & bubbly.

with a wooden spoon stir in 2 1/2 -3 cups of flour - adding in salt & maple syrup while stirring. stir gently until ball of dough begins to form.

turn dough out on a well floured surface, knead in remaining flour until ball of dough is smooth & elastic.

in a well oiled bowl place dough ball in bowl, turning once to coat with oil. cover and allow to rise in a warm area free of drafts (during the winter i preheat the oven to 170* then turn it off and place my bowl in the oven to rise

after the first rise - about 1 hour until the dough has reached double in size, punch dough down and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

turn dough out onto a well floured surface - knead just a couple of times. divide the dough ball into two equal pieces and form the baguette by rolling into a "log" with the ends tapering.

on a piece of parchment paper spread your seeds - roll each baguette in the seeds with gentle pressure assuring the seeds stick.

place baguettes on parchment lined baking sheet - cover and allow to rise a 2nd time, approximately 30 minutes or until double in size.

pre heat oven to 425*
place a rimmed metal baking sheet on the lower rack.

brush the baguettes with the cornstarch wash - bake the bread on the center rack.
to create steam for a crunchy crust pour a cup of hot water in the metal baking pan and quickly close the oven. bake for 12-15 minutes, the bread should be golden brown and when tapped on the bottom should sound hollow.

allow to rest for 15 minutes prior to slicing.

enjoy!