MAKES: 10 servings
PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 5 hours
Oxtail is my favorite cut of beef, and in this herb-infused, cool-weather soup, it’s cooked slowly until it’s so tender it falls off the bone. Paired with low-starch vegetables like rutabaga, leeks, and celery, it’s an elegant, keto-friendly treat.
Ingredients
BOUQUET GARNI:
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
SOUP:
1/4 cup (55 g/1.9 oz) ghee or other healthy cooking fat
31/2 pounds (1.6 kg) bone-in oxtails, will yield about 50% meat
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
Ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
8 cups (1.9 L) water
1 medium (400 g/14.1 oz) rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
14.1 ounces (400 g) canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups (200 g/7.1 oz) green beans, chopped
2 medium (180 g/6.3 oz) leeks, sliced
2 medium (80 g/2.8 oz) celery stalks, sliced
Instructions
Make the bouquet garni by placing all the herbs in a piece of cheesecloth and tying with unwaxed kitchen string. This will make it easy to remove once cooked.
Heat a large pot greased with ghee over medium-high heat. Pat dry the oxtails with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the oxtails in the pot and brown on all sides for about 10 minutes. Transfer the browned oxtails to a preheated slow cooker and add the bouquet garni, cloves, lemon juice, and water. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Add the rutabaga, tomatoes, green beans, leeks, and celery stalks in the last 2 hours of the cooking process. Once cooked, shred the meat off the bones and place it back in the soup. Discard the bones or keep them for making a batch of bone broth. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. To store, let it cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING (ABOUT 11/2 CUPS/360 ML):
Total carbs: 9.5 g / Fiber: 2.4 g / Net carbs: 7.1 g / Protein: 26.2 g / Fat: 17.2 g / Energy: 301 kcal
Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (10%), protein (36%), fat (54%)
