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+ servings

Simple Oxtail Soup

With slightly charred tops, fall-off-the-bone-meat, and extra ghee to make the broth buttery, the oxtail soup base is nearly perfect. Top with crunchy purple sweet potatoes and a dash of coarse salt and cilantro to taste for a hearty meal your gut will love.
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Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time1 hr 15 mins
Resting Time10 mins

Ingredients

For Perfect Instant Pot Oxtails:

For Crispy Sauteed Purple Sweet Potatoes:

Instructions

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Make Perfect Instant Pot Oxtails:

  • Prep the oxtails. Salt both sides liberally with sea salt.
  • Press Saute on your Instant Pot for 30 minutes. (Note: for older versions, press 'Saute' button then 'Adjust' button; for newer versions, press 'Saute' button twice.)
  • While it's warming up, place 2 tbsp of ghee (or fat of choice, although I do highly recommend ghee with this due to its buttery flavor) in the Instant Pot.
  • Once the unit displays "HOT" on the LED screen, swish around the melted ghee to get an even layer on the floor of the Instant Pot, and place the oxtails inside in an even layer (all bottoms should be touching the floor).
  • Saute the oxtails on one side for 5 minutes. To get an even char, rotate the oxtails 180 degrees about halfway through.
  • Flip the oxtails and repeat on the other side: saute for five minutes and rotate 180 degrees about halfway through.
  • Unplug the Instant Pot (I do this to reset it and change function - I haven't figured out how to change function midway through without unplugging it).
  • Set it to Manual/High Pressure for 50 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of water. Close and allow to cook.
  • Once the oxtails are pressure cooking, make my Crispy Sauteed Purple Sweet Potatoes.

Crispy Sauteed Purple Sweet Potatoes:

  • Skin a purple sweet potato and cut into 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch cubes. For the best char, make sure sweet potatoes have been resting for about a day at room temperature. Note: this recipe calls for 120g (by weight) of purple sweet potatoes. I usually cut an entire sweet potato and put the excess in the fridge for another day. If you don't count carbohydrates, feel free to add more purple potato to your soup if you prefer.
  • Heat up 1/2-1 tbsp of ghee in a pan at medium heat.
  • Once the ghee is hot, throw in the sweet potatoes. Turn the potatoes every couple of minutes to allow each side to get a nice golden brown color.
  • The volume of potatoes you make and the heat of your stove will determine the cooking time. A best practice is to watch them for color to determine when done. They should be golden brown and crispy on the outside, and bright purple and soft on the inside.
  • Salt with sea salt if you like a crunch.
  • Note: if you go through tons of salt in your household like we do, check out this salt purchasing hack that will save you money + make things more efficient. We started this last year, and I'm so happy we did!
  • Transfer to a bowl and set potatoes aside to cool.

Finish it off.

  • Once the potatoes are cooling, chop the cilantro.
  • When the Instant Pot turns off, let it slow release for 10 minutes.
  • Once slow release is complete, vent the pressure cooker. The oxtails are done!
  • Divide the oxtails and broth in two, and place in bowls. Top with 50-60g (by weight) - or more if you don't count carbohydrates - of purple sweet potatoes per bowl. Top with chopped cilantro.
  • Serve, savor, and enjoy!