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If I were a poet, I would write a poem about ramen. One of my greatest dreams is to stay in Japan for an extended period of time and apprentice with a ramen master and learn everything there is to know about making good ramen – the broth, the noodles, and everything else. What does ramen boil down to? For me, it’s the broth. I could serenade about noodle too, but today, let’s talk about broth. The key to every hearty ramen, porridge, or soup in general, is the broth. I keep using ramen as an example because of how much I love it, so bear with me – the first bite I take when digging into a bowl of ramen is not the noodles but rather a slurping of broth. Without a flavor-packed, intense broth, ramen is meaningless. I think this translates to soups in general – noodle soup absolutely needs a good stock as a base. What do you do when you have leftover turkey? Make stock. This recipe I am sharing today is all about the oxtail bone broth (plus, giveaway!! Scroll down for details).jpg)
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This soup was actually a request from my husband. He had this soup growing up, and when I first mentioned wanting to make oxtail soup (we’d just found oxtail in the Chinese supermarket near us!), he immediately exclaimed that I had to achieve that milky white broth, otherwise it’s WRONG. Jeez, husband, I didn’t even start making it at that point! He has this habit of spooning up soup over rice, kind of like a porridge. I used to hate this method of eating rice, but recently, I’ve found it to be quite comforting. Last winter, I was at home in California, and I asked my mom, how do you make oxtail soup? In the way of a mother, she just continued cooking and the other million of tasks she can do at the same time, and distractedly said, Oh, oxtail soup? Just cook it for a really, really long time. A long time. That’s why I don’t make it much (all in mandarin, of course). When the temperature suddenly dips below 30 and the wind shrieks and pushes, all I want to do is curl up with good, steamy bowl of hearty broth. This oxtail-leek soup is both inspired by a dish I had at Fore St in Maine last week with the most amazing whole cod swimming in a leek-y sauce, and the famous korean oxtail soup. I immediately consulted my friend Bomin (who was also an invaluable resource for kimchi at home), and the method is basically just boil until it becomes milky white! This soup does take awhile to make due to the amount of time the bones cook, but it’s worth it – a milky white oxtail soup. Served over rice, in a true and comforting fashion. Shredded oxtail mixed with scallions, garlic, and (if you want spicy) gochugaru. Radishes, soft but not falling apart. All mixed together. Top with kimchi and more scallions. A perfect winter bowl.
The very first step is to soak the bones for a good two hours. This draws out the blood – see the difference.
Then, after the first 4 hours of boiling, remove the broth in a large bowl. Fill the pot with water again, and then keep boiling the bones. You will end up with a creamy white broth!! This is added back to the original broth to create a lovely, opaque creamy broth. When the meat falls off the bone, collect it and save it – then toss with garlic, soy sauce, scallions, and (optional) gochugaru!I did half/half – half became spicy, and half was just tossed with soy sauce, garlic, and scallion. Alex prefers non spicy (“pure oxtail broth, Betty!”) but I love gochugaru.
Also, aren’t these bowls from my lovely friend Zaira beautiful? It’s so not fair that she’s talented in photography, writing, cooking, and raku pottery!!! The raku bowls perfectly embody what I see in life – how imperfections are welcome, how beauty is not perfect… go visit her site, read her writing, and I promise you, you’ll fall in love with her.
The holidays are a complex time. Last week, I asked you to share with me what your plans were for Thanksgiving, and I read through each and every one, empathizing with you. I almost felt like I could be sitting down with you at your Thanksgiving table! Some of you were hosting for the first time, some had to work, a lucky few had two dinners to attend (jealous!), and others shared some personal moments that really humbled me. I want to take some time to acknowledge that the holidays are not always an easy, festive time. Often on social media, holidays are portrayed as happy, bright, cheerful, festive, and that’s all it is. Ornaments, Christmas cheer, and the carefully curated feed of what’s only been styled and prepared to show that festivity. I get it – it’s a public feed, and like it or not, social media is often used as a marketing path to demonstrate brand and style. In this post, I’d like to acknowledge that the holidays are not always festivities. It’s easy to pretend that December is all about chocolate, cider, and cookies, but underneath that sheen, who knows? I can’t speak to anyone’s situation other than myself, but for me, while I may be posting pretty moments on Instagram, I’m suffering through an emotional tug of war, because someone who is supposed to be a part of our family wrote a scathing comment on her Facebook page around this time last year demeaning my wedding (attacking every one of my decisions), and refused to acknowledge or apologize. Because of that, part of our family dynamic has since been awkward and bitter, and she refuses to participate in any familial celebration. I’m sorry it’s so vague (still getting used to the private-public line… >< ), but I just wanted to share that.
There’s more to the holidays than twinkly lights and festive treats. In fact, behind the scenes of le jus d’orange, I’m actually running around cross eyed, desperately cramming anatomy terms in my head, and cursing myself for taking on too many projects. After reading through your comments last week, I wanted to share some more personal, more real moments with you. To those of you who shared with me last week, thank you. I really appreciated it, and your comments have motivated me to share more of what’s going on, really, in my life with you.
GIVEAWAY
I’m giving away a special item that I trust and use every week, starting off with last week’s Finex giveaway. This week, I’m teaming up with Staub to give away one of their signature 5.5QT Round Cocottes!!!! I’ve used their pots/pans for quite some time now (see here, here, and here) and I can say, without a doubt, that their products are superb. High quality, easy to clean, easy to work with. This cocotte (and my shallow round cocotte) is one of my favorite kitchen tools. Proof bread? Gotcha. Braise meat? No problem. Make soup? Well yeah – that’s what this post is about! When I went to Maine, actually, for Thanksgiving, I brought one of my Staub pans! I’m pretty obsessed. Plus, they’re easy on the eye. US residents only, sorry international friends! To enter, simply leave a comment telling me what your favorite soup is, and fill in the widget below! Bonus points for following Staub and me on Instagram, and liking my page on FB!
Note: This giveaway is sponsored by Staub!!!!! All opinions expressed here are purely my own. I’m over the moon to be giving away one of these cocottes! They’re a CLASSIC!
Some notes:
- You can omit the leeks, but feel free to add any other allium you want for a little extra flavor – garlic, white onions, etc. I like to add at least one type of allium to help with the gamey smell/taste.
- Two very important steps are to soak the bones for at least 2 hours, and to keep the bones at a moderate boil, not a simmer. The soaking helps draw all the blood out (see photos above). Without the excess blood, the broth has an opportunity boil to that white, milky broth you want. Simmering is keeping the water below the boiling point, but we want to really draw all the minerals and marrow out of the oxtail bones. Adjust heat as you wish but make sure that under the lid, the soup is actually boiling. It doesn’t have to be a fast, rolling boil, but it should be moderately boiling.
- I know some recipes, like the traditional Korean ox-bone soup by Korean food expert Maangchi, add beef flank or another cut, but I keep it simple and just use oxtail bones. The meat that falls off the oxtail is just delicious, and enough for me!
- This recipe is hard to mess up. Simply boil, boil, and keep boiling. Don’t forget to refrigerate the soup after the final boil. This allows the fat to separate out from the soup and float in a solid layer, to be removed later, leaving behind a clean, milky broth!
- Because this is literally the base broth, you can do so much with it. I added leeks, and then seasoned simply with salt and pepper (or gochugaru-coated oxtail meat, if desired), and that was all the soup needed. I have a lot of leftover broth, though, so I’m excited to play around with it. I’m thinking it can be an amazing base for noodles and sauces!
- If you have a large enough stock pot you can directly add water to the broth, but my handy dandy cocotte is the perfect size of my tiny Boston apartment kitchen, so I decided to use the collecting method, which worked well!
- The point of this recipe isn’t to direct you to make it exactly as I say, but to show you how you can persuade a really hearty, intense broth from a few pounds of oxtail!
RECIPE: Oxtail and Leek Soup
3 lb oxtail bones, fat trimmed
2 slices fresh ginger
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 large daikon, peeled and cut into slices
2 leeks, white and pale green parts cut into rough rounds
waterto serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp ground gochugaru chili flakes,
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
5-6 stalks scallion, finely chopped, for mixing and to top
fresh kimchi
white rice
Soak oxtail in water for at least two hours, until all the blood seeps out of the bone. Drain. Place oxtail, 2 slices ginger, 2 tbsp shaoxing wine, and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then drain.
Add oxtail and ginger back in a new pot of cold water, making sure to cover bones completely. Add leek rounds. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and continue boiling for for 3-4 hours, adding more water if necessary. A moderate boil (not a simmer) should be continuous throughout the cooking period.
At the 3 hour mark, add in daikon slices and continue boiling for another 45 minutes. Check to see if the daikon is soft but. Turn off leat and remove daikon. Set aside and refrigerate. If the beef has started to fall off the bones, set that aside and reserve too (or, keep simmering! At this point the beef will be tender enough, but Alex actually likes it even MORE tender – it’s up to you!)
At this point, we’ll be further teasing the bone marrow out of the bones. Remove broth and set aside in a large bowl. Cover bones in pot with water and bring to a rolling boil and keep at that moderate boil for another 3 hours. Remove from heat and pour broth into that same bowl of reserved broth. Repeat the process – the broth should become creamy and white. I keep the bones in the broth, but you can remove it at this point if desired.
Reserve any meat that fell off the bones in a separate bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight. This allows the fat to solidify and float to the top.
Remove fat in the morning. Pour back into a pan and reheat (including remaining bones). Meanwhile, make rice. Mix beef with garlic, scallions, soy sauce, and gochugaru, if using.
Divide rice into bowls. Ladle oxtail broth over rice. Serve with beef, radish, fresh scallions, and whatever else you want!
Does Pho count as soup? Because if it does, that’s my choice… hands down! This oxtail soup looks like it would be right up my alley though.
I have a soft spot for wonton soup although broccoli and cheese comes in at a close second. And I second the thought that this oxtail soup looks delicious.
Oh my! Betty,I couldn’t wish for a more wonderful post for to see my raku bowl, all this it’s so amazing! What a shame don’t be US resident!!!! The cocotte est magnifique!<3
Man, my mom’s oxtail soup has always been one of my favorites. A good butternut squash soup is also a must around the holidays!
I love my mom’s chicken soup made from chicken bones, celery, carrots, and onions with white wine 🙂
French Onion soup is my all-time favorite soup. My mouth is watering right now at the thought of it!
My all time favorite is my dad’s homemade chicken soup! An insane amount of umami! I love all kinds of vegetable soup as well. 🙂
oh man, my favorite soup is classic egg drop soup. it makes me think of so many good childhood memories!
This soup looks like a contender, but one of my favorites is taiwanese style beef noodle soup.
I’m with you! Ramen and miso soup are just the most comforting when you need a pick-me-up.
God that’s a hard question, but… recently I’m very into minestrone.
Wow Betty. . .this soup looks absolutely divine. I’ll take my bowl with a whole heap of spice. As for my favorite soup. . .a simple bowl of tomato, basil soup always warms my heart but when I am feeling more on the exotic side. . .I won’t turn down a bowl of Chicken Khao Soi.
BTW. . .I’m sorry to hear about the drama your family is currently going through. Here’s to hoping that all takes a turn for the better and you suddenly start seeing a bit more twinkle in your days.
I love a classic cheddar potato soup. Extremely filling and keeps me warm for at least an hour.
My favorite soup is my mom’s hot and sour soup! Reminds me of home c:
Mmm, my favourite soup is hot borscht with tonnes of beets and cabbage!
Betty, this post is amazing. That video is so beautiful as is all of the photography. It’s funny to hear you compliment your friend for having the kind of talents that you yourself embody. Are you in medical school? Your past few posts made me think that you are, but I can’t imagine that it’s possible to be a photographer, have a blog that’s tended to with this much attention and so beautiful and also be in med school. I can only imagine how busy you must be. I actually just wrote a post on how the holiday season is tough. I love family, but I’m no stranger to awkward riffs within very close family. Oxtail soup is one of my favorites! I made oxtail bahn mi last year for holiday cheer and used Maangchi as a guide. But this soup is just gorgeous. I try to go to korea town as often as I can when the winter gets cold. I like making all sorts of stews in the winter, but this is just beautiful. My favorite these days is probably my cozido de grao. It’s a meat-filled peasant stew from Portugal. Yum! Be well. Focus on the things you love and that bring you joy. My family has not always been supportive of my decisions and my marriage and you just have to trust that you know what’s best for yourself and that your family’s concern may be misplaced due to whatever she’s going through. Don’t let it get you down.
My favorite soup at the moment is soft tofu stew!
Wonderful post!
Hi, one of my favorite soups is 7 Lily Soup…can’t wait to make this soup again in my 5,5 qt Staub “La Cocotte” French Oven. have a great day
French onion all the way!
Definitely my dad’s homemade pork bone soup. (My parents also respond the same way when I ask them how to cook something, hah.)
I also love the warm feel of the bowls + the color palette combined with the soup! Also thanks for sharing a little more as well – nothing like the holiday season to remind us of both the trials and joys of family.
My favorite soup is my dads homemade tomatoe soup. Made every year from the tomatoes in our garden. It’s the best!
Oh Betty, you have me dreaming about Korean oxtail soup! It is my absolute favorite because of my grandmother who passed away 18 years ago. When I was a child living in the suburbs of Chicago, my grandmother lived in the city. Whenever she heard I was ill, she would make me this soup and bring it with her on the public bus, often taking 3 hours and walking 1 1/2 miles from the bus stop in the harsh weather to our house because both my parents worked. She would arrive with stainless pots bundled in cloth along with all kinds of kimchi to stir my appetite. The soup, which is high in gelatin which boosts immunity, along with her love would heal me. Thank you for sharing your family struggles. Sometimes the portrayal of perfect lives on social media can make us feel disconnected. When you show your humanity, you find out that there are complete strangers out there who do care and appreciate you, making these endeavors more meaningful. I’ve had similar family issues with the loss of my father last October, and I don’t know what it is about weddings and funerals that can bring out the worst of certain family members! Sometimes you have to circle the wagons a bit with the ones that know and love you, especially your husband, and not let these bitter people get to you. Wishing you renewed strength and lots of love this holiday season.
I love Thai chicken coconut soup!! Yum!
Since it’s been cold, I’ve been making lots of ramen soups the past few months. So far I’ve made sapporo and tonkotsu style.
STUNNING post, lady! I’m sending this to my mom because she’s a huge oxtail soup fan!!
I’ve never had oxtail soup but I share your husbands love of authentic food. I am always searching to eat with people who have a love of tradition and passing down recipes. The food you get to experience from these sorts of Chefs and home cooks is always incredible. Your Japanese ramen apprenticeship sounds like a dream! I would love to do something like that too. For my favorite soup – any soup my mother makes. She understands the importance of a good broth! Happy weekend.
Gorgeous!!!! My fave soup is potato leek. And tomato bean. And squash w chard. Ahhhh. (I love soup.)
my favorite soup probably cream of mushroom or clam chowder, i really enjoy thick creamy soups in general! wonderful post by the way, and a wonderful instagram as well.
This is maybe just a little lame, but my favorite soup is my college’s butternut squash soup 🙂 I think it was a case of greater lows creating greater highs, but their soup was seriously addicting. Also, I have to say your photography is always on point – those translucent white daikons are just beautiful.
My favorite soup would have to be pho. We cook it for hours until the broth becomes flavorful and just the way I grew up with. My other favorite would have to be my mom’s coconut kabocha soup that I use as a base recipe for a lot of other squash soups. You’re so right about the holidays not always about ornaments, wreaths, and Christmas cheer. My sister passed away a few years ago and we miss her even more during the holidays. Even though that void is supposed to disappear with time, it doesn’t get any easier. People often forget that each of us have our own internal struggle and we often don’t share for fear of bringing down other people. Even though the so called relative wasn’t kind, did you talk to that person and see where all the negativity was coming on? In my line of work, I see death daily and is a witness to the fact that life is short and unpredictable to carry that kind of burden around. I hope you find some time to talk to that person and at the end of the day know that you tried your best even if that person didn’t respond as you hoped. Betty, I hope things work out between you and your relative.
my favorite soup is regular old chicken soup – specifically the one my grandmother used to make in a staub much like this one. It was always the thing that made me feel better when I was sad or lost. It always reminded me that I was home and I was loved. It’s my favorite soup, not only for the taste – but as a sweet reminder of all the times I spent sitting with my grandmother eating it.
My favorite soup in those cold days in winter is onion soup with tons of Emmental cheese on top!!!
Oh my word, Betty! This would surely be the first soup I would make if I won this absolutely lovely Staub Cocette! I have always dreamed of owning a piece of Staub for my kitchen! Aside from your amazing looking recipe, I always love a pot of soup with sausage, white beans and greens.
Cheers,
Maureen
My favorite soup is French onion.
My dad’s Russian soup– beef broth jazzed up with loads of tomato and root veggies.. Yum!
oh my goodness. i cannot get over how beautiful your soup is. (aside from how great the photography is). my favorite soup is a chicken quinoa soup with lots of big veggies and spinach. or a creamy potato leek soup 🙂 thanks for sharing the recipe!
I love soup, so many choices but my favorite will have to be broccoli cheddar!
I love Chinese borscht! So good!
I love ALL SOUP, 😉 but my favorite is spicy chicken tortilla soup! I can’t wait to try this beautiful oxtail soup at home. Thanks for sharing it!
Betty!! This is literally in the top 3 favorite soup list!!!! I make this sometimes too, but it never comes out like my mom’s….with a generous scoop of rice and kimchi this is literally one of the most satisfying dishes for me. 😀 Way to go, it looks like it came from a restaurant!
Looks amazing! My favourite soup is a classic creamy wild rice and turkey.
I could live on soup and make it a few times a month. The last few recipes I tried were disappointing, so I keep going back to my favorite healthy recipe from Ellie Krieger, “Tuscan Vegetable Soup.” I double the amount of beans she lists (the recipe can be found online).
OMG!! I just found your site today — your video and photography is just beautiful!! I can’t wait to make your Oxtail soup. My favorite soup is Pigs Feet Soup! My grandmother who was Okinawan always made it.
My favorite soup is Danish Kale Soup which is actually a mild version of Caldo Verde. Feel like I’m getting soupspoon after soupspoon of vitamins but it tastes so good you’d never know it! 🙂 !
I love ramen and chicken noodle soup!
My favorite is something I haven’t recreated yet – my mom’s homemade winter melon soup!
My favorite soup is cream of broccoli.
Soooo hard ….. for comfort moments Heinz cream of tomato soup and crusty white bread
I really love this chickpea tomato soup: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/04/on-routine-with-tears-taste-buds-and.html
There is just no need for any kind of hate! Especially, ones on social media. They’re like a backhanded slap! Unfortunately, everyone has weird family issues like that. I’m def not excluded from those too. Besides that, I love oxtail soup. It hits all the right spots and is so perfect for winter. Ahh your photos are gorg as always! and those bowls, your friend is really talented! ooh also my fav soup has to be yook hwe jang. It’s this delightfully spicy korean beef soup with so much good stuff in it!
I love homemade vegetable soup.
I might have to say French Onion soup is my favorite.. or maybe Turkish Tomato and Red Lentil. Or possibly that Spanish Garlic Bread soup.. sheesh. And those Staub’s have been making me drool over the Sur la Table catalog for years… one day I’ll break down and buy one!! Happy Holidays to you!
Ribollita soup, or stew rather, is my favorite after having it so much in Tuscany!
Beautiful post! My favorite soup, of all time, is the insanely versatile minestrone. I make this soup year-round with whatever ingredients are seasonal. My favorite time, though, is fall/winter with chard, kale, etc.
Of course this soup pairs up incredibly well with my rustic sourdough!
Have a great Christmas 🙂
I love Brunswick stew.
My favorite soup is New England Clam chowder
I love clam chowder. and tonjiru!
Split pea soup with smoked ham hock.
So many delicious soups… I frequently make split pea soup when I have ham and sweet potato soup in the autumn season. But my all time favorite soup is lobster bisque.
Potato leek soup is a favorite. As is lentil and whatever veg are hanging around on the counter. Cheers for the giveaway!
My favourite soup… I used to think that I wasn’t a soup person, but in reality, it’s been sneaking into my life for years. My absolute favorite has got to be the soup in xiaolongbao (hehe), but this recipe for Tuscan Farro and Bean Soup over on food52 is a close second.
Your soup looks just like the soup my grandparents make — and of course I love that for the people who make it.
I would say pho. Similar to you, the first thing I do before taking a bite is having a slurp of the broth. 🙂 Flavorful broth is the best!
my fav is simple – egg and tomato soup but a good bowl of rice porridge when i’m sick is always on point.
My favorite is broccoli cheddar soup hands down.
Ooo, love Staub! My favorite soup is a red lentil number from my auntie. A lemon’s juice and some cilantro go miles to perk up an otherwise homey puree.
And yes, definitely hear you on the “holidays are hard but we can’t talk about it” front. My dad died about a year and a half ago, an this is when his absence hits hardest. Social media seems like an inappropriate forum for talking about it, yet not acknowledging also feels disingenuous. In spite of everything, the sweet moments are especially so, don’t you think?
My favourite soup is the one my mom used to make when I was little, a Romanian type called “ciorba”. It’s distinctive feature is the sourness from homemade fermented yeast broth.
Warm wishes!
Liver dumpling soup (with lots of garlic)
Minestrone, mostly because I can get two weeks’ worth of work lunches out of a single pot.
I think congee counts, right? I love it so much but can never make it right.
I liked your FB page (Rose Schmidt).
I follow you both in instagram as rusthawk1. Thanks!
My favorite kind of soup is New England Clam Chowder
Wow, this looks incredible! Julia Child’s recipe for French onion soup is my absolute favorite for cold, rainy days.
My favorite is Vietnamese seafood noodle soup. We go to this small Vietnamese place in Nashua (NH), their soups are so tasty & flavorful!
My favorite soup is definitely new england clam chowder, which I make all the time and everyone loves it!
Until a few years ago I’d never attempted making soup on my own, but now it’s one of my favorite processes in the kitchen. My go to is an apple, parsnip, potato, cheddar soup that’s just creamy enough but still very fresh tasting. Sometimes I sub in squash (butternut or delicata) instead of parsnip, and add a hint of VT maple syrup. Add a slice of pumpernickel bread to top it all off 🙂
My favorite soup is a good old potato-leek made from a homemade chicken broth!
I just made soup with a new friend yesterday. We made a carrot and ginger soup with coconut milk. The carrots came from her garden. That is my favorite soup.
My grandmother always makes an amazing kimchi soup whenever we visit her. Homemade kimchi, peppers, vegetables: the works. It could be the hottest day of the year, ac’s broken, and we’re sweating like cold meat, but there’s no way I’m not having three bowls of that good stuff!
I’ve always loved french onion soup, even if chopping all the onions makes me cry. It’s worth it.
My favorite would have to be Rich & Hearty Steak Burger with Country Vegetables(it’s Progresso canned soup not gonna lie).
I love miso soup most of all 🙂
My current fave is 101 Cookbook’s Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter.
Pho ga. Most comforting soup ever
I love a hearty bowl of korean jjigae!
We are of Irish descent, and we love Scotch broth! Some people on the internet try to get fancy, and basically screw up the recipe. Scotch broth for us can have only a chicken broth base, small pieces of lamb, and small pieces of carrot and celery with barley. Anything extra, and it’s your homemade soup, but it’s not our Scotch broth!
Any hearty vegetable soup, especially homemade minestrone, is my fave. But I love almost all soups.
French onion soup. (So hard to choose just one!)
Sweet Potato Jalapeno with Wilted Cilantro
I’m slowly venturing into making soups, and I’ve messed up every step of the way. I love soups with rice and noodles, and every time I try to recreate my fave restaurant soup with rice I have a mushy mess of meat and overlooked rice. Your blog is super helpful! I’m excited to try the oxtail soup, I feel like it’s easy enough for me to master haha. Out of all the messes I’ve made, my favorite was cubing up a a chuck eye roast, covering in a homemade broth and adding potatoes, celery, and cauliflower. I topped the dish with cheddar and it tasted almost like a poutine! I’d be happy if managed to make that concoction again haha
Favorite soup of the moment in this cold weather: butternut squash!
Hi Betty,
It is incredibly brave of you to share your personal life with the public, especially the less cheerful aspects. I know that you are one of the sweetest and most committed people in the world!! Whatever you put your mind to you accomplish, and though you are going through a stressful time, you will make it through to the other side. Your stories, non judgemental insight, and beautiful recipes are an Inspiration to us all!!
Anyway, my favorite soup is matzo ball soup!!! Even though it’s traditionally made to accompany Passover dinner, I use pretty much every holiday (yes, that includes Friday) as an excuse to make it! Would love to try your oxtail soup 🙂
My favorite soup to make and have in the winter is the lentil soup from thefirstmess. I’m not a big lentil fan so I just add tons of vegetable and add just a handful of lentils. The soup base is the best part! I love the smoky flavor the paprika adds to the soup.
Winter greens and barley. Rich broth filled with Carrots, chard, cilantro, onions, garlic, maybe some meat for flavor. And for spice, fresh grated GINGER and homemade hot sauce.
My favorite soup has to be Cullen Skink – It’s a Scottish potato and leek soup that is to die for!! One of the best and perfect for the colder weather.
My first instinct was to say lentil soup, hands down. Buttttt then again, I do sort of have a love affair with onion soup, french or otherwise. 🙂
I make a bratwurst stew/soup that is a favorite in our house! Flavored with caraway and beef!
I love a simple tomato soup that balances the right consistency of acidity from the tomato and a slight sweetness without compromising any natural flavor from the soup
I think I inherited a love of soup from my Grandma Mary. It’s so difficult to pick a favorite, but I do love French Onion soup. And a creamy Tomato Bisque. And Pho. See, I told you it was difficult!
hm… i’d have to say lao huo tang, and a close second is ma la niu rou tang 🙂
So many thoughts: 1. I think we have the same dream – let’s move to Japan together (ps. have you seen the movie Tampopo?) 2. This bowl does look and sound SO comforting – I’m with your husband: it sound so good over rice. 3. Umm – I love every dish and pot in this photo shoot. Sooo jealous! 4. Gosh, I can certainly relate to you about the family dynamics around the holidays (and interestingly, much of ours came to a head around our wedding too…) – we hosted my immediate family here for Thanksgiving this year so we could avoid that! But we’re still trying to figure out how to navigate Christmas…I feel you! 5. My favorite soup is ramen – and I just discovered some amazing gf rice ramen noodles that are SO delicious! 6. In my running around like a (pregnant) crazy chicken with its head cut off, I’ve missed you and hearing about what you’re up to! xoxox.
This looks such a lovely warming soup, Betty! It is very true that this time of year can be anything but easy. We have not seen or spoken to my husband’s sister since before our wedding five years ago, which she tried to ruin when I refused to have her badly behaved, spoilt children as my bridesmaids. Weddings definitely bring out the best and worse in people. x
I think that recipe is gorgeous!!. Congratulation, I love your blog and your pictures are amazing, I love it, you have a lot of talent. I have a lot of favourite soups, whatever soup well cooked is my favourite but if I have to decide me for one I think I will choose ramen!