What the Heck is Pepper Pot?

Even Buddy doesn’t know what Pepper Pot is. And they made a national day out of it? According to timeanddate.com “Made of tripe, vegetables and pepper, pepper pot soup, also sometimes known as Philadelphia pepper pot, has for long been the subject of many American revolution legends. 

Rumor has it that the soup was responsible for helping George Washington's army win the American Revolution. During the war, many farmers chose to sell food to the British. This created a shortage of food for the Continental Army. The cooks in the army cooked whatever they could find their hand on in a stew and saved the day by feeding soldiers pepper pot.”

Pepper Pot might have originated from the Caribbean and immigrants from that area brought it to the US.

I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of tripe and will be replacing it with ham. You can also use beef, chicken or sausage. Serves 6 Total Time: 2 hours + 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ham steak, cubed
3 teaspoons salt
Water with 1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thin
1 leek (about 1 cup), washed, sliced, including tender green part
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional)
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups diced potatoes, 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup butter for garnish
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Cut the ham steak into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, chopped onions, celery, carrots, leeks, and bell pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables, cover, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not brown.
3. Add the chicken broth and water to the pot, along with the ham, garlic, chili powder, (if using) bay leaf, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add in the potatoes, milk, and parsley. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Stir in cornstarch mixture and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Swirl butter into the hot soup until it's melted and immediately ladle into bowls to serve. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Yum Yum!