Indonesian-Style Oxtail Soup (Sop Buntut)

Indonesian-style oxtail soup, or sop buntut, is a clear, warmly spiced beef soup with tender oxtail, potatoes, carrots, and fresh garnishes. The cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg make the broth fragrant without making it heavy, while lime and fried shallots add brightness at the table; recipes vary by cook and region.

Ingredients

3 lb (1.36 kg) meaty oxtail pieces, preferably cut into sections
10 cups (2.4 L) water
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil, such as canola
1 medium yellow onion, about 1 cup (150 g) chopped
4 garlic cloves, about 12 g, finely chopped
1½-inch (4 cm) piece fresh ginger, about 25 g, thinly sliced or lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches (7.5 cm)
4 whole cloves, about 0.5 g
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground nutmeg
1 tsp (2 g) whole black peppercorns, lightly cracked
2 Indonesian salam leaves, about 0.5 g; if unavailable, use 1 small Mediterranean bay leaf
1½ tsp (9 g) fine salt, divided, plus more to taste
2 medium carrots, about 1½ cups (250 g), cut into thick diagonal slices
2 medium waxy potatoes, about 2 cups (400 g), peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
2 celery stalks, about ¾ cup (80 g), sliced
1 medium tomato, about 1 cup (150 g), cut into wedges
⅓ cup (20 g) crisp fried shallots, for serving
½ cup (25 g) thinly sliced scallions, for serving
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
2 tbsp (30 g) sambal oelek or another chili sambal, for serving, optional
1 tbsp (15 ml) kecap manis, for serving, optional

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Chop the onion and garlic, slice the ginger, and cut the vegetables. Keep the carrots, potatoes, celery, and tomato separate because they go into the pot at different times. Have a large heavy pot, tongs, and a slotted spoon ready. The 30-minute prep estimate allows time to do this before cooking.
Blanch and rinse the oxtail. Put the oxtail in the pot and cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes. Foam and residue will rise to the surface. Drain the meat in a colander, discard that water, and rinse the pot and oxtail under cool running water. This short blanch helps keep the finished broth clearer; it is not a substitute for cooking the meat through.
Brown the meat. Dry the pot, set it over medium-high heat, and add the oil. Working in batches if needed to avoid crowding, brown the oxtail on several sides for about 8 minutes total. Transfer the pieces to a plate. Browning adds savory depth, but do not let the oil or browned bits burn.
Cook the aromatics. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, peppercorns, salam leaves, and ½ teaspoon of the salt; stir for 2 minutes, just until fragrant.
Start the broth. Return the oxtail and any juices on the plate to the pot. Pour in the 10 cups of water and bring it to a gentle boil, which should take about 11 minutes. Skim off any fresh foam. Reduce the heat until the liquid barely simmers, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 3 hours. Check occasionally that the broth is not boiling hard; add a little hot water if the oxtail becomes exposed.
Check doneness and tenderness. After the long simmer, the meat should be very tender and beginning to pull away from the bones. Check the thickest meaty portion with a food thermometer, keeping the probe away from bone: USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef. This braise continues well beyond that minimum so the connective tissue softens. If the meat is still firm, simmer another 20 to 30 minutes before adding the vegetables.
Cook the vegetables. Add the carrots and potatoes and simmer gently for 12 minutes. Add the celery and tomato and cook for 8 minutes more, or until the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape. If the meat needed extra time in the previous step, add the vegetables only after it is tender so they do not turn mushy.
Season and serve. Taste the broth and add the remaining salt gradually, then adjust as needed. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and salam or bay leaf if you can find them. Ladle the broth, vegetables, and oxtail into warm bowls. Finish each serving with fried shallots and scallions, and offer lime, sambal, and kecap manis at the table.

Tips

Look for meaty pieces. Oxtail varies in size, and some pieces have much more bone than meat. Ask the butcher for pieces with a good band of meat around the bone, and keep them roughly similar in thickness so they soften at a similar rate. If the pieces are especially large, plan on extra simmering rather than turning up the heat.
Use a gentle simmer. A rolling boil can break the meat apart and make the broth cloudy. Small, steady bubbles are enough. Keep the lid slightly ajar so the liquid reduces slowly, and check the pot every 30 to 45 minutes to make sure it has not boiled dry or become too vigorous.
Know the leaf substitution. Indonesian salam leaves have a mild, distinctive aroma and are not the same as Mediterranean bay leaves. They can be difficult to find outside Indonesian or Southeast Asian shops; one small bay leaf is a practical substitute, though the broth will have a slightly different herbal note. Do not add several bay leaves, which can overwhelm the warm spices.
Make the broth ahead if you like it leaner. After cooking, cool the soup safely and refrigerate it; the fat will firm on the surface and can be lifted off before reheating. Do not remove every bit of fat while the soup is hot, since a modest amount carries flavor and keeps the broth satisfying.

Serving Suggestions

Serve sop buntut hot as a complete meal, with steamed white rice alongside or in a separate bowl. The rice soaks up the aromatic broth without competing with the oxtail. Set out lime wedges, sambal, fried shallots, and scallions so everyone can season their own bowl. A small splash of lime is particularly useful: it cuts through the richness and brings the pepper and ginger into focus. Kecap manis is optional, not essential; a little adds sweet, dark savoriness, while leaving it off keeps the broth cleaner and more savory.

For a fuller Indonesian-style spread, add a simple plate of cucumber and tomato, blanched greens, or a crisp vegetable salad. Keep the sides lightly seasoned because the soup is already rich and the garnishes provide plenty of contrast. If serving the soup as a first course, use smaller bowls and include one or two pieces of oxtail per person; for a main meal, divide the meat and vegetables generously and offer extra rice.

Variations

Oxtail soups are made in different ways across Indonesia and within households, so treat this as one home-style approach rather than a single definitive version. Some cooks roast or deep-fry the oxtail before serving it with broth, while others keep the meat simmered directly in the soup as this recipe does. Roasting the cooked pieces briefly can add browned edges, but it is optional and changes the texture from soft and broth-tender to crisp in spots.

For a more vegetable-forward pot, add 1 cup (150 g) green beans or 1 cup (120 g) shredded cabbage during the last 8 to 10 minutes. For a deeper, darker seasoning at the table, offer kecap manis; it is a sweet Indonesian soy sauce, and regular soy sauce is not an exact substitute because it is saltier and lacks the sweetness. If you cannot find it, leave it out or offer a little soy sauce with a pinch of sugar on the side rather than changing the whole pot. For more heat, serve extra sambal separately instead of increasing it in the broth, which lets everyone choose their own spice level.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover soup within 2 hours of cooking. Divide a large batch among shallow containers so it cools more quickly, and store the meat and broth together or separately in airtight containers. The soup keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The broth may gel when cold because of the oxtail; that is normal, and it will loosen as it warms. If a fat layer forms, lift it off while cold before reheating.

Reheat only the amount you plan to eat, either in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave in a suitable covered container, stirring partway through. Add a splash of water if the broth has reduced or become very gelatinous. Reheated leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C); check the center with a food thermometer, especially when warming a thick portion of meat. Do not reheat the same leftovers repeatedly. For longer storage, freeze portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality, leaving room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Indonesian oxtail soup in a pressure cooker?

Yes. Blanch the oxtail and brown it as directed, then cook it with the aromatics and water under high pressure until tender, following your cooker’s instructions for oxtail and allowing a natural pressure release. Cooking times vary with the size of the pieces and the appliance, so check tenderness before adding vegetables. Simmer the carrots and potatoes in the broth after pressure cooking, then add celery and tomato near the end so they keep their shape.

Why is my oxtail still tough after simmering?

Oxtail needs enough time for its connective tissue to soften, and larger pieces can take longer than the recipe’s three-hour simmer. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer and continue cooking in 20- to 30-minute increments, checking tenderness each time. Raising the heat to a hard boil will not reliably speed up the process and can make the broth cloudy or evaporate too much liquid.

Can I use beef shank instead of oxtail?

Yes. Bone-in beef shank is a useful substitute and gives the soup a similarly rich broth, though the flavor and amount of gelatin will differ. Choose pieces with bone and some connective tissue, and simmer until tender; the exact time depends on their thickness. Boneless stew beef can also work, but it may produce a less full-bodied broth and can become dry if cooked much longer than needed.

How do I keep the soup broth clear?

Blanching and rinsing the oxtail removes some surface residue, and a low, steady simmer prevents the broth from churning. Skim foam when the pot first comes to a boil and again if more rises during cooking. Avoid stirring vigorously, and do not let the soup boil rapidly. A slightly cloudy broth is still flavorful and safe to eat; clarity is mainly a matter of appearance and technique.

Can I prepare the soup a day ahead?

Yes. Cook the soup, cool it promptly in shallow containers, and refrigerate it within 2 hours. The next day, lift off any firm fat if desired and reheat the soup gently until it reaches 165°F (74°C). For the freshest texture, you can also cook the oxtail and broth ahead, then add the vegetables during reheating so the potatoes and carrots do not soften further in storage.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).