Mondongo is a popular dish in Latin America, every country has its own variation of this dish. This is my grandmother's Colombian version of Sopa de Mondongo recipe.
What is Colombian Mondongo?
It's a filling and hearty soup made with pork, tripe, vegetables, spices, herbs and some cooks add chorizo. It's served in every traditional Colombian restaurant.
To make Colombian Mondongo, a variety of meats and vegetables are cooked together until everything in the pot is fork tender. Beef tripe is the main meat in the dish and it is balanced with lean pork and pieces of Colombian chorizo, which are used for rich flavor. If you don't like chorizo flavor just omit it.
This comforting soup is also signature dish in every home in the Andean zone of Colombia. My grandmother used to make the best Mondongo I've ever had!
Ingredients to Make this Soup
You'll find the printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions below.
Beef Tripe: It's also known as mondongo or menudo. You can find it in many supermarkets in the United States or at your local Latin market.
Lime: To clean the tripe and to serve the soup.
Baking Soda: To clean the tripe.
Pork: You can use your favorite pork meat for stew or soups.
Colombian Chorizos: This ingredient is optional.
Vegetables: Tomato, scallions, onions, potatoes, yuca and garlic.
Spices: Cumin, achiote, salt and pepper achiote
Herbs: Fresh cilantro, replace it with fresh parsley if you prefer.
How to Make Colombian Mondongo
- Wash the tripe with warm water and rub with lime juice. In a large pot combine the tripe, baking soda, and enough water to cover the tripe by 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the tripe is very tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours or 45 minutes if using a pressure cooker. Drain the tripe and discard the water.
- In a large pot, place the cooked tripe, pork meat, chorizos, tomato, scallions, onion, garlic, cumin and achiote. Add enough water to cover.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly. For about 45 minutes. Add the yuca, cilantro and potatoes. Cook for 30 minutes more.
- Ladle into bowls, and garnish with additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with white rice, avocado, banana and hot sauce (ají) on the side.
How to Serve Mondongo Soup
This dish is a complete meal, accompanied by white rice, avocado, banana and drizzled with lime juice and ají sauce.
Tips to Cook Tripe
Tripe should be clean very well before cooking. Be sure to wash the tripe thoroughly with warm water at least twice and cut into bite size pieces.
Traditionally, the tripe is cooked in a pressure cooker, which cooks the tripe faster, in about 45 minutes. If you don't have one, simmer for a couple of hours in a normal pot.
My grandmother used to add chorizo to her mondongo soup, but you can omit it if you don't like the flavor. This is the perfect Sunday dish to enjoy with family and friends.
Storing Leftover Mondongo
Store the soup leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It can be reheated in a pot on the stove top or in the microway oven.
More Comforting Soups to Try
Ajiaco Bogotano (Chicken ad Potato Soup)
Sopa de Moneditas (Green Plantain Chips Soup)
Crema de Alcachofas (Artichokes Creamy Soup)
Colombian Mondongo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef tripe mondongo, cut into small pieces
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ pounds pork meat cut into small pieces
- 3 Colombian chorizos sliced (optional)
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 scallions chopped
- ¼ cup white onion chopped
- 4 small potatoes diced
- 1 pound yuca diced
- Salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon achiote
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- water
Instructions
- Wash the tripe with warm water and rub with lime juice. In a large pot combine the tripe, baking soda, and enough water to cover the tripe by 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the tripe is very tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours or 45 minutes if using a pressure cooker. Drain the tripe and discard the water.
- In a large pot, place the cooked tripe, pork meat, chorizos, tomato, scallions, onion, garlic, cumin and achiote. Add enough water to cover.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly. For about 45 minutes. Add the yuca, cilantro and potatoes. Cook for 30 minutes more.
- Ladle into bowls, and garnish with additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with white rice, avocado, banana and hot sauce(ají) on the side.
Faith
I've never had tripe but my hubby loves it. I should make this for him!
grace
tripe scares me a little bit, but my love for chorizo can overpower it. great soup!
ruth
Thats it! Cant take it anymore, either I go to your house for dinner or to Colombia on my next holiday! These recipes are incredible! Love chorizo, love tripe, just so drooling here!!
Erica
Thank you guys for visiting and for your comments!
Sandra G.
Erica I Make Mondongo The Dominican And Peruvian way, Now I'm Going to try The Colombian Way, It Looks Delicious!
Baking is my Zen
My dear, tripe is not for this chick either. But, the soup without it must be good.
rebecca subbiah
great soup tripe is common in NW England never tried it though texture put me of!
Barbara
I've never had mondongo, but I'd love to try it. Your soup has a marvelous combination of flavors.
Erica
Joan- You are right...tripe is not for everyone!!!! Thank you!
Joan Nova
Tripe is not for everyone...but for me, si, sí, sí! I love mondongo and yours looks delicious. Great photos with this one too.
Sarah Naveen
New recipe..looks so yummy!!
Mariana @ History of Greek Food
There are many ways to enjoy tripe in Greece and one of them is patsa, a tripe soup which is the perfect hangover fix. There are many patsa restaurants serving it from the night to the morning (never during the day) and they have big signs on the windows that announce WE SERVE PATSA.
Your version sounds utterly delicious... I would like very much to try it.
anncoo
Love the colors, looks so delicious! We used to have tripe in stew Chinese cooking.
norma
Erica, I rememeber going out on a Friday night and then eating mondongo on saturday to give you energy from the night before. We used to call it "levanta muertos".....Wish I had a plate right now!
Tangled Noodle
Although I've never had this dish, I know I would love it! It reminds me of some of my tripe dishes. When you buy your tripe, do you have to 'clean' it or prepare it in any other way before actually cooking it?
Erica
Tangled Noodle- You have to wash it with warm water and I rub lime juice all over the tripe.
Belinda @zomppa
Oh, I LOVE mondongo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!!!!
Anonymous
I'm going to try this recipe on Saturday. Glad I looked it up.