This hearty Oxtail Soup Recipe is thicker than a soup, but not quite a stew. Rich and full of veggies, you are going to love this flavor!
Recipes like oxtail soup and other stew recipes are my favorite simply because the cleanup time is next to nothing when everything cooks in one pot!
If you are a skeptic about the concept of oxtail, don’t panic! Oxtail is a cut of beef from the tail, so it gives this soup a rich, beefy flavor.
Oxtail makes an incredibly rich broth. And because it is stewed until it breaks down, the beef is super tender.
Oxtail Soup Recipe
Oxtail might not be the first thing you reach for at the grocery store, but my husband and I are always looking for new things to try. This soup has become a favorite for both us and our kids! It’s rich, hearty, and tastes much like a comforting beef stew. The kids have never asked what’s in it, and since they enjoy it so much, we’ve let that remain a little mystery.
This is one of my favorite meals to make on a chilly Sunday. I start it in the afternoon, let it simmer while we spend time together, and enjoy how wonderful it makes the whole house smell. By dinnertime, we have a cozy, satisfying meal to settle in with before a family movie night.
Plan on about 3 hours and 45 minutes from start to finish, including 10 minutes of prep, 5–10 minutes of browning, 3 hours of simmering, and about 25 minutes for the carrots to soften. Give yourself a little extra time for sautéing or if the meat and carrots need longer to become tender.
Serving Hearty Oxtail Soup
Hearty oxtail soup is rich in flavor and full of veggies too. It is heavy enough to be a comfort food that will fill up the whole family with a healthy dose of veggies.
Make sure you make enough to plan for a second meal. We like to stretch this oxtail recipe by serving the second meal over egg noodles or rice. You can even serve it two nights in a row, one night as soup and the next served over noodles, and no one will even care that it is leftovers. Sunday stew becomes Monday’s easy dinner.
How to Make Oxtail Soup
This oxtail recipe is simple to prepare, then simmers slowly until the meat is fork-tender.
- Season the oxtail: Generously season four pounds of oxtail with salt and pepper on each side.
- Brown the oxtail and sauté the aromatics: Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the oxtail on all sides, about 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Simmer the soup: Return the oxtail and any juices collected in the bowl to the Dutch oven. Add the spinach, kale, and beef broth. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 hours. Once the meat is tender and falling off the bone, add the carrots and cook for about 25 minutes, until soft.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve the soup on its own, over rice, or with egg noodles.
Can I substitute spinach for the kale?
Yes! If you prefer a milder flavor, use spinach instead of the baby kale. I also recommend removing tough kale stems if you use another variety.
Looking for more soup recipes?
Try this Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup. It is so easy (and delicious!) All you have to do is pile things in the slow cooker and turn it on. We also love this Sausage and Chunky Potato Soup! It is so easy and perfect for cold weather!!!
Hearty Oxtail Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs oxtail
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 large carrots diced
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 cups baby kale
- 3 cups beef broth
- salt & pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Season oxtail well on all sides with salt and pepper.
- In a dutch oven (or large pot), drizzle olive oil all over the bottom and brown all sides of each ox tail, about 5–10 minutes. Once they are all brown, remove and place them in a bowl. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, sautee until soft and translucent.
- Return the oxtail, plus all the juices that have collected in the bowl, into your dutch oven. Add the spinach and kale and pour in the beef broth. Cover, bring it to a boil and then reduce heat.
- Simmer for about 3 hours. Once the meat is tender and falling off the bone, toss in the carrots and cook for about 25 additional minutes, until they are soft. Times are approximate; allow extra time as needed for sautéing and tenderness.
- Serve on its own as a soup or over rice or with egg noodles.
Think adding mushrooms and frozen cauliflower would be good?
Both sound delicious to me! Especially the mushrooms.
can I add cabbage ?
I made this soup today and just want to say it’s delicious!,
YAY!! I love it too!
Thanks Cynthia,
I’m going to try this tonight… although I’m a little hesitant about kale. Anything I could sub ?
Mike
You can always sub with spinach that tastes a little milder. Or if you want to give the kale a go… strip out the stems because they are a bit more bitter. Or use Lacinato kale. It has blueish flat leaves and is much milder than the other varieties.
The kale was not a good idea on my opinion it gave me an after taste but the meat and all was yummy