History

Pepper pot soup was reportedly created at Valley Forge in 1777 by Continental Army cook Christopher Ludwick under General George Washington's orders to feed the starving troops with what little was on hand: tripe, scraps, peppercorns and stale bread. The recipe travelled into Philadelphia kitchens with returning soldiers and became a 19th-century city staple, hawked by Black Philadelphian street-cart vendors known as Pepper-Pot Women. The dish faded after the Second World War but holds on at Reading Terminal Market and a handful of South Philly counters. Lots of black pepper, hand-cut tripe, dumplings and root vegetables give the soup its name.

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Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 45 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g honeycomb tripe, well rinsed
  • 1.5 litres beef stock
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 150g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 60ml milk
  • 30g chopped parsley

Method

  1. Simmer the tripe in the beef stock with the bay leaves for 90 minutes, covered, skimming any scum. Lift the tripe out, cool slightly, then dice into 1cm pieces. Return to the pot.
  2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, black pepper, thyme, marjoram, salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes more until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt for the dumplings. Beat the egg with the milk; combine into the dry to make a soft dough. Drop teaspoons of the dough onto the simmering soup. Cover and cook 12 minutes without lifting the lid.
  4. Taste, adjust with more salt and pepper (this soup wants more pepper than feels reasonable). Stir in the parsley and serve in deep bowls with crusty bread.

Tip from the editors. The black pepper is the point. Use coarsely cracked, freshly cracked. Add half at the start and half at the end.

Where to eat philadelphia pepper pot soup

Philadelphia pepper pot soup in Philadelphia

Reading Terminal Market ★ 4.8

$ Market

Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia is the 1893 enclosed public market under the old Reading Railroad train shed at 12th and Arch, with 80 vendors.

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