Pumpkin Barley Soup and Whole Wheat Cornbread

Okay so this soup is divine... seriously, its like fall in a bowl. I know, I know, pumpkin soup might sound a little strange but this soup warms you from the inside out with its smokey flavors from chipotle adobe peppers. Please try this, it will not let you down :)

Pumpkin Barley Soup
modified from Life in Grace Blog

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tablespoons honey
3 chipotle adobe peppers, minced (in mexican section at Walmart or wherever)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 quarts chicken stock
1 1/2 cups dried barley
salt and pepper to taste

Heat stock pot over medium and warm your oil and butter. Add vegetables (onion, carrot, and celery) and saute for about 5 minutes. Salt as needed. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add pumpkin, honey, chiles, spices, chicken stock and barley. Cook for 40 minutes on low boil. Taste and adjust salt and peper, as needed. Serve with cornbread, see whole wheat cornbread below.

Whole Wheat Cornbread
modified from Whole Living Magazine

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for your cast iron skillet
1 egg

Topping:
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and add cast iron skillet oven while preheating. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a seperate bowl. Fold in wet ingredients to dry ingredients bowl. Swirl 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the hot cast iron skillet and pour in cornbread batter. Bake for 23 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes and coat the top of the cornbread with honey.