Tripe, Bean And Vegetable Soup ( Busecca)

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 lb tripe, cut into 1 1/2 by 1/8-inch strips
• 1 1/2 cups dried navy beans
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 cup coarsely chopped scraped carrot
• 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 1 cup coarsely chopped leek, including 2 inches of the green tops
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cabbage
• 4 medium firm ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon crumbled dry oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach
• 2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Recipe

• 1 place tripe in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover it by at least 2 inches.
• 2 bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. drain the tripe in a sieve and set aside.
• 3 meanwhile, combine the beans and 3 qts. of water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
• 4 boil briskly for 2 minutes, remove the pan from the heat, and let the beans soak for 1 hour. pour off the soaking water and set the beans aside.
• 5 in a heavy 6-8 quart casserole, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. add the onions, carrots, celery, leeks, and cabbage.
• 6 stir well, cover the casserole, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown.
• 7 add the tripe, beans, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and chicken stock and, stirring frequently, bring to a boil over high heat. reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 1 hour.
• 8 then stir in the spinach, potatoes and tomato paste, and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes longer, or until the beans and potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
• 9 taste for seasoning and serve at once from a heated tureen or soup plates.