FROM OUR KITCHEN
Oxtail, mushroom and dumpling soup

Prep time15 min
Cook time225 min
Total time240 min
Servings4
01
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg oxtail, cut into 3cm pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 small brown onions, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary + 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 1 L (4 cups) salt-reduced beef stock
- 200 g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
- 1 ½ cups (200g) self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 Pinch of cloves
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
To serve
- 1 Chopped parsley
- 1 Finely grated lemon zest
- 1 Crusty bread
02
Step-by-step method
- 01Heat half the oil in a large heavy based saucepan or casserole dish over medium-heat. Add the oxtail and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning, in batches if necessary, until browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining oil, garlic, onions, carrot and celery to the pan, and cook for a further 8 to 10 minutes until softened. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Return oxtail to the pan, add herbs, stock and 4 cups water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 3 hours, or until meat is falling off the bone, adding extra water if needed during the cooking process. Skim fat from the top of the soup during cooking. Season. Stir through mushrooms.
- 02For the dumplings, combine the flour, chopped rosemary, parmesan, cloves and salt in a large bowl. Pour in eggs and stir to combine. Gently knead dough for 1 minute, adding a little water if required, then roll mixture into heaped teaspoon sized balls. Add balls to the soup, cover with a lid and gently simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until dumplings double in size.
- 03Serve soup sprinkled with parsley and lemon zest with crusty bread on the side.
03
Chef's tips
- Use any combination of mushrooms in the soup you like – for an Asian twist, use Asian mushrooms and use coriander instead of rosemary in the dumplings.
- For a healthier dumpling, you can use wholemeal self-raising flour.
- Ask your butcher for nice plump pieces of oxtail to maximise the meat in the soup.