Is it cold where you are? Need something hot to eat to warm you up? Try some Pepper Pot Soup! It is a thick spicy soup first enjoyed during the American Revolution at Valley Forge.
George Washington ordered his chef to prepare a meal for the troops that were hungry and freezing in their winter camp. The desertion rate continued to grow, not because the troops were afraid of the British but because they could no longer stand the cold which they were ill equipped for. The chef basically threw everything he could get his hands on into the soup, tripe being the main ingredient along with bits of other meat and peppercorn.
Desertion was no longer the issue at Valley Forge, neither was the cold… both being replaced by trying to find a way to put out the fire in the soldiers mouth! The dish was served on December 29th, 1777 and we have celebrate it since then as “The soup that won the war!”
Also known as “The Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup” you can either make it up yourself with this recipe, or buy it prepared from a number of different soup companies.
How to celebrate – Spice up your life and fix some Pepper Pot Soup for your family. Visit Valley Forge. Research what Tripe really is.