Name: Sop Buntut (Indonesian Oxtail Soup)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 500 g Oxtail, trimmed of excess fat; 5 cup Water, for broth; 1 Potato, cut into chunks; 1 Carrot, cut into thick rounds; 1 Celery, sliced; 1 Tomato, cut into wedges; 4 clove Garlic, minced; 3 Shallots, thinly sliced; ¼ tsp Nutmeg Powder, for warm aroma; 2 Cloves, whole; ½ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil, for frying aromatics; 1 tsp Salt, adjust to taste; ¼ cup Spring Onion Greens, sliced; 2 tbsp Fried Shallots, for garnish; ½ Lemon, cut into wedges

2 hr 20 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 2 hr

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Mild

Add to your week

Method

Place the oxtail in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Skim off foam from the surface for a cleaner broth.
Lower the heat and simmer until the oxtail begins to turn tender.
In a small pan, heat the measured cooking oil and fry the shallots and garlic until fragrant and lightly golden.
Add the fried aromatics to the soup with cloves, nutmeg powder, black pepper, and salt.
Add the potato and carrot. Continue simmering until the oxtail is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Add celery and tomato near the end so they stay fresh and bright.
Serve hot with spring onion greens, fried shallots, and lemon wedges.

How to tell it's done

The oxtail should be tender enough to pull from the bone, and the broth should be clear, savory, and lightly aromatic.

Getting it right

Tip

Skimming the broth early keeps sop buntut clear and gives it a cleaner restaurant-style finish.

What to serve it with

Serve with steamed rice, lemon wedges, and extra fried shallots.

Common mistakes

The broth turns greasy or cloudy.: Trim excess fat, skim the first boil well, and keep the simmer gentle until the oxtail is tender.

Substitutions

Use beef shank if oxtail is unavailable, but the broth will be less gelatin-rich.
Cook longer if the oxtail is still chewy; tenderness matters more than the exact time.
Use whole nutmeg freshly grated if available, but reduce the amount slightly because it is stronger.
For a clearer soup, chill and remove excess fat from the broth before reheating.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate oxtail soup for up to 4 days. Chill and lift off excess fat before reheating; freeze broth and oxtail for up to 2 months without the vegetables.

Bakso (Indonesian Meatball Noodle Soup)

Bakso is an Indonesian meatball noodle soup with bouncy beef meatballs, egg noodles, clear broth, bean sprouts, cabbage, fried shallots, and sweet soy.

40 minnon vegetarian

Beef Rendang

Beef rendang slowly cooks beef chuck with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, candlenuts, makrut lime leaves, and a dark spice paste.

2 hr 10 minnon vegetarian

Bubur Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Rice Porridge)

Bubur ayam is Indonesian chicken rice porridge with shredded chicken, boiled egg, bean sprouts, spring onion, fried shallots, and sweet soy sauce.

1 hr 10 minnon vegetarian

Ikan Bakar Bali (Balinese Grilled Fish)

Ikan bakar Bali grills firm white fish with cooked Balinese spice paste, shrimp paste, sweet soy glaze, makrut lime, and lemon.

1 hr 5 minpescatarian

Rawon (Javanese Black Beef Soup)

Rawon is a Javanese black beef soup with keluak, beef chuck, galangal, lemongrass, daun salam, tamarind, palm sugar, and bean sprouts.

1 hr 55 minnon vegetarian

Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Turmeric Soup)

Soto ayam is Indonesian turmeric chicken soup with golden broth, rice vermicelli, shredded chicken, egg, bean sprouts, cabbage, herbs, and lemon.

1 hr 5 minnon vegetarian

Ingredients