Hawaiin Oxtail Soup (similar to Liliha Bakery)

A bowl of oxtail soup served with rice, ginger soy dipping sauce, green onions, and cilantro.

Hawaii's Famous Oxtail Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Hawaii's oxtail soup is nourishing and soothing. Tender oxtails are slowly cooked in a savory broth with ginger, star anise, bay leaves, and other aromatic spices.

Serve the soup with a bowl of rice and a dipping sauce made with julienned ginger and soy sauce.

Ingredients

Oxtail Soup

  • 4–5 pounds oxtails
  • 1 whole onion, peeled
  • 3 slices ginger, smashed
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 whole star anise
  • 3 dried tangerine peels (chen pi)
  • 12–16 cups water, chicken broth, or a combination
  • 3 carrots or daikon, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • Hawaiian sea salt, to taste

For Serving

  • 1 bunch Chinese parsley, chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 1 2-inch piece ginger, julienned
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Cooked rice

Instructions

  1. Trim the excess fat from each oxtail. Discard the fat and set the oxtails aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the oxtails and return the water to a boil.
  3. Boil for 1 minute, allowing the scum to rise to the surface. Drain the oxtails into a colander and discard the water.
  4. Let the oxtails cool until they can be handled. Rinse each oxtail under running water to remove any remaining residue.
  5. Return the cleaned oxtails to the pot. Add enough water, chicken broth, or a combination of both to cover the oxtails by approximately 1 inch. This will usually require about 12–16 cups of liquid.
  6. Add the onion, smashed ginger, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and dried tangerine peels.
  7. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 1 hour, or until the oxtails are tender enough to pierce easily with a fork.
  8. Skim and discard as much oil as possible from the surface of the soup.
  9. Add the carrots or daikon, if using, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
  10. Season with the fish sauce and Hawaiian sea salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  11. Ladle the soup into bowls, providing approximately 3–5 pieces of oxtail per person.
  12. Garnish generously with Chinese parsley and green onions. Serve with cooked rice and a small dish of julienned ginger mixed with soy sauce for dipping the oxtails.