Pumpkin and red pepper soup

Another soup that's easy peasy for this busy week.  Country Frog serves with pappadums - I wouldn't have thought of them but they make perfect sense with the chilli!

Quick and easy.
Serves 4 as a meal with crusty bread
Serves 6 – 8 as a starter
Time: 5 minutes to prepare; 15 minutes to cook
You will need: Cutting board and knife; medium-large saucepan with lid; masher or blender.

Ingredients:

750gm – 1kg pumpkin, peeled and roughly cut
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 large red pepper/capsicum, chopped
1 large potato, scrubbed and roughly chopped
3 cups (750 ml) water
½ - 1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh black pepper
1 tbs olive or other oil
Optional: 2 – 4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small red chilli, diced
10 ml fish sauce instead of salt


1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat; add onion and capsicum and cook until onion is just beginning to brown.
2. Add all other ingredients; bring to boil; put the lid on and reduce heat to simmer 10 minutes or until potato is soft.
3. Mash or puree in the pot.

Country Frog Tip: FISH SAUCE

• Clear Asian fish sauce is an amazingly useful thing to keep in the pantry. It is very cheap and lasts indefinitely because of the high salt content – about 25% salt.
• Used sparingly, the fish flavor disappears into the background, but adds depth and interest to soups, sauces, stews and stir-fry.
• In soups, use 1 teaspoon (5ml) instead of ¼ teaspoon salt.
• 10ml gives the equivalent interest/flavour of about 1 cup commercial chicken or beef stock (at about 100th the price and takes much less space in the cupboard).

Red pepper ripening in the CF's garden