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A close up of a white rimmed bowl filled with a broth based oxtail soup, displayed on a barn board background.

German Style Oxtail Soup

Chef Markus
A rich and hearty broth based, oxtail soup. Ideal for warming up during cold weather.
4.82 from 11 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Course Beef, Entree, Soup
Cuisine German
Servings 6 servings
Calories 1052 kcal

Equipment

Winco Bouillon Fine Mesh Strainer, 8-Inch Diameter, Extra Fine Mesh, Medium, Stainless Steel
1 Fine mesh strainer
Nonstick Roaster Pan Oven Broiler Safe 500F
1 roasting pan
Cuisinart 744-24 Chef's Classic Stainless Stockpot with Cover
1 Soup Pot
WÜSTHOF Classic 8" Chef's Knife, Black
1 chefs knife

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for the broth

  • 4 lbs oxtail cut into pieces
  • 3 liters cold water
  • 1 medium carrot roughly chopped
  • 1 medium parsnip roughly chopped
  • 1 large Spanish onion roughly chopped
  • ½ small celery root or 2 ribs of celery
  • 3 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 each bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 8 each whole black peppercorns

Vegetable garnishes for the finished soup

  • 2 cups oxtail meat picked of the braised bones
  • ½ whole Spanish onion medium diced
  • 1 whole carrot medium diced
  • 1 whole parsnip medium diced
  • ½ whole celery root medium diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
  • 1 splash Port wine red wine will do in a pinch!
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions
 

Making The Oxtail Broth

  • Toss the bones in oil and season them with a little salt and pepper. Roast the oxtail bones on a sheet pan at 375°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are dark brown, and start to 'sear' around the edges.   
    Raw oxtail bones on a sheet tray ready for roasting.
  • As the meat roasts, peel and rough chop the broth vegetables. This doesn't need to be pretty, they will simply add flavor to the oxtail broth, and are discarded once the broth is finished.
    diced onion, carrot, parsnip, and celery root on a cutting board
  • Once the oxtail bones are roasted, combine them with the chopped vegetables, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, red wine, and water. Place everything in a large pot and slowly bring the broth to a simmer.
    roasted oxtail bones,in a pot with diced vegetables and herbs
  • Slowly let the oxtail broth simmer for about 4 hours. As the broth simmers you'll notice a white foam start to form on top of the liquid, skim it off as it forms. Keep an eye on the oxtail broth as it simmers to prevent it from boiling, it should just bubble along happily on the stove. Taste the broth occasionally to see how the flavor is developing, it should be rich and beefy.
    oxtail broth simmering with foam that needs to be skimmed of
  • Once the broth has a rich taste (after about 4 hours), you can safely turn the pot off. Strain the oxtail broth from the pot, and set aside the oxtail bones themselves. 
    Oxtail broth in a pot after it has simmered
  • Pick the meat of the oxtail, and reserve it for later. The broth can be cooled or kept warm if you plan on finishing the soup right away. 
    oxtail meat picked of the bones on a glass bowl

Finishing the oxtail soup

  • While the oxtail broth is simmering, medium dice the vegetable garnishes, and chop the herbs. Saute the vegetables in a pot with a little butter or oil, until they start to brown slightly.
    diced root vegetables sauteeing in a pot with butter
  • Add the garlic and herb and cook for another minute or two. Once the vegetables start to brown, add the wine to de-glaze the pot. Add the oxtail broth, and picked oxtail meat to the pot. Bring the oxtail soup to a simmer and cook for another 30 minutes.
    oxtail soup simmering in a pot with vegetable and herb garnishes
  • Taste the oxtail soup and season it with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
    a top down shot of a pot of broth based oxtail soup beside a white rimmed bowl of oxtail soup

Notes

The oxtail soup can be served right away, or refrigerated and kept for up to a week. It makes a quick weeknight meal, re-heated on the stove top!

Nutrition

Calories: 1052kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 121gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 424mgSodium: 847mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1837IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 151mgIron: 17mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

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