Beef Tripe Soup (Czech drstkova polevka)

Czech tripe soup, drztkova polevka, served in a bowl.

Beef Tripe Soup (Czech drstkova polevka)

When you visit a traditional Czech pub for lunch, you'll often find tripe soup on the menu. Give it a try—it's delicious with fresh bread. Plus, you can proudly say you've sampled one of the top Czech dishes featured in travel guides!

Course Soup

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Czech pub classics, czech soups

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 261kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

2 medium onions
3 cloves garlic
11 ounces cooked beef tripe
2 Tablespoons pork lard (or sunflower oil/canola)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika powder Hungarian style
5 cups light beef broth
½ Tablespoon dried marjoram
salt the amount depends on saltiness of the broth you used
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley greens chopped

Optional:

1 teaspoon hot paprika powder

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Make ahead: Peel 2 medium onions and chop them finely. Peel 3 cloves garlic and press or mash them. Prepare 5 cups light beef broth so that it's lukewarm. Slice 11 ounces cooked beef tripe into thin strips about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt 2 Tablespoons pork lard over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and fry until golden. Stir frequently.
Reduce the heat to one third and pour in ⅓ cup all-purpose flour. Continue stirring and frying the flour with the onion for another minute.
Add 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika powder and 1 teaspoon hot paprika powder, and stir for a further half minute, no longer.
Add beef broth—the most tricky part of the recipe! Remove the pot of onion roux from the heat. Using a hand whisk, pour in about a cup of broth and whisk briskly to avoid lumps. You'll form a thick mash at the bottom. Add another cup of stock and whisk again. Gradually add the remaining liquid, whisking constantly.
Return the pot to the stove and add the tripe and crushed garlic. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the flour from settling and burning at the bottom.
At the end of cooking, add ½ Tablespoon dried marjoram by rubbing it between your palms to release its flavor. Adjust amount of salt to taste if needed, and your soup is ready to serve!

Notes

The basic recipe Makes 4-6 portions.m
SERVING: Serve the soup hot for lunch or dinner, with a slice of rye bread on the side. The soup is very filling; if you are not hungry, you could serve it as a main course. For a nice display, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top of the soup.
STORAGE: Allow the remaining tripe soup to cool completely and store it in a covered pot or another suitable container in the refrigerator. The soup will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Some Czech cookbooks recommend seasoning the soup with ground black pepper or/and crushed caraway seeds. I did not use these spices, and the soup still tasted wonderful.

Nutrition