Oxtail Soup

5 from 1 vote

This Indonesian oxtail soup (sop buntut) is rich, comforting, and filled with tender meat and hearty vegetables. With the Instant Pot, you’ll get fall-off-the-bone results in a fraction of the time.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Indonesian

Servings: portions

Calories: 117kcal

Author: Claudia

Equipment

1 pressure cooker
1 cooking pot

Ingredients

500 gr oxtail
2000 ml water
3 carrots
3 potatoes
2 tomatoes
2 tsp salt

Spices and Herbs

12 red shallots
6 garlic
2 pcs ginger
3 lemongrass stalks
3 bay leaves
2 lime leaves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp pepper
5 pcs cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
6-8 pcs cardamom

Garnish

2-3 celery minced
2-3 green onion minced
Fried red shallots
Lime
Chili sauce
Emping crackers

Instructions

Blend the shallots, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper until smooth.
Prepare the potatoes by peeling and cutting them, then deep-fry until golden brown. Set aside.
Place the beef oxtail in the Instant Pot, add water, and close the lid securely. Cook for 20–30 minutes. When the time is up, let the steam release naturally before carefully opening the lid. Test the oxtail with a skewer. If the meat isn’t tender yet, cook for another 10–15 minutes. Once soft and fall-off-the-bone, remove and set aside.
Transfer the broth into a regular pot. In a separate pan, heat some oil and sauté the blended spices along with lemongrass stalks, bay leaves, lime leaves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom until fragrant.
Add these aromatics to the broth, then return the oxtail and add carrots. Simmer until the carrots are tender. Season with salt, pepper, and mushroom powder to taste.
Remove the lemongrass, bay leaves, lime leaves, and cardamom. For a clear, smooth broth, strain it at this stage. I usually do, since I love a clean finish.
If you find too much fat on top, refrigerate the soup for a few hours until a white fat layer forms. Discard the fat and reheat before serving.
To Serve: Ladle the hot oxtail soup into bowls. Add the fried potatoes and fresh tomato slices, then sprinkle with celery and crispy fried shallots. Serve with emping crackers, a wedge of lime, plus sweet soy sauce and chili sauce on the side.

Video

Notes

Reduce the fat easily – Oxtail is naturally fatty, and the broth can feel heavy. Chill it in the fridge for a few hours until a white fat layer hardens on top. Scoop it off, reheat, and you’ll have a lighter, less greasy soup.
Go for a clean broth – Straining out the spices and herbs after cooking gives you a beautifully clear, smooth broth without bits floating around.
Keep potatoes separate – Deep-fry the potato chunks and serve them on the side instead of simmering them in the broth. This keeps the soup clear and free from starch.
Save the carrots – Cook the carrots just until tender, then remove them from the broth. Add them back when reheating so they don’t get mushy.

Nutrition