Tripe soup – Ciorba de burta

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 750 g scalded abomasum tripe
• 2 liters of beef broth
• ½ kg tomatoes, peeled and pitted
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables (carrots, yellow beet, celery, leek, parsley root
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• ½ tsp paprika powder (rose), hot
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1 tsp savory
• ½ tsp pepper, freshly ground
• 2 onions, very finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tbsp clarified butter
• 125 ml sour cream
• ½ tsp cornstarch
• ½ lemon(s), juice
• 1 pepper(s), finely chopped
• 1 tsp caraway seeds, ground in a mortar

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Spicy soup, also suitable as a main meal

The boiled and cleaned tripe is cut into the finest strips possible. The chopped onions are fried in clarified butter, deglazed with the broth, the finely chopped tripe and tomatoes are added, and the mixture is simmered with the herbs, sweet and hot paprika, 1/2 of the garlic cloves, and pepper, but without the caraway, for 2 hours over low heat until soft. A little more liquid is added occasionally and stirred. Meanwhile, the finely chopped soup vegetables are also fried in clarified butter and, after 1 1/2 hours, added to the simmering soup with the grated caraway. Before the end of the cooking time, skim off 1/4 l of the soup and stir it smooth with the sour cream, cornstarch, and the other half of the garlic, then add it to the soup and bring back to a boil briefly. Then season to taste with lemon juice and salt. Serve with fresh black bread, chopped chili peppers, and a little sour cream.