Oxtail Soup
Updated Sept. 11, 2025
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3pounds not-too-lean oxtail, cut into 1-inch sections, rinsed
- 2cups chopped tomatoes
- 26-inch cinnamon sticks
- 6star anise
- ⅓cup soy sauce
- 2teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground (or use ground coriander)
- 2teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground (or use ground cumin)
- ½cup neutral oil, like corn or canola, optional
- 1cup small onions or shallots, thinly sliced, for garnish, optional
- 1teaspoon chopped fresh red Thai chili, or to taste, or chili powder or flakes
- ⅓cup lime juice, or more
- ¼cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish, or more
- ¼cup minced scallion for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
843 calories; 54 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 2 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 72 grams protein; 1368 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put oxtail in a pot with water to cover and add tomatoes, cinnamon, star anise, soy sauce, coriander and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, then adjust the heat so it simmers steadily but not violently; cook until tender; stir occasionally, and add more boiling water if needed to keep meat covered. Cook until tender, about 2 hours.
- Step 2
If using crisp onion garnish, put oil in an 8- or 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onions, and stir occasionally, until they are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Step 3
When meat is done, add chili and lime juice; taste and adjust seasoning. Spoon into individual bowls, and garnish with cilantro and scallion. If you are using onions, garnish soup with them and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
It took closer to 4 hours to get the oxtail tender. The added bonus is that the unctuous and silky soup (what the affected may call a 'bone broth' *insert eye roll*), which when chilled, became a gelatinous solid.
The fried onions added savoury caramel-ly note to the dish. The chilli and lime juice brightens it. Please don't skip that. Great with rice, or some blitz-ed up cauliflower 'couscous', which is a great way to boost the vegetable component of the meal.
Simple and luxurious, but definitely plenty of room here for improvisation, e.g.: I added a couple tablespoons of fish sauce to the broth at the beginning for an extra umami boost. Don't skip the lime and chili — it really brightens the broth up a ton. I also refrigerated the pot overnight and skimmed most of the solid fats from the surface of the chilled soup before re-heating the next day. Serve over thin rice noodles with the crispy fried onion for a heartier bowlful. Awesome.
I've been making oxtail soup for years and after cooking the oxtails for hours I then separate the little knobs of meat from the fat, bones and so on
An icky task.
The soup is great with the meat. Last few years - all these oxtail recipes. Are you really suppose to plop one of those oxtails on a plate and expect people to eat it w a knife and fork????
I cooked it in a Dutch oven for two hours, then turned off the heat and left it until morning. Turned out spectacularly. Thank you, dear NYT Cooking app!!
Mind-melting!! Thank you.
Oxtail soup must have Barley in it. This is an important ingredient.