This Caribbean oxtail soup is the ultimate comfort dish, bursting with rich flavor. Roasting the oxtail bones and vegetables in the oven first intensifies the broth, then simmering for hours until the meat falls off the bones. Yellow split peas, roasted pumpkin, carrots and a variety of ground provisions create body and sweetness, finished with fresh spinach and hand-rolled dumplings called spinners.
High-protein
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Adapted from a video by caribbeanpot
Ultimate comfort food - The best oxtail soup recipe you'll ever taste! | CaribbeanPot.com
oxtailAsk your butcher to cut into pieces; washed with lemon juice and cool water, then patted dry3 lb
sea saltfor roasting tray seasoning~1 tspest.
fresh ground black pepper~½ tspest.
olive oil~4 tbspest.
pumpkinany winter squash works; roasted with olive oil2½ lb
carrotroasted2 large
hot waterfor scraping roasting pan to release flavors
½ cup
medium oniondiced1
garlic clove8
fresh thyme~3 sprigsest.
scallion~2 stalksest.
yellow split peawashed1 cup
Caribbean green seasoningherb, garlic and pepper blend1 tbsp
Scotch bonnet pepperwhole; break during cooking if you want more heat1
coconut creamor use 1 cup coconut milk as alternative2 tbsp
sweet potatocut into large pieces~1 mediumest.
regular potatocut into large pieces~2 mediumest.
tomato paste1 tbsp
okracut into small pieces about 1 inch long~1 cupest.
baby spinachwashed~2 cupsest.
all-purpose flourfor making spinners dumplings1½ cups
saltfor dumpling dough¼ tsp
brown sugarfor dumpling dough1 tsp
waterfor dumpling dough and soup~8 cupsest.
Steps
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1
Prepare 3 lb oxtail pieces (have your butcher cut them), wash with lemon juice and cool water, drain and pat dry thoroughly.
2
Place oxtail on a roasting tray, season with sea salt and black pepper, coat with olive oil and mix well. Lightly cover with foil and roast in a 350°F oven for about 1 hour.
3
At the same time, roast about 2.5 lb pumpkin and 2 large carrots on a separate tray with just olive oil (no salt or pepper) to bring out their natural sweetness. Roast at 350°F for about 1 hour.
4
After roasting, add 1/2 cup hot water to the oxtail tray and scrape up all the flavorful browned bits from the bottom.
5
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add diced medium onion, 8 garlic cloves, fresh thyme, scallion and black pepper. Reduce to low heat and let soften slowly, releasing flavors, for about 4 minutes.
6
Turn heat back to medium-high, add the roasted oxtail with bones and all the scraped flavors from the pan.
7
Add 1 cup washed yellow split peas and hot water to make soup. Stir in 1 tbsp Caribbean green seasoning.
8
Add 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper and bring to a boil. Let simmer at a rolling boil for about 1 hour.
9
After cooling the roasted pumpkin and carrots, cut them into smaller pieces and add to the soup after 1 hour of boiling. Scrape down and add any sweet roasted bits.
10
Add 2 tbsp coconut cream (or 1 cup coconut milk) and stir well. Continue boiling for another 30 minutes.
11
After 30 minutes, break up the Scotch bonnet pepper if you want more heat. Add sweet potato and regular potato cut into large pieces. Add more water if needed.
12
Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and okra cut into about 1-inch pieces. Add a little more water, stir everything down and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes and okra are fully tender.
13
Add washed baby spinach and gently fold in. Be gentle as the soup has been cooking for a long time to keep the vegetables intact.
14
Make spinners dumplings: mix 1.5 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp brown sugar. Add water to form a dough and let rest 5-10 minutes.
15
Pinch off pieces of dough and roll each in your hand into a long cigarette or small cigar shape, then add to the soup.
16
Cook for about 6 minutes until dumplings float to the top. Taste the soup for salt and adjust as needed. Cook another 3-4 minutes to ensure dumplings are fully cooked.
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