Polish National Dishes

Flaki po polsku: Polish beef tripe soup with marjoram and ginger

Flaki po polsku is a hearty Polish soup built around tender strips of beef tripe in a deeply flavoured beef broth. The broth is cooked with root vegetables and warm spices, then finished with julienned vegetables, marjoram, ginger and a light butter-and-flour thickening. Serve it piping hot in six generous bowls.

Polish National Dishes
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A wide view of „Flaki po polsku: Polish beef tripe soup with marjoram and ginger“ arranged on a table for serving.
Yield 6 generous bowls
Serving about 400–450 ml thick soup with tripe, beef and vegetables
Difficulty moderate; requires careful tripe preparation and a long, gentle simmer
Dish type Polish beef tripe soup with root vegetables and warming spices
Ingredients ↓
About the dish

Flaki po polsku: Polish beef tripe soup with marjoram and ginger

Flaki is known in Poland as a filling, strongly seasoned soup made with cleaned, sliced stomach, most often from beef or veal. Its name refers to the tripe itself. Historical Polish cookbooks show that the dish has never had just one formula: old versions used different kinds of tripe, breads, dumplings and regional garnishes. Contemporary accounts also describe Warsaw-style meatballs, pea additions in some eastern versions, and distinct bread- or flour-thickened preparations.

This recipe follows a practical home approach. Beef shank gives the broth body, while cleaned honeycomb tripe cooks slowly until tender. The stock vegetables flavour the broth and are strained out; a second group of finely cut roots and leek is simmered in the finished soup so the bowl has visible vegetables as well as tripe and shredded beef.

Marjoram, ginger, black pepper, allspice and nutmeg provide the characteristic warming seasoning. A small butter-and-flour roux gives the broth a lightly thickened texture. Some modern versions include tomato, while others do not; this recipe leaves it out and focuses on the meat stock, tripe and spices.

Tips for success

Tips for success

  • Buy fresh beef honeycomb tripe that has been cleaned and prepared for cooking; confirm it is not already blanched or cooked, since that changes the timing.
  • Do not rinse raw beef or tripe. Blanch the tripe in a separate pot and discard that water before adding it to the stock.
  • Keep the stock at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, and skim foam early for a clearer broth.
  • Cut the cooked tripe into even, spoon-friendly strips; if it is still firm, simmer it longer in 20-minute increments.
  • Whisk hot broth into the roux gradually so it stays smooth, then stir it back into the soup.
  • Add the marjoram and ginger near the end so their aroma remains distinct.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Tripe and beef stock

  • 1 kg fresh cleaned beef honeycomb tripe, unblanched and ready to cook
  • 600 g raw bone-in beef shank
  • 3.5 L cold water
  • 200 g yellow onion, halved
  • 150 g carrot, cut into large pieces
  • 100 g celery root, cut into large pieces
  • 100 g leek, white and pale-green parts, cut into large pieces
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 whole allspice berries (about 1 g)
  • 3 g black peppercorns
  • 8 g fine salt

Soup vegetables and seasoning

  • 120 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 120 g parsley root, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 100 g celery root, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
  • 75 g leek, white part, cut into fine matchsticks
  • 12 g fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 4 g dried marjoram
  • 3 g sweet paprika
  • 1 g ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 0.5 g freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 g fine salt, then more to taste

Butter-and-flour thickening

  • 35 g unsalted butter
  • 30 g all-purpose wheat flour
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Blanch and slice the tripe.Keep the raw tripe and beef refrigerated at 4 °C or colder until you are ready to cook. Do not rinse them. Cut the tripe into manageable pieces and blanch it in a separate pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and discard the blanching water. When cool enough to handle, cut the tripe into strips about 5 mm wide and 5 cm long.

  2. Build the stock and simmer the meat.Put the beef shank in an 8–10 L stockpot with 3.5 L cold water. Bring it slowly to a boil and skim off the foam. Add the halved onion, stock carrot, celery root, leek, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns and 8 g salt. Add the blanched tripe. Partly cover and simmer gently for about 2 hours 45 minutes, until a fork passes easily through the tripe and the beef is tender. If the tripe is still firm, continue in 20-minute increments. Add boiling water only if needed to keep the ingredients submerged.

  3. Strain the broth and prepare the meat.Lift out the beef and tripe. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean pot; discard the spent stock vegetables and spices. Cut the tripe into even strips if needed. Remove the beef from the bone, discard the bone and tough connective pieces, and shred or finely slice the meat. Return the tripe and beef to the strained stock.

  4. Cook the soup vegetables.Add the carrot, parsley root, celery root and leek matchsticks. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape.

  5. Thicken and season.Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until pale gold and fragrant. Ladle in about 250 ml of hot soup broth a little at a time, whisking smooth, then stir this mixture into the stockpot. Add the ginger, marjoram, paprika, ground pepper, nutmeg and remaining 4 g salt. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring so the soup does not catch. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

  6. Check and serve.The tripe should be very tender and the whole pot should be steaming hot. Rest the soup off the heat for 10 minutes, then ladle into six bowls. Serve piping hot, with rye bread if you like.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

  • The tripe is still chewyContinue simmering and check every 20 minutes. Tenderness depends on the tripe's preparation and thickness.
  • The broth tastes weakSimmer it uncovered briefly to concentrate the flavour, then adjust salt and pepper. Avoid a hard boil that can make it cloudy.
  • The broth is cloudyIt may have boiled too vigorously. Keep only a gentle simmer and skim foam near the start.
  • The roux forms lumpsWhisk in the hot broth gradually, a ladle at a time, until smooth before adding it to the pot.
  • The soup is too thickStir in hot water or unsalted stock a little at a time until it is spoonable.
  • The seasoning tastes flatAdd a small pinch of salt, pepper or marjoram, tasting after each addition; ginger should warm the soup without dominating it.
Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Servingone-sixth of the soup, about 400–450 ml
  • Caloriesabout 350 kcal
  • Carbohydratesabout 22 g
  • Proteinabout 34 g
  • Fatabout 14 g
  • Saturated fatabout 6 g
  • Fibreabout 4 g

These are approximate values based on cooked-simmered beef-tripe data, a generic beef-shank estimate, the vegetables and the butter-flour thickening. The amount of meat left on the shank bone, fat skimmed from the stock, salt retained in the blanching water and final reduction can materially change the nutrition.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Serve flaki in deep bowls while very hot; a slice of rye bread is a traditional-style accompaniment. The soup thickens as it stands, so loosen leftovers with a splash of water or unsalted stock when reheating. For a make-ahead meal, cook the stock, beef and tripe a day in advance, cool them promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate. Reheat the soup, then add and simmer the finely cut vegetables and roux shortly before serving for the freshest texture.

Serving, storage and make-ahead: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days or freeze. Reheat soup to 74 °C throughout and bring it to a rolling boil while stirring. Do not leave a large stockpot to cool on the counter.

The roux contains wheat and dairy. Keep raw tripe and beef at 4 °C or colder; USDA guidance advises using beef variety meats such as tripe within 1–2 days of purchase or freezing them. Do not rinse raw meat. Blanch the tripe in a separate pot and discard that water, then simmer it with the beef until fork-tender. Wash hands and clean the knife, board, sink and surfaces after handling raw meat. Refrigerate cooked soup in shallow containers within 2 hours and reheat to 74 °C throughout.

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