Pepper soup is a traditional Jamaican dish made with tripe, vegetables, and spices. It can be made with various proteins and vegetables, and is typically simmered for an hour or two. It can be made in a slow cooker or on a grill, and is a popular winter dish.
Pepper soup is traditionally a subtropical dish that includes hearty chunks of tripe and a range of vegetables and spices. This soup is very popular in Jamaica, but is growing in popularity in colder places, like the northern United States and Canada. The simmering greens, spicy richness, and layered flavors of this soup make it an especially delicious winter dish. It also works well for the hot summer months because it typically only requires the cook to heat one pot. Many pepper pot soup recipes can also be made in slow cookers or in pots placed inside lidded barbecue grills.
While honeycomb tripe is the traditional protein included in pepper soup, those who don’t like it can substitute it for a number of other options. Shrimp is often tasty, as are chicken, cubed beef steak, pork stew, and chorizo sausage. Smoked ham and bacon can also be used. Vegetarians can replace animal products entirely with chickpeas, black or white beans, pinto beans, or even very firm tofu.
Usually, vegetables make up the bulk of most pepper pot soup recipes. Onions, celery, carrots, leeks, bell peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chili peppers, and cabbage can all be included in a recipe. The cook can also select just some of these vegetables or substitute some for something else. For example, carrots could be substituted for parsnips and onions could be swapped for chopped fennel bulbs. All of these vegetables are typically cut into 0.5-inch (about 1 cm) cubes so they cook at an even rate. Chopping may take a long time, so cooks in a hurry may want to hire helpers or buy vegetables that have already been chopped into small pieces.
The liquid portion of pepper soup is usually quite rich. It usually contains chicken or vegetable stock, a few tablespoons of flour for thickening, heavy cream, and a long list of spices. Thyme, basil, marjoram, oregano, salt, garlic, black pepper, bay leaves, and chili sauce can be included as flavorings for the broth. It’s usually best if the cook chooses up to four of these toppings to go in the soup. Too many spices could muddy the flavor or overwhelm the other ingredients.
Typically, pepper soup begins with the cook searing the protein and adding the chopped greens. When the vegetables begin to soften, the cook should add broth and spices. You typically need to simmer, on a stove or grill, for an hour or two before the meat is fully cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Cooks preparing this soup in a slow cooker should whip it up in the morning and let it simmer for about eight hours. To finish the soup and add richness, cooks usually add a splash of heavy cream and a tablespoon or two of butter.
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