Slow Cooker Oxtail Soup
A rich and hearty slow cooker oxtail soup recipe made with tender shredded beef, red wine, aromatic vegetables and herbs. This British classic is low-cooked for 8 hours, with the vegetables blended into the stock for a beautifully thick, smooth soup packed with deep beefy flavour.
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg ox tails cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- wagyu beef dripping or vegetable oil or olive oil
- 40 g plain flour
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 187 ml red wine small bottle
- 1 stalk of fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 stalks of thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 litre beef stock or bone broth
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the onion, carrot and celery.
- Pat the oxtail dry with kitchen paper, then place in a bowl with the plain flour, salt and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
- Heat the Wagyu beef dripping in a frying pan over a medium heat. Brown the oxtail pieces until caramelised on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the chopped onion, celery and carrot to the same frying pan, adding more dripping if required. Cook for approximately 10 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the tomato purée and apple cider vinegar and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and simmer until reduced by approximately half. Transfer the vegetables and reduced wine to the slow cooker.
- Add the beef stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 8 hours, or until the oxtail is tender and the meat pulls away easily from the bones.
- Carefully remove the oxtail pieces and allow them to cool enough to handle. Separate the meat from the bones and fat, shredding it into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove excess fat from the cooking liquid by skimming the surface, or preferably by cooling and refrigerating the stock and vegetables until the fat solidifies and can be easily removed.
- Remove the herb stalks and bay leaf. Check the stock and vegetables carefully for any bones or fragments, then blend until smooth using a hand blender or food processor.
- Stir the shredded oxtail meat back through the blended soup and reheat until piping hot. Serve with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
Oxtail: Oxtail contains plenty of bones, fat and connective tissue. Once cooked, carefully separate the meat fro the fat and check for small bone fragments before blending.
Beef Dripping: I use Wagyu beef dripping for browning, but regular beef dripping (tallow) or another suitable cooking fat can be substituted.
Red Wine: Reduce the wine by approximately half before adding it to the slow cooker to concentrate the flavour.
Cooking Time: Cook on LOW for approximately 8 hours, or until the meat pulls away easily from the bones. Larger pieces may require additional cooking time.
Removing Fat: My preferred method is to refrigerate the cooked stock and vegetables overnight, allowing the fat to solidify on the surface so it can be easily removed.
Consistency: The soup is naturally thickened by blending the slow-cooked vegetables into the stock. Add a splash of beef stock or water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
Storage: Refrigerate promptly in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The soup can be frozen for up to 4 months.
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating until piping hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 597kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 57gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 1488mgPotassium: 726mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2689IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 8mg
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