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a bowl of Venezuelan Mondongo with a spoon in the side.
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Venezuelan Mondongo Soup

This Venezuelan Mondongo is easy to make and full of flavor. Made with beef tripe (panza), pork’s feet (paticas de cochino) and lots of vegetables, this tripe stew will be a pleasant surprise for your palate. Be adventurous and give it a try!
Course Soup
Cuisine Venezuelan
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 349kcal
Author Oriana's mom

Ingredients

For cleaning and cooking the tripe:

  • 1 ½ - 2 lb Rumba Meats beef tripe
  • 8 – 10 cups water
  • 2 – 3 limes
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons baking soda

For the Mondongo:

  • 10 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 cup mini sweet peppers, diced (I used red and yellow) (see notes)
  • 1 cup leeks, sliced
  • ½ cup green onion, sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ½ - 2 lb Rumba Meats beef tripe cooked and cut into small pieces
  • 2 -3 corn ears, cut into 1-inch slices
  • 1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 baby carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup cassava (yucca), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup yautia (ocumo), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup white yam (ñame), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 10 – 12 masa balls
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Clean and Cook the Tripe:

  • Wash the tripe thoroughly under running warm water. Place it in a large bowl, squeeze the juice of the lime over the tripe, sprinkle with baking soda and scrub vigorously. Rinse and repeat; then wash the tripe again in warm water. Cut tripe into bite-size pieces.
  • Stovetop: Place the tripe in a large stockpot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and then drain. Add more clean water and bring to boil over medium heat. Partially cover and simmer until tripe is very tender, about 2 hours. Drain and set aside.
  • Instant Pot: Place tripe and water into the Instant Pot. Close the lid. Select “Manual” and adjust the time to 15 minutes. Cook. When the time is over, turn off and let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally, about 10 minutes. Carefully turn the vent to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Remove the lid. Drain and set aside.

Masa Balls:

  • To make the masa balls combine 1 cup of Harina P.A.N. with 1 ¼ cup of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Knead until smooth and no lumps. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Form equal size mini balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Set aside until is time to add it to the Mondongo.

Mondongo:

  • In a large pot over medium low heat, add chicken broth, onion, pepper, leeks, green onions, garlic and cooked tripe; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer for 15 -20 minutes.
  • Add corn, green beans, carrots, cassava, yautia and white yam; mix to combine. Cover and let it simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Add chickpeas and masa balls. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 – 10 minutes, or until the masa balls emerge to the top. Taste and add more salt and black pepper, if necessary. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
  • Serve hot.

Video

Notes

 
Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. 
Paticas de Cochino (pig feet): You can add pig feet (cut into small pieces) to the Mondongo to add more flavor. If you decided to do so, add it in step 1 and cook until the meat is tender. Make sure to wash the pig’s feet very well before adding them to the soup and remove all the hair carefully.
Tips And Tricks to Clean And Cook Beef Tripe:
  • Wash the tripe thoroughly under running warm water.
  • Scrub the tripe vigorously with lime juice and baking soda. Repeat this two times then wash the tripe again with warm water.
  • If the tripe is too dirty scrape the entire surface of the tripe with a long sharp knife.
  • Par-boil Beef Tripe: If you are not familiar, parboiling is basically partially cooked something which will then be cooked another way. So, to par-boil the tripe place it in a large stockpot, cover it with water, and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Throw out the water then rinse the tripe in cold water several times.
  • Cook tripe in salty water until tender. I prefer to cook it in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) because is faster, it just takes 20 minutes, but if you don't have a pressure cooker simmer for 2 -3 hours in a normal pot.
 
If you're making this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, frequently asked questions, and step-by-step photos.
 
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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 2552mg | Potassium: 934mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1000IU | Vitamin C: 81.9mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 2.1mg