Best Old-Fashioned Oxtail Soup Recipe

For all the home cooks eager to take their skills to the next level, let us tell you that making one of our delicious Spanish soup recipes guarantees a standing ovation.

When it comes to Spanish oxtail recipes, you have the marvelous old-fashioned oxtail soup recipe, where tender oxtail, vegetables cooked to perfection, and a mix of spices come together to create a soul-warming dish.

Keep reading this article, and you will learn everything about this traditional oxtail soup recipe, with key information on customizing, storing, and serving this dish.

You, dear reader, support this blog. If you purchase through a link, we earn a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish oxtail recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Basque oxtail stew

• Oxtail stew with vegetables

• Red wine oxtail stew

Background of the Dish

The best oxtail recipes had their origins in southern Spain in the Middle Ages when oxtail was commonly used by the lower classes to make their everyday meals.

As time went by and people from all places started noticing how delicious these dishes were, different recipes were developed, such as the old-fashioned oxtail stew.

The old-fashioned oxtail soup recipe is a distinct version of that dish, with the difference that you add more broth, resulting in a delicious soup.

Pin for later!

Things You’ll Need for Old-Fashioned Oxtail Soup Recipe

To make this Spanish traditional oxtail recipe you will need oxtail, broth, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, garlic cloves, carrots, etc.

We have more Spanish oxtail recipes waiting for you, and some of them call for different cooking processes such as the fried oxtail recipe and the oven-baked oxtail recipe.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg oxtail
• 1 cup (240ml) red wine (optional)
• 8 cups (2l) beef broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 potatoes
• 1 parsnip
• 1 leek
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

How to Make Old-Fashioned Oxtail Soup Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. First, wash, peel, and chop the potatoes and parsnip into bite-sized squares. Peel and chop the carrots and onion into small pieces. Wash and dice the tomatoes, discarding the seeds, and peel and mince the garlic. Cut the leek and celery into thin slices. Set aside.

2. After that, pat the oxtail dry with kitchen paper and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Trim the excess fat, and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

3. Now grab a large pot or Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Then, add the oxtail pieces and sear them on all sides until golden. Remove the oxtail from the pot and set aside.

4. Using the same pot, add chopped onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, parsnip, and leek to the pot. Cook for just 5 minutes, as they will finish cooking later in this old-fashioned soup recipe.

5. To continue with this Spanish oxtails recipe, return the browned oxtail to the pot. Add bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients.

6. As an optional step in this old-fashioned oxtail recipe, pour the red wine into the pot and let it simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. 

7. Now pour in the beef broth and add the diced tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the oxtail is tender and falls off the bone.

8. Once the Spanish-style oxtail soup is ready, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the bay leaves and discard them.

9. The old-fashioned oxtail soup recipe is now ready. Pour the soup into bowls and serve while hot, optionally garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Substitution of Ingredients

To prepare the old-fashioned oxtail soup recipe the ingredients that you must have is an oxtail bone broth recipe, and a mix of veggies, but aside from that you can make as many replacements as you like.

For instance, you can create this simple oxtail soup recipe with vegetable broth, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, etc.

You could also turn it into an old-fashioned oxtail stew recipe; all you have to do is reduce the amount of broth you use by half.

If you desire an extra kick of flavor, follow the lead of other old-fashioned beef soup recipes, like the Mexican oxtail soup, by incorporating hot sauce, chili flakes, crushed jalapeños, etc.

Would you like to infuse a fusion of flavors from various cuisines? Then draw inspiration from oxtail dumplings and add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, grated ginger, and five-spice powder.

Tips on Serving Old-Fashioned Oxtail Soup Recipe

With this old-fashioned oxtail soup recipe, you will have a fantastic main dish ready to be served for lunch or dinner. Thanks to the meat and veggies, there is no need for a side dish, but there are some ways to take it to the next level.

In the same way that you would with other oxtail recipes, such as oxtail soup with mixed vegetables, this one pairs well with grated manchego or Parmesan cheese on top, adding a cheesy flavor and a new texture.

Besides that, you should have a slice of your favorite bread, so that you can soak it as you eat the delicious soup.

In case you want to add some carbs to this dish, you can incorporate your favorite cooked pasta and have something similar to the oxtail noodle soup.

To add more flavor to this oxtail vegetable soup, top it with freshly chopped herbs or a drizzle of hot sauce on each serving.

If you’re following a keto diet, you can rest assured we have a keto oxtail soup for you to try so you don’t miss out on oxtail soups.

How to Store Old-Fashioned Oxtail Soup Recipe

Once you finish making this old-fashioned oxtail soup recipe you will be able to serve and enjoy the soup right away, or store it for later.

In that case, you have to let the Spanish oxtail soup cool to room temperature (for about 45 minutes) and place it in a freezer-safe airtight container.

Cover it first with plastic wrap in contact with the top of the soup (so that it doesn’t form a crust) and then with the lid.

After that, you can store your soup for up to 4 days in the fridge and 45 days in the freezer, then thaw it overnight or for 12 hours before serving it.

Just like all of the old-fashioned vegetable soup recipes, the flavor and texture should be the same after storing, so if something seems off then it is better to avoid consuming it.

Other simple oxtail recipes that you can prepare and store for later are the Portuguese oxtail stew and the delicious braised oxtail.

Recipe Card: Old-Fashioned Oxtail Soup Recipe

---

---