Loaded Vegetable Ox Tail Soup
Submitted by tfernald
Loaded vegetable oxtail soup with butter-browned tails, carrots, turnips or cabbage, celery, and a splash of sherry. A French-leaning broth fortified with thyme, bay, and beef stock for restaurant-style depth.
YIELD
18 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is the dressed-up cousin of basic oxtail soup. Browning the tails in butter for a full half hour pulls out a deeper roasted flavor than oil ever could, and the milk solids in the butter add nutty caramel notes the broth carries through to the bowl.
The stock setup matters. Three quarts of water plus beef stock (or veal stock if you can swing it) builds layered savor that water alone misses. Aromatics like thyme, bay, peppercorns, and parsley sprigs go in early to infuse during the three-hour simmer, while the carrots, turnips, and celery come in late so they finish tender-crisp instead of mushy.
The sherry at the end is the move that makes this soup feel finished. Half a cup added in the last five minutes of cooking lifts the rich broth and rounds out everything underneath.
Pro Tips
- Skim the foam aggressively in the first 10 minutes of boiling. Clear broth means clean flavor.
- Cut the carrots, turnips, and celery into uniform 2-inch strips so they cook evenly and look intentional in the bowl.
- Use dry sherry, not cooking sherry. Cooking sherry has added salt and a flat taste that dulls the finish.
- Strain out the bay leaf, peppercorns, and parsley sprigs before adding the chopped vegetables for a cleaner final soup.
Variations
- Use cabbage instead of turnip for a sweeter, milder finish.
- Stir in cooked pearl barley or wide egg noodles for a heartier soup.
- Finish with chopped fresh tarragon along with the parsley for a more aromatic French profile.
Ingredients
Directions
In 6 quart kettle, slowly brown ox tails in butter, about ½ hour. Add 3 quarts water and bring slowly to a boil. Skim foam from surface several times.
Add salt, onions, parsley sprigs, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Simmer low heat, covered for 3 hours. Remove from heat. Remove ox tails and cut meat off bones.
Next cut carrots and turnips (or cabbage) into strips 2 inches long. Cut celery in 2 inch pieces and in half lengthwise. Add meat, carrots, turnips and celery. Bring to a boil. Simmer until vegetables are done (tender crisp 5 minutes). Add sherry; simmer 5 more minutes. Garnish with parsley.
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