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Czech cuisine Soup

Dršťková Polévka: Paprika First, Marjoram Last

Dršťková polévka

Cooked tripe provides the bite. Onion, paprika and flour build the broth around it, while marjoram gives the finished bowl its fresh herbal lift.

SmartRestro editorial 4 min read
Rust-red Czech tripe soup with short ridged strips and a slice of bread beside the bowl
Short strips give the soup a distinct texture within the paprika-colored broth.

Start with the tripe's cooking stage

Dršťková polévka is a Czech soup built around beef tripe, the stomach lining, cut into manageable strips. Petra Kupská describes it as a pub lunch soup and recommends beginning with cooked tripe for a straightforward household version. Paprika, garlic and marjoram give the broth a recognizable character without hiding the ingredient's texture.

The word cooked matters. Professionally cleaned tripe may still need substantial cooking, and a product labeled pre-cooked may only be partly tender. For the recipe below, ask the supplier to confirm that the tripe is fully cooked and ready to eat. If it is raw or only blanched, follow an appropriate separate cooking method first; the short soup simmer is not a substitute.

Published versions leave room for choice

Kateřina Švejdová and Václav Frič
An onion and paprika base

Their Apetit version prepares fresh tripe separately, then uses its broth with onion, lard, flour, caraway and a little tomato paste.

Roman Paulus
Root vegetables and a separate roux

His version adds carrot, celeriac and parsley root, then thickens the soup with a darker roux made in another pan.

Kluci v akci
Vegetables and a cream finish

The Czech television preparation combines root vegetables, tomato paste and spices with the tripe, then adds cream at the end.

Three ingredients, three moments

Flour needs to disperse into the fat and then cook in the liquid. Paprika benefits from a brief encounter with that base, followed promptly by stock. Long dry frying can take it from fragrant to bitter. Marjoram belongs near the finish, when its aroma can remain clear.

The household recipe keeps the broth relatively simple: no cream, root vegetables or tomato paste. The point is a spoonable soup with identifiable strips, rather than a very thick sauce. Stir the bottom during simmering, because flour can settle there even when the surface looks calm.

Paprika and diced onion base in a pot beside a jug of stock
The aromatic base is ready to be loosened with stock.

A household version

Paprika tripe soup for four

Makes four generous bowls. These estimated 10 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking begin with fully cooked, tender tripe; they do not include cooking raw tripe.

Ingredients

For the soup

  • 500 g fully cooked, ready-to-eat beef tripe
  • 200 g onion, finely diced
  • 30 g pork lard, or two tablespoons neutral cooking oil
  • 25 g plain all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed
  • 1.2 litres low-salt beef stock, plus extra hot water if needed
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
  • 2 tsp dried marjoram
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • salt, to taste

For serving

  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley, optional
  • four slices of bread or four bread rolls
Allergens Contains wheat from the flour and usually from the bread. Beef stock may contain celery, wheat or other allergens; check its label.

Method

  1. 1

    Cut the cooked strips

    Drain the tripe if packed in liquid. Cut it into strips about 5–8 mm wide and 3 cm long, so they fit comfortably on a spoon. Keep chilled while preparing the base. Warm the stock separately.

  2. 2

    Cook the onion and flour

    Melt the lard or warm the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and caraway and cook for about eight minutes, stirring until lightly golden. Lower the heat, sprinkle in the flour and stir for two minutes, coating the onion evenly without letting the flour blacken.

  3. 3

    Add paprika and stock

    Take the pot off the heat, stir in the paprika and promptly add a small ladle of stock. Whisk until smooth, then add the remaining stock gradually while stirring. Scrape the corners of the pot to loosen the base.

  4. 4

    Simmer the soup

    Return to the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the cooked tripe and black pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring the bottom regularly. Add the garlic for the final five minutes. Use a food thermometer to check several substantial pieces: this household recipe uses 74°C / 165°F as its conservative reheating target. Continue heating if needed.

  5. 5

    Finish with marjoram

    Rub the marjoram lightly between clean fingers and stir it in at the end. Taste and add salt according to the stock. If the broth is too thick, stir in hot water a little at a time. It should flow from a spoon while carrying the strips. Serve hot with optional parsley and bread.

A spoon holding ridged tripe strips and rust-red broth over a soup bowl
The broth should move around the strips and remain easy to spoon.

Serve simply; cool promptly

Bread is a familiar accompaniment in these published Czech versions. It offers a plain bite between spoonfuls and catches the broth left in the bowl. There is no need for a heavily dressed garnish: a little parsley can finish the surface without competing with marjoram.

If keeping leftovers, divide them into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within two hours of cooking, or one hour when the surrounding temperature exceeds 32°C / 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 4°C / 40°F or below. On reheating, stir, loosen with a little water if necessary and reach 74°C / 165°F throughout.

Research notes

Sources behind this article

  1. Petra Kupská — Beef Tripe Soup Original Czech cook's explanation of cooked tripe, onion roux, paprika, marjoram and bread.
  2. Kateřina Švejdová and Václav Frič, Apetit — Dršťková polévka A separately attributed preparation that cooks the tripe before building the soup base.
  3. Roman Paulus, Kuchyně Lidlu — Dršťková polévka The chef's own root-vegetable version, using a separate darker roux.
  4. Kluci v akci, Česká televize — Dršťková polévka Original television preparation with root vegetables, tomato paste and a cream finish.
  5. FoodSafety.gov — Safe minimum internal temperatures Official thermometer and reheating guidance informs the conservative cooked-tripe temperature check.
  6. FoodSafety.gov — Four steps to food safety Official guidance for prompt shallow-container cooling and refrigerator temperature.

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