PEPPERPOT Soup

[parker57]

Hi. I am new here. My mother who is in her 70s, was talking about a pepper pot soup they used to serve at school. All she really remembers is that it was very spicy. I have found dozens of variations, but found that most include the ingredient "tripe". I know what this is, and frankly have no intention of cooking a soup with it!! Can anyone suggest a good recipe maybe using something else?

Also, some recipes call only for green peppers, other call for chili peppers. Any opinions would be appreciated!!

 

[Jermosh]

If it did not have tripe in it it would not be pepper pot soup. That would be like taking the chicken out of chicken noddle soup.

Its not that bad to make though, and to be honest tripe is quite good.

 

[parker57]

Appreciate the response. I have also read that tripe is very hard to digest. Mom just left the hospital, talking about this soup and her mouth was practically watering!! Then the doc comes in and says........bland diet for a week. When the weeks over I am going to try and make some for her though.

 

[Barbara L]

Yes, this recipe (at the website I am including) lists tripe too. I thought you might want to check it out. You could replace it with another meat if you don't care if it is "authentic." I found the following story at this site too, about the origins of Pepper Pot Soup. I thought it was interesting.

http://www.soupsong.com/rtripe.html

"SoupTale: It was in Valley Forge, during the bitter winter of 1777-1778, that hunger soared and hope quailed in America's poor Continental Army. General Washington asked his cook to feed his men at any cost. With only scraps of tripe from the butcher and a handful of peppercorns, the cook produced a hearty soup--the creation of Pepper Pot Soup. The rest is history...."

Barbara

 

[parker57]

That's a really neat story.......must have been starved to eat tripe!!!!!!!!! But even I myself love hot n spicy stuff in the winter. At least it makes me feel warmed up. Last couple of winters have been awful here in PA. Heck, right now its August and 60 degrees. :?

 

[Barbara L]

I know I'd have to be starving to eat tripe! lol

The summer here, in South Carolina, has been extra hot. We were without air conditioning for a few months, and it was up to 95 degrees (and sometimes more) with high humidity. I was dying! We finally got the air fixed, thank goodness! Today is is only in the 70s though, so it is nice. It is supposed to get down to 55 tonight, which is the coolest it has been in a long time.

Barbara

 

[kyles]

I like tripe. Apparently as a kid I used to eat it raw, marinated in milk and onions. At our weekly market, people walk around eating tripe and vinegar. I think it would be lovely in a soup, and you wouldn't be confronted with the texture over much. That's the worst thing, it can be kinda rubbery.

 

[Jermosh]

Parker where do you live in PA? I was born and raised in the Poconos.

 

[parker57]

I live near Erie. The last two summers here have been nothing but rain, and the winters were horrible.

By the way, Mom just told me she loves tripe. GAG. Guess I will be using the real thing. :?

 

[kyles]

If you hate the stuff, I suggest taking the recipe to your butcher and getting them to do all the icky stuff, so all you have to do is close your eyes, hold your nose and tip the bag of stuff into the soup! The idea of tripe is worse than reality, promise!!!

 

[parker57]

Hmm. Just came from the store. Butcher told me tripe has zero flavor and I dont need it. Now that cant be right, if it had no flavor it wouldnt be a main ingredient. At any rate, they didnt have any so I will have to go to a REAL butcher to get some.

 

[kyles]

Best of luck! We can get it easily here, wish I could send some over, but it would be really disgusting by the time you got it!!!

 

[parker57]

Not to beat a dead horse here.........still on the pepper pot subject. I found the original campbell's pepper pot soup. Yes it had tripe. I also found out a couple of other things it had in it. I have thrown together a bunch of stuff, and its been simmering a couple of hours. I will let you all know how it tastes.

 

[Barbara L]

I hope it goes well!

Barbara

 

[Jermosh]

Hmm. Just came from the store. Butcher told me tripe has zero flavor and I dont need it. Now that cant be right, if it had no flavor it wouldnt be a main ingredient. At any rate, they didnt have any so I will have to go to a REAL butcher to get some.

Tripe does has flavor, but its the texture were looking for here. Can I ask what kind of Butcher he is? Is he a supermarket one, or a local cornerstore or farmer butcher?