Turkish Tripe Soup Recipe: İşkembe Çorbası

How to Make Turkish Tripe Soup


Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef tripe, washed and drained
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped, divided
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Turkish red pepper or ground red pepper

Method

  1. Place the tripe, 4 cloves of the garlic, the lemon juice, olive oil, and 2 quarts water in a large heavy saucepan. Season with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil; then cover the saucepan and simmer for about 4 hours, or until the tripe is soft. Add extra water as needed to keep the tripe submerged. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
  2. Remove the tripe from the saucepan and let it cool. Reserve 1 ½ quarts cooking liquid-add a little extra water if necessary. Cut the tripe into ½ – inch pieces.
  3. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour, and cook the mixture for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in the cooking liquid, then add the milk and tripe pieces. Stir well and simmer the mixture for about 30 minutes.
  4. To serve, mix the vinegar, Turkish red pepper, and remaining garlic in a small bowl.
    Ladle the soup into individual bowls and spoon some of the vinegar mixture onto each serving. Serve at once.