Easy Spanish Oxtail Soup Recipe

Finally, we had the time to put a famous Spanish soup recipe on paper. Here you will learn how to make the best Spanish oxtail soup, also known as Sopa de rabo de buey in Spanish.

You will also learn more about its history and tips that will help you customize it according to your tastes or your personal diet.

For first-time visitors to Andalusia, it might seem surprising but the Spanish bull tail can be found in many Spanish recipes such as the legendary bull tail stew. Even if it might b unfamiliar at first, it’s so delicious!

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.

Background of the dish

Spanish oxtail soup has existed for hundreds of years, although it obviously underwent changes to adapt to the needs of each historical moment. 

Many people often confuse it with Spanish beef soup, but the main difference is that in this case oxtail is used specifically. This is because it was a very cheap cut of meat, so the lower classes could prepare this soup in large amounts.

Besides that, it is an ideal soup for winter since it uses root vegetables, which are easy to find at all times of the year but are of great help especially in the winter when the vegetables that are not seasonal are low. quality.

Pin for later!

Things You’ll Need for Spanish Oxtail Soup

This recipe is very easy to make, you will only need a large pot, and that you use regularly to make soup. In addition, the ingredients are easy to find in all parts of the world, and in case you have any problem finding them, don’t worry!

I will give you some tips on changes that you can make in the recipe to adapt it to what you need.

Finally, if you like this recipe, I recommend that you try hot Spanish garlic soup, the Spanish Chicken Soup Recipe, or the Spanish pumpkin soup as they are very easy to make and also require just a few ingredients and almost nonkitchen tools.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs oxtail
• 2 onions 
• 4 potatoes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5 tablespoons sherry vinegar 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 6 cups (1.4L) vegetable broth
• 3 carrots
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

How to make Spanish Oxtail Soup – Step by Step Guide

1. The first step on this Spanish oxtail soup recipe is to grab the oxtail, remove any big chunk of fat and cut it into cubes (any size of your choice). Season with salt and pepper and set aside. You can keep fat if you want to since it will give a lot of flavor to the soup.
2. For the next step use a large pot and heat the vegetable oil at high heat. Add oxtail pieces but don’t overcrowd the pot. Cook for 6 minutes per side, until all of them get a brown color.
3. Take the meat to a different bowl to cool and drain ½ the stock that was created, keep the remaining stock for the next step.
4. Turn down the heat to a medium and add chopped onions and chopped celery stalks, cook for 8 minutes or until they get a soft texture. Add minced garlic and stir to combine everything together. 
5. Then add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Turn up the heat to high and add sherry vinegar, stir to combine everything. The vinegar will evaporate eventually, so you won’t feel an acid flavor.
6. After that, put the oxtail pieces into the pot with the soup again. Then add the broth, bay leaf, thyme and stir to combine.
7. Bring the soup to a simmer and reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 2 ½ hours stirring occasionally. This way the oxtail meat will be really soft and tender, and every flavor will blend together.
8. Add carrots and potatoes, chopped into cubes (any size that you want). Cover the pot and cook for 30 more minutes, until the vegetables are soft and tender.  The meat should pull apart from the bone almost immediately. I recommend you to chop the vegetables into small cubes, this way they’ll cook faster.
9. The final step on this Spanish oxtail recipe is pretty simple, just serve the soup warm and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Substitution of ingredients

This recipe offers dozens of changes you can make to suit your personal taste or diet. These tips will also help you if you share it with other people who have different tastes.

The simplest change is to replace the vegetables with whatever you like. Something good about this recipe is that it contains root vegetables, which are generally for sale all year round, but in case you don’t like them, you can easily change them.

For example, you can add different types of bell pepper, other root vegetables such as sweet potato, cassava, pumpkin, etc.

Apart from that, you can replace the tomato paste with peeled and cut tomatoes, or even the famous Worcestershire sauce.

If any of your guests are vegetarian or do not like oxtail, I recommend that you try other Spanish soup recipes such as the Spanish Lentil Soup, the Spanish rice soup, or the Spanish Bean Soup.

You can also replace the vegetable broth with whatever you like or with water. If you change it for water, then add 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to the soup so that it is not so runny.

I always recommend broths as they give a lot of flavors, but if you have problems with salt or some of the people who eat the soup cannot consume a lot of salt, then make it with water!

Tips on Serving Spanish Oxtail Soup

As well as other Spanish soups, like the Spanish chorizo soup, you can eat this oxtail soup on any type of day, either for lunch or dinner. 

I always advise eating it at lunch, because this way it will warm your body and give you the energy to do your tasks for the day.

If you are looking for what to eat in Seville, you’ll notice that this dish is usually served alongside a glass of red wine.

If you don’t have to drive and you are old enough to drink alcohol, then I recommend you try it! Since the flavor goes really well with the taste of the oxtail soup.

An oxtail stew recipe is also a great option if you want something more wholesome and you want to stay with the oxtail.

And let’s not forget about the delicious Spanish beef osso buco recipe that you’ll absolutely love after the first bite or the instant pot oxtail recipe.

How to store Spanish Oxtail Soup

One of the great advantages of this soup is that it is very easy to store, either for a couple of days or even months.

Spanish oxtail soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, and all you have to do is to reheat it later. Just make sure to store it covered with a lid or a clean plastic bag.

Lastly, this Andalusian food can be stored and frozen like any other beef soup or the famous Spanish oxtail stew, which means that you can store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to eat it, just let it unfreeze overnight and heat it in the microwave or at the stove.

This Spanish oxtail soup is really meal prep-friendly since you can freeze it in small portions and just unfreeze the amount that you need for that day.

Recipe Card: Spanish Oxtail Soup