Perfect for any time of year, this simple slow cooker oxtail soup is hearty and made with a flavorful, rich, broth with tender meat. Great for the winter as comfort food and even as the summer for a delicious, hearty meal that doesn’t heat up the house.
Soup is one of those things that I readily prepare in the autumn and winter. The warmer months, not so much. But soup made in the slow cooker? I’ll make year round if the mood suits me. Especially on cooler spring and summer days that beg for something hearty and wholesome.
A friend of mine suggested oxtail soup the other day and I absolutely had to indulge. I can say I am so glad I did.
If you’ve never had oxtail before, you’re probably wondering what the heck it is. It’s amazing is what it is. Why we ever stopped using oxtail and started wasting more and more of the meat an animal provides I’ll never understand.
It always amazes me to find old-fashioned recipes that utilize parts of an animal that most of us just toss in the dog food bin now. We used to use every part of an animal, bones to make broth and skin to make hide. Then, something changed. The less desirable parts are not used any longer, or they’re thrown into ready made dog food kibble. Kind of sad, really.
I’m still all about using every part of an animal. Oxtail is no different. And what better way to use this amazing, overlooked cut of meat than to put it in an oxtail soup that’s prepared in a slow cooker?
It’s full of all that good, yummy stuff that makes beef broth amazing. So, it makes sense that you could use it to make some amazing soup. And you totally can. Oxtail soup is full of flavor, hearty, and since it’s prepared in the slow cooker, it’s so easy to prepare.
There is no replicating the savory flavor that oxtail lends this delicious soup. If you’re getting a steer butchered, make sure to tell them you want the oxtail. If you’re just looking for it at the store, try to get the best trimmed meat you can find. Grass fed is always preferred, but higher end conventional meat will do in a pinch.
Any time I make beef stew of any kind or pot roast, I always, always brown the meat. This soup is no different. You’ll also want to trim some of the fat off of the oxtail unless you get an amazing cut of meat. It’s a little on the fatty side sometimes and it tends to make the soup a little more oily than I prefer.
But it’s so worth it to take the extra time to do these things. I promise.
This soup is super delicious and nothing can replicate the flavor that the oxtail affords. Get it nice trimmed, brown it up in the pan, deglaze it with a little red wine. Mmmm….
Slow Cooker Oxtail Soup
Delicious, hearty soup full of flavor. Easy to prepare in a slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs Oxtail, well trimmed
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Celery (chopped
- 1 Lb Carrots, sliced
- 2 Large Potatoes, cubed into 1" pieces
- 1 Pint Cannellini Beans
- 1 Pint Stewed Tomatoes
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 5 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
- 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, chopped
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 3/4 Cup Red Wine
- 2 1/4 Cups Beef Stock
Instructions
- Begin by trimming the excess fat off of your oxtail. It's worth the extra step because it will make the soup a little too oily.
- Go ahead and put the olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Turn the heat on and let it get hot.
- Place the oxtail in the hot oiled pan. Brown well. You should have some nice browned bits in your pan, that's okay. Drain any excess liquid it created off and leave the meat in the pan.
- Throw your celery, onion, garlic, and herbs into the pan with just a little bit of the liquid and the meat left behind. Sautee everything for just a minute. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
- Now, add your red wine to deglaze your pan. You want to get all of the goodies stuck to your pan off and mixed into the wine. You'll be so glad you did.
- Now, transfer the wine to your slow cooker.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Give it a little stir to mix everything together well.
- Lid it up and allow it to cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- You can now take the slices of oxtail and remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones.
- Best served with crusty bread or you can pour it on top of rice.
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