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oxtail soup recipe

Hearty Slow-Cooked Oxtail Soup Recipe

This hearty oxtail soup recipe transforms tough oxtails into a rich, soul-warming broth with slow-cooked tenderness, fresh vegetables, and barley for ultimate comfort.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Stock Ingredients
  • 5 pounds oxtails
  • 1 cup flour for dredging
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper fresh ground
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 medium yellow onions with skin, quartered, for stock
  • 1 heart celery heart with green leaves, for stock
  • 1 head garlic cut in half crosswise
  • 1 tablespoon beef base
  • 5 quarts water cold
  • 32 ounces beefamato juice or tomato juice
Soup Additions
  • 1 large yellow onion peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 6 ribs celery sliced
  • 6 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 18 ounces diced tomatoes canned
  • 16 ounces mushrooms fresh, sliced
  • 1 cup baby spinach leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1.5 cups barley

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly oil a roasting pan.
  2. Dredge oxtails in flour mixed with salt and pepper, then arrange in pan.
  3. Roast oxtails for 15 minutes.
  4. Add quartered onions, celery heart, and halved garlic to the pan.
  5. Spread tomato paste over the oxtails.
  6. Continue roasting for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Transfer oxtails and vegetables to a large stockpot.
  8. Deglaze the roasting pan with 2 cups cold water, scrape up browned bits, and add to stockpot.
  9. Add beefamato juice, water, bay leaves, and beef base to the stockpot.
  10. Cover and cook in a 250°F oven for 3 hours, until meat is tender.
  11. Strain the stock, reserving liquid and oxtails.
  12. Chill stock to remove excess fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons.
  13. Remove meat from the bones.
  14. Simmer the strained stock on the stovetop.
  15. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, celery, carrots, spinach, diced tomatoes, and barley.
  16. Simmer for 30 minutes until barley is tender.
  17. Return oxtail meat to the pot and heat through.
  18. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  19. Serve with crusty rolls.

Notes

Deglaze the roasting pan thoroughly to incorporate all caramelized bits for a richer, more flavorful broth.