Bulgarian Tripe Soup (Shkembe Chorba)

Introduction

Bulgarian tripe soup delivers deep savory comfort in a single pot, built on beef stock, tomato paste, and tender tripe simmered with peppers and onions. The finishing touch—a garlicky parsley and cheese mixture stirred in at the table—adds brightness and richness that ties everything together. This is a straightforward weeknight dinner that tastes like it took far longer than it actually did.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 3½ cup beef stock
• 1 ea. onion, chopped fine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ea. bell pepper, cut into thin-strips
• ½ tsp dried marjoram
• 1 ea. bay leaf
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped fine
• 1 can (6 oz / 180 g) tomato paste
• 1 ea. garlic clove, crushed
• 1½ lb (675 g) tripe, cooked
• ⅔ cup grated Kashkaval cheese

Instructions

1. Combine onion, red pepper, butter in large saucepan.
2. Sprinkle flour over onion mixture, then stir in the tomato paste.
3. Cut tripe into thin strips.
4. Add tripe pieces, stock, salt, marjoram and bay leaf to onion mixture.
5. Partially cover the pot and simmer 30 minutes.
6. Remove and discard bay leaf.
7. Pour soup into a tureen or serve in individual bowls.
8. In a small bowl, combine parsley, garlic and cheese. Sprinkle over hot soup and serve immediately.

Variations

Spicier soup: Add ¼ to ½ tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne with the marjoram. This shifts the dish from mild and herbaceous to warming and slightly sharp without changing the texture.

With potatoes: Dice 2 medium potatoes and add them with the stock in step 4. They’ll soften during the 30-minute simmer and add body to the broth, making the soup more filling.

Lighter version: Use half the butter and skip the flour to reduce richness. The soup will be thinner and less starchy, better if you prefer a broth-forward bowl rather than a creamy one.

Different cheese finish: Swap Kashkaval for feta, white cheddar, or aged Gruyère. Each brings a different sharpness—feta adds tang, cheddar adds mellow richness, Gruyère adds nutty depth.

Make-ahead base: Prepare steps 1–6 and cool completely, then refrigerate up to 2 days before serving. Reheat gently on the stovetop, then finish with the parsley-garlic-cheese mixture just before serving.

Tips for Success

Flour the onions first: Sprinkling flour directly onto the raw onion mixture and stirring it in helps it hydrate evenly and prevents lumps when you add the liquid. Don’t skip this step.

Use pre-cooked tripe: Buy tripe that’s already been boiled and cleaned—it’s the norm at butchers and ethnic markets. Raw tripe requires hours of boiling to tenderize and is not practical for weeknight cooking.

Watch the simmer, not the clock: The soup is done when the broth tastes deep and the tripe is tender enough to cut easily with a spoon. If it tastes thin or underseasoned at 30 minutes, add another 5–10 minutes of simmering.

Add the cheese mixture to the hot soup, not the other way around: Sprinkling it over hot broth lets the heat slightly soften the cheese and the garlic perfumes the whole bowl. Stirring it in all at once can clump the cheese.

Taste before serving: The soup’s salt level depends on your stock’s salinity. Taste a spoonful before you serve and adjust salt or marjoram to balance.

Storage and Reheating

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The soup keeps its flavor and texture well, though the tripe may soften slightly with time.

FAQ

Can I use beef tripe that hasn’t been pre-cooked?

No. Raw tripe requires 2–3 hours of boiling to become tender. For a weeknight recipe, source pre-cleaned, pre-cooked tripe from a butcher shop or ethnic market.

What if I can’t find Kashkaval cheese?

Use sharp white cheddar, aged Gruyère, or feta in equal measure. Kashkaval is a Balkan yellow cheese with mild tanginess; these alternatives will shift the flavor slightly but maintain the garlicky, cheesy finish the recipe needs.

Does the flour make the soup thick or creamy?

The flour thickens the broth slightly and adds body, but the result is still a soup you can spoon, not a stew. If you prefer it thinner, reduce the flour to 1 tbsp.

Can I make this without the bay leaf?

Yes. It adds subtle herbal depth, but if you don’t have it, simply omit it. The marjoram, garlic, and parsley will carry the flavor.