Hawaiian Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Oxtail Soup
Collagen-rich oxtail simmered for hours in a clear, deeply savory broth with ginger, peanuts, and orange peel — Hawaii's ultimate restorative Sunday soup.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- One-pot
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners30-minute meals
Instructions
7 steps- 1
Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the oxtail pieces for 5 minutes to remove impurities, then drain and rinse off any scum.
- 2
Return the oxtail to a clean pot with the 10 cups of fresh water, ginger, garlic, star anise, and dried orange peel.
- 3
Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce to a low simmer.
- 4
Add the raw peanuts and simmer, partially covered, for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the oxtail is fork-tender and the broth has turned rich and clear.
- 5
Skim excess fat off the surface periodically as the soup cooks, since oxtail renders a good amount.
- 6
Season with fish sauce to taste, remembering the broth should taste clean and savory rather than salty.
- 7
Add the mustard cabbage in the last 5 minutes so it wilts without overcooking, then ladle into bowls and top with green onions and cilantro.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
57/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving710
Calories
67 g
Protein
8 g
Carbs
46 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Hawaiian oxtail soup shows off the islands' Chinese-immigrant influence, built on a star-anise-and-ginger broth similar to Cantonese oxtail preparations, but distinguished locally by the addition of raw peanuts simmered directly in the broth until soft — a detail that isn't part of the mainland-Chinese version and makes this specifically the Hawaiian plate-lunch-counter take.
Listahan note
This version parboils and rinses the oxtail first for a clean, clear broth, then simmers everything — including the peanuts — low and slow until both the meat and the peanuts turn tender.
Technique cues
- Parboil and rinse the oxtail before the real simmer starts — this step is what gives the finished broth its clarity instead of a cloudy, scummy stock.
- Skim the broth diligently throughout the 3+ hour simmer for a clean, light-bodied result rather than a greasy one.
- Simmer until the peanuts are fully soft, not just the meat — undercooked peanuts stay firm and starchy instead of melting into the broth's texture.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Prep the ginger, star anise, and orange peel while the oxtail does its initial parboil, so everything is ready for the real simmer.
- Make-ahead
- Best made a day ahead so it can chill and let you lift off the solidified fat before reheating to a clean, less greasy broth.
- Leftover move
- Reheat gently to a simmer; do not boil hard, which can toughen the oxtail meat that has already gone tender.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Skim and discard foam into a separate bowl as you go rather than at the end, so cleanup at the finish is minimal.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
3 lbs oxtail, cut into segments
Main protein
Purpose: Oxtail is deeply collagen-rich, which is what gives this broth its body and richness after hours of simmering — a leaner cut would never produce the same silky broth.
Handling: Parboil for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse well before the real simmer, to remove surface impurities that would otherwise cloud the broth.
Adaptation: Beef short ribs or shank both work as a substitute, adjusting simmer time since they have less connective tissue than oxtail.
1/2 cup raw peanuts
Distinctive texture, a real allergen to flag
Purpose: This is the ingredient that most distinguishes Hawaiian oxtail soup from other regional versions — the peanuts simmer for hours until soft, becoming almost like a bean in the finished bowl. This recipe genuinely contains peanuts, not a peanut-adjacent flavoring, and must be treated as a peanut-allergen dish.
Handling: Add raw, directly to the simmering broth — they need the full multi-hour cook time to soften properly.
Adaptation: Chickpeas give a similar soft bite without the peanut allergen, or the dish can be made without any legume at all.
3 star anise pods
Aromatic backbone
Purpose: Star anise is the defining spice note in this broth, giving it the same warm, licorice-adjacent aroma found in Cantonese oxtail and beef noodle soups.
Handling: Add whole to the simmering broth along with the ginger and orange peel.
Adaptation: A small pinch of five-spice powder can stand in if whole star anise pods are unavailable, though the flavor will be less clean.
3-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
Aromatic base
Purpose: Ginger cuts the richness of the oxtail and rounds out the star anise, a common pairing across many long-simmered Asian broths.
Handling: Slice into thick coins so they are easy to fish out or leave in for serving.
Adaptation: No good substitute for fresh ginger’s brightness; ground ginger will muddy the clear broth.
2 strips dried orange peel
Aromatic depth
Purpose: Dried orange peel adds a subtle citrus-bitter note in the background of the broth, a classic addition in Cantonese-style long-braised dishes.
Handling: Add whole to the pot along with the other aromatics.
Adaptation: A strip of fresh orange zest works, using slightly less to avoid a sharper bitterness than the dried version.
Technique notes
- Parboil and rinse the oxtail first—this step is what gives the broth its signature clarity.
- Skim diligently throughout the simmer for a clean, light-bodied broth rather than a greasy one.
- Make it a day ahead so you can chill it, lift off the solidified fat, and reheat to perfection.
Ingredient swaps
- raw peanuts
- chickpeas, or omit entirely — peanut is a legume allergen; chickpeas keep a similar soft bite peanut-free
- oxtail
- beef short ribs or shank — still collagen-rich beef; adjust simmer time
- dried orange peel
- a strip of fresh orange zest, using a touch less to avoid bitterness
Serve alongside
- Steamed white rice
- Ginger-scallion oil
- Pickled mustard greens
- Hot tea
- Iced tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months; chill to skim the fat, then reheat to a gentle simmer before serving.
- Do not boil hard when reheating — gentle heat keeps the oxtail meat tender.
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Fine skimmer
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