Oxtail, Rice and Vegetable Soup

Oxtail, Rice and Vegetable Soup

Food is one of the greatest sources of homesickness for those of us not living in our home-countries or home-states. Even if you love everything else about your new home, you likely still miss some of your favorite foods, that you can only get at ‘home’. The meals that I miss most are Colombian soups. Whenever I’m homesick or not feeling well for some reason, I always crave a traditional Colombian soup. To me, it’s very comforting to eat a warm and hearty bowl of soup and it always hits the spot, making me feel at home.

My grandmother made this Oxtail, Rice and Vegetable Soup when I was growing up, but as a kid I hated soups and certainly didn’t want to eat oxtail! But when Rumba meats invited me to participate in their soup campaign, I decided to make my grandmother’s recipe using oxtails from Rumba meats. This soup is very simple to make, but it requires a couple of hours on the stove, so I recommend having everything ready the day before and start cooking early in the morning.

I served my Oxtail, Rice and Vegetable Soup with avocado and lime wedges. The broth was rich and full of flavor! If you have never tried oxtails, why not try this soup, or my Sancocho de Cola (Oxtail Sancocho)? I think you are going to be surprised just how tasty it is and fall in love with this cut of meat.

Oxtails are a very popular source of meat in Colombian cuisine, but I know here in the United States, they aren’t that popular. Fifteen years ago, when I moved here, it was very hard to find oxtails. The only places I found them were at Latin or Asian markets. But lately, I’m seen them in other traditional American supermarkets in my area. They are great in stews and soups, and need to be cooked for about 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size, but they are worth the wait. The meat is rich, flavorful and very tender. Buen provecho!

Disclosure: This recipe was sponsored by Rumba Meats®, while all photos, recipes, opinions and ideas are my own.

Directions

1. Place 1/4 cup of water, onion, scallion, ground cumin and garlic in the blender and blend until well combined.
2. Remove excess fat from the oxtails. Rinse the oxtail pieces well with cold water. Place in a large pot and cover with the water. Add the onion mixture, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then cover the pot and lower the heat to medium and let it cook for about 2 hours or until the oxtails are tender. Check the water level during cooking and add a more if necessary.
3. Add the carrots, peas and green beans. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the rice and continue simmering for 15 minutes more or until the rice is tender. Add the fresh cilantro and serve.