Oxtail Soup – Hong Kong Style Borscht

This recipe for Hong Kong-style Borscht (Oxtail Soup) uses tomatoes instead of beets for a tangy and hearty version of beef and vegetable stew. With melt-in-your-mouth oxtail and tender beef chuck roast cooked low and slow, it‘s no wonder this is my husband‘s favorite soup!

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. Since our birthdays are just one week apart, we used to go to a nice restaurant in San Francisco to celebrate our birthdays together. After our children were born, we started a new tradition: he prepares my birthday dinner, and a week later I prepare his birthday dinner and we celebrate together with our children.

This year my husband cooked Thomas Keller’s Pork Tenderloin for us, and I cooked his favorite soup, Hong Kong Style Borscht, as per his request.

You might wonder and ask me what “Hong Kong Style” means. According to my husband, this is Chinese-style (precisely Hong Kong-style cafe) Borscht soup. The original Ukrainian Borscht soup uses beetroot as the main ingredient while tomato is the main ingredient for the Hong Kong style.

This soup is my husband’s favorite because his mom used to make it. Besides his mom’s version, it also reminded him of the late-night Hong Kong cafe meals during college since the soup was served complimentary with most meals. As soon as I became his wife, he asked me if I can make Borscht soup. He was asking me who grew up drinking mostly miso soup! Well, I had no idea how to make it and I kept ignoring his wishes for the past few years.

My husband probably got fed up with me ignoring his request so one day he came to me with a recipe in one hand and asked me to make it. I thought I should give it a try and I made the soup. I wasn’t much of a fan of oxtail before this soup but I added it because his mom always included oxtail. Oh boy, I’m so glad I did because it adds a wonderful flavor! The fatty goodness from the oxtail blends into the soup and provides some yummy grease in a predominately vegetable soup.

So that’s the story of my husband’s favorite soup. One time we invited my brother-in-law for having this soup and he really loved it as well. I was happy I could re-create their mom’s favorite soup from their childhood memory. I hope you enjoy this soup because I also fell in love with this soup and so did my children. It’s a family favorite now. Have a great week!

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Oxtail Soup – Hong Kong Style Borscht

4.83 from 47 votes

This recipe for Hong Kong-style Borscht (Oxtail Soup) uses tomatoes instead of beets for a tangy and hearty version of beef and vegetable stew. With melt-in-your-mouth oxtail and tender beef chuck roast cooked low and slow, it‘s no wonder this is my husband‘s favorite soup!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 hours hrs

Total Time: 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1.2 lbs oxtails (4–5 pieces)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for searing the stew beef)
• ▢ 1.2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast (patted dry before searing; I recommend chuck roast for its tenderness and higher quality; you can use stew beef, but it‘s not as tender)
• ▢ 1½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for cooking the vegetables)
• ▢ 2 onions (sliced)
• ▢ 7 ribs celery (chopped into small pieces)
• ▢ 2–3 carrots (peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces)
• ▢ 4 tomatoes (cut into wedges)
• ▢ ¼ head green cabbage (chopped; about 3 cups)
• ▢ 8 cups beef stock/broth
• ▢ 1 can tomato paste (6 oz, 120 g)
• ▢ 2 russet potatoes (peeled and cut into small cubes)

For Seasonings A

• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 Tbsp dried basil (or 2 Tbsp fresh basil)
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper

For Seasonings B

• ▢ 3 Tbsp brown sugar (packed)
• ▢ 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• ▢ 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

To Prepare the Oxtails

• Trim and discard any excess fat attached to the oxtail pieces. Soak 1.2 lbs oxtails in cold water for 1 hour, changing the water a few times. Transfer the oxtail to a large pot of water, bring to a boil, and lower the heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to remove the foam and scum. Set aside. Tip: Soaking and blanching the oxtail before cooking will remove any blood and impurities.

To Sear the Chuck Roast

• In a large heavy-bottom pot (you will need a 6.75 to 8 QT pot), heat 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat and sear the surface of 1.2 lbs boneless beef chuck roast. Once seared, transfer to a plate and set aside. Tip: This step will enhance the savory flavor.

To Cook the Soup

• In the same pot, heat 1½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil on medium heat and sauté 2 onions (sliced) and 7 ribs celery (chopped) until they are tender.
• Add the seared chuck roast (or stew beef), 2–3 carrots (peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces), ¼ head green cabbage (chopped), 4 tomatoes (cut into wedges), 8 cups beef stock/broth, and 1 can tomato paste and bring it to a boil.
• Add the oxtails. Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. With a fine-mesh sieve, skim off the scum and foam on the soup’s surface. This step can be tedious but it’s the key to a clean taste when you drink the soup.
• Add Seasonings A: 2 bay leaves, 1 Tbsp dried basil, 1 tsp paprika, and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low or low. Cover and simmer (not boiling) for at least 3–4 hours, or until meat comes off from oxtail bones and becomes tender.
• Add 2 russet potatoes (peeled and cubed) and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in Seasonings B: 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar, and 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Mix well. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Enjoy!

To Remove Fat from the Soup (optional)

• After making the soup, refrigerate it for at least five hours or overnight. The fat will harden and float to the top, where you can skim it off with a spoon or skimmer. Another "hack" I saw online was to hold a stainless steel ladle filled with ice cubes over the soup to attract the grease. The ladle works like a magnet and you just keep wiping off solidified grease on the lade with paper towel.

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container or in the pot and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. Remove the potatoes as their texture changes when frozen.

Notes

The recipe is adapted from a food blog, Lulu at Home (but no longer exist).

Nutrition

Calories: 544 kcal · Carbohydrates: 39 g · Protein: 56 g · Fat: 19 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g · Cholesterol: 163 mg · Sodium: 1060 mg · Potassium: 1489 mg · Fiber: 6 g · Sugar: 16 g · Vitamin A: 4929 IU · Vitamin C: 40 mg · Calcium: 132 mg · Iron: 8 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: beef, oxtail, tomato, vegetable

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