In my opinion, this Polish tripe soup is one of the most unusual and controversial traditional dishes in Poland. The main ingredient in this soup is beef tripe (“flaki”). In Polish stores, you can find pre-cleaned and pre-cooked tripe, which is very convenient. If ready-made tripe is not available, you will need to clean it manually and boil it for a long time until it becomes tender. Additionally, beef and vegetables are required to prepare the broth. Marjoram is the most commonly used spice.
Ingredients (for a 2-liter pot):
Broth
- Beef shank – 300 g
- Celery stalk – 1-2 pieces
- Carrot – 1 piece
- Peppercorns – 5 pieces
- Cooked beef tripe – 1 kg
- Potatoes – 3 pieces
- Onion – 1 piece
- Carrot – 1 piece
- Butter – 50 g
- Flour – 2 tbsp
- Marjoram – 1 tsp
- Dried parsley – 0.5 tsp
- Bay leaves – 2 pieces
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Ground ginger – 0.5 tsp
- Ground black pepper
- Salt
Cooking process:
1 First, start by boiling the broth.
Boil beef shank, carrot, celery stalks, peppercorns in cold water for an hour, periodically removing the foam.
2 While the broth is simmering, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Peel and dice the potatoes into small cubes, slice the onion into half-rings. Cut the carrots into half-circles. Slice the tripe into strips.
3. Heat 30 g of butter in a pan. Add the sliced onion and sauté for 5 minutes.Add the carrots to the pan and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
4. In the prepared broth, add the tripe, potatoes, sautéed onion, and carrots. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
5. In a pan, sauté the flour for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 20g of butter. Mix the flour and butter until it forms lumps.
6. Add this mixture to the pot. Stir. Season with salt. Add parsley, marjoram, ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix well and remove the soup from the heat. Let the soup stand.
Tripe soup becomes especially flavorful on the second day.
Another recipe for a traditional Polish soup – Żurek. This soup also involves one interesting and unusual ingredient for us.