Warm up with a comforting slow cooker oxtail soup. This rich and delicious Autumnal dish features tender oxtail, heritage rainbow carrots, and a hearty oatmeal stout broth.
It’s officially Autumn up here in Shetland, with the days growing noticeably colder, shorter and windier. Our diet switches from light summer salads and meals to warming comfort foods like soups and stews.
Oxtail soup is a popular dish in various cuisines around the world, including British, Caribbean, Chinese, and Filipino cuisines. Each of these cuisines has its unique way of preparing the soup, often incorporating regional spices and ingredients.
In my oxtail soup recipe, I use a whole oxtail (skinned and cut into segments by my butcher), seasonal heritage rainbow carrots, celery, onions and garlic from my veg box, and an entire bottle of locally brewed oatmeal stout to create a rich and delicious Autumnal dish.
Ingredients to make Oxtail Soup in the slow cooker
- 1 kg oxtail cut into pieces
- 50 grams plain flour, divided
- 55 grams butter, divided
- 1 large brown onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1 stick celery, coarsely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves crushed
- 2 litres good quality beef stock
- 330 ml good quality dark stout
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- Shetland sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
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How to make oxtail soup in the slow cooker
- Dredge oxtail pieces in seasoned flour and brown on all sides.
- Add coarsely chopped onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
- Add beef stock, stout, tomato puree and herbs. Slow cook for 8 hours on low.
- Leave in the fridge overnight to develop the flavours. Skim off fat in the morning.
- Sieve out the liquid, reserving it for later. Discard the vegetables and shred the cooked meat.
- Make a roux in the cooking pot with flour and butter, and add the reserved soup liquid, shredded meat, and red currant jelly. Reheat and serve!
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Slow Cooker Oxtail Soup with Stout
Ingredients
- 1 kg oxtail cut into pieces
- 50 grams plain flour divided
- 55 grams butter divided
- 1 large brown onion coarsely chopped
- 3 medium carrots coarsely chopped
- 1 stick celery coarsely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves crushed
- 2 litres good quality beef stock
- 330 ml good quality dark stout
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- Shetland sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
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Equipment
Instructions
- Season half of 50 grams plain flour with plenty of Shetland sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge 1 kg oxtail pieces in the seasoned flour.
- Heat half the 55 grams butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the dredged oxtail pieces, and sear on all sides.
- Add 1 large brown onion, 3 medium carrots, 1 stick celery and 3 large garlic cloves, all coarsely chopped. Add 2 litres good quality beef stock, 330 ml good quality dark stout, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, 2 sprigs fresh parsley and 3 bay leaves.
- Slow cook for 8 hours.
- At the end of the cooking time, allow the soup to cool. Cover, and place into the fridge overnight.
- The next day, skim any fat from the top of the cold soup. Sieve the entire mixture, setting the pieces of cooked oxtail aside, discarding the vegetables and reserving the liquid.
- Using two forks (or your fingers) shred the cooked oxtail meat and set aside. Discard the bones and cartilage.
- Heat the remaining butter to a soup pan over medium high heat. Add the remaining flour and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
- Slowly add the reserved soup liquid, a little at a time, stirring between additions. Bring to a simmer, and add the reserved shredded oxtail and the redcurrant jelly.
- Heat through and serve with some crusty bread.
Nutrition
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Hi Elizabeth,
This Oxtail soup recipe looks yummy. Definitely, I will try this for this weekends.
OMG.. oxtail soup! Talk about a throwback to childhood! I am definitely making this.. I quite enjoyed it as a kid but it’s just one of those tastes you kind of forget.. Thanks for the reminder of my heyday 🙂 Ill let you know how it goes!
Shaun
This looks so hearty and delicious! I never think to make soup in the slow cooker but I really want to try now!
Mmm, this looks absolutely delicious. I’ve not had Oxtail soup in years!!
Louise x
This is perfect for this time of teh eyar, warming nd delcious. I have never tried a homemade oxtail soup and this recipe excites my taste buds 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious, what a perfect winter warmer.
I love Oxtail soup, it’s one of my favourites. This looks a really rich and hearty soup, perfect in this cooler weather
I’d eat anything that’s cooked under a slow cooker. The oxtail soup look yummy and seems easy to make. I’d get myself one of these slow cookers then.
oh i love a good oxtail soup, it has to be home made though it cant just be tin stuff!
This Crock Pot sounds amazing! I’m a big fan of the show cooker, but being able to sear the meat in one is fab.
We have just been saying we need to invest in a slow cooker. We have never had one but with the weather turning we are really reconsidering.
Another really beautiful recipe, Elizabeth. It looks really delicious – and a great video too!
I love oxtail. I made a dish with it a few years back, a stew I think, and it was delicious. I always see it in Cardiff Market and mean to get some and do something with it so I may well give your recipe a go!
A alow cooker looks like the way to go. Tjis looks like a bowl of warm hugs. Nice in this winter weather xx
I love soup in winter. I’m not a fan of oxtail but my partner loves it x
I have to admit I’ve not tried oxtail soup before, I’m not sure why as I am sure it is delicious.
I am however most definitely a fan of soups in autumn.
I’ve never made soup in my crock pot but it sounds like a great way to make a tasry meal.
Soup is always perfect for the colder season, and making it in the crock pot is always fantastic. I love your style of crock pot. I kinda want it.
Hi Elizabeth,
The oxtail soup would definitely be a favorite soup this season for my family. I never knew it would be this easy with Crock Pot 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Cheers,
Jessica
This looks and sounds delicious! I love my slow cooker but for some crazy reason never thought about making soup in it! Will definitely give this a try it looks like the perfect way to warm up with winter on the way!
I might invest into a crock pot I never used one!
I love Oxtail soup but have never been brave enough to make it myself. It looks amazing and easier than I thought