Easy Ox Tail Soup

This is the no-fuss approach to oxtail soup. Everything goes in a single pot and boils for two hours while you do other things. No browning, no fussy mise en place, just water, meat, and roughly chopped vegetables.

What sets it apart is the turnip. It melts into the broth as it cooks and adds a faintly peppery, earthy edge that pure root-vegetable mixes lack. Combined with the carrots and onions, it builds the kind of old-world flavor that tastes like it came from a much more complicated recipe.

The trick is the flour stirred in at the very end. Once the meat is pulled and returned to the pot, two tablespoons of flour cook for fifteen minutes and thicken the broth into something closer to a gravy. Stir constantly when you add it or you’ll get lumps.

Pro Tips

• Cut the oxtails between the joints if your butcher hasn’t already. Whole sections take longer to cook through and shed less flavor.
• Skip the browning step here, but if you want a richer broth, sear the oxtails first. The recipe is designed for ease, not depth.
• Whisk the flour with a few tablespoons of cold water before adding to avoid lumps in the soup.
• Taste before salting. Oxtail releases enough natural seasoning that heavy-handed salt at the start can overshoot.

Variations

• Add a parsnip and a leek for a more complex root-vegetable mix.
• Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste at the start for a deeper, slightly tangy broth.
• Finish with chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon for brightness against the rich meat.