Galbi Tang
intro
Rich, clear, deeply savory Korean beef short rib soup slow-simmered with radish and aromatics, served with chewy glass noodles and fresh scallion garnish.
Ingredients
Steps
Soak beef short ribs
Place 1.2kg bone-in beef short ribs (cut into 5cm pieces) in a large mixing bowl, cover completely with 2L cold water mixed with 1 tsp fine sea salt. Let soak for 1 hour at room temperature, changing the water once after 30 minutes, to draw out residual blood for a clear, clean-tasting broth. Drain ribs fully, then rinse thoroughly under cold running water to scrub away any loose bone fragments.
Blanch the short ribs
Transfer drained, rinsed ribs to a 6L stock pot, cover with 1L cold water, and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil uncovered for 10 minutes, until thick gray foam rises to the surface. Discard all blanching water, scrub the pot clean of stuck-on scum, and rinse each rib under warm water to remove any remaining foam residue.
Simmer the base broth
Return cleaned ribs to the scrubbed pot, add 3L cold filtered water, 200g quartered sweet onion, 60g peeled whole garlic cloves, 20g sliced ginger, 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, and 2 scallions cut into 5cm lengths. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle, steady simmer (small bubbles only, no rolling boil). Partially cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, skimming any floating fat or fine foam from the surface every 30 minutes.
Add radish and season
After 1.5 hours of simmering, use tongs to fish out and discard the softened onion, scallion lengths, ginger slices, and any loose peppercorns. Add 450g peeled, 3cm-cut Korean radish chunks and 3 tbsp (45ml) low-sodium soy sauce to the pot, stir gently, and continue simmering partially covered over low heat for 30 more minutes, until radish is fork-tender and translucent at the edges, and rib meat pulls easily from the bone.
Cook glass noodles
While the radish simmers, place 100g dried sweet potato glass noodles in a medium bowl, cover with hot tap water, and soak for 20 minutes until pliable. Drain the soaked noodles, then add them to the simmering soup for the final 5 minutes of cooking, until noodles are fully translucent and chewy. Taste the broth, and adjust seasoning with the remaining 1 tsp fine sea salt if needed.
Finish and serve
Turn off the stovetop heat, stir 1 tsp (5ml) toasted sesame oil into the soup. Ladle into 4 warm serving bowls, ensuring each portion has 2-3 rib pieces, several radish chunks, a serving of noodles, and ample broth. Top each bowl with thinly sliced remaining scallions, and serve hot with steamed white rice and kimchi on the side if desired.
Tips
2.If Korean radish (mu) is unavailable, you can substitute with equal amounts of daikon radish. Do not use small red salad radishes, as they are too peppery and will turn mushy during long simmering.
3.For an even cleaner, less fatty broth, you can chill the fully simmered rib broth (before adding radish and noodles) in the fridge overnight; the solidified fat will lift easily off the surface, leaving a perfectly clear, light soup.
OMG this galbi tang was the perfect cozy Sunday dinner for my family! My kids went back for SECONDS, even my super picky 7 year old who usually turns up his nose at any soup. The broth is so deep and savory, I loved that the recipe didn’t skip the step of soaking the ribs to get rid of excess blood — total game changer for clear, non-gamey broth. Worth every minute of the cook time, no shortcuts needed!
I’ve been chasing the galbi tang flavor I had at a tiny K-town spot in NYC for years and this recipe NAILS it. I was a little intimidated by the medium difficulty rating but the steps were so clearly laid out, I didn’t mess up once! Only note: I added a handful of extra glass noodles because that’s my favorite part. SO good.
Wait, has anyone tried prepping the broth ahead of time for meal prep? I love having hearty soups ready to go for work lunches but I don’t have 2+ hours on a weeknight to make this from scratch. Would the flavors hold up if I froze it in portions?
I make a ton of smoked short ribs so I figured I’d give this Korean soup a shot, and wow. Used my leftover smoked ribs instead of raw and the broth had this insane deep, smoky savoriness that was next level. Served it with kimchi and rice for our weekly potluck with neighbors and everyone asked for the recipe. 10/10, will make again.
First time making any kind of Korean soup and I’m so proud of how this turned out! The only misstep I made was forgetting to skim the foam off the top for the first 20 minutes of boiling so my broth was a little cloudier than the photos, but it still tasted incredible. My roommate said it’s better than the galbi tang we get at our local takeout spot.
Quick question — is there a gluten free swap for the soy sauce in this? I have celiac so regular soy sauce is a no-go for me, but I’ve been craving galbi tang forever and don’t want to mess up the flavor balance.
Made this for my husband’s birthday dinner since it’s his favorite Korean dish, and he said it tasted exactly like his grandma used to make! I added extra jujubes and chestnuts like his family does, and the house smelled amazing for hours while it simmered. Only complaint is that we didn’t make enough for leftovers, haha.
Brought this to my office potluck last week and it was the first dish gone! People were literally scraping the pot to get the last of the broth. I was worried the 2 hour 45 minute cook time would be a hassle but most of it is hands-off simmer time, so I was able to fold laundry and catch up on shows while it cooked. Zero stress, huge payoff.
Flavor was amazing but I found the broth a little too salty for my taste when I followed the recipe exactly. Did I do something wrong? I used regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium, would that be the issue?
I was skeptical that a soup without a ton of heavy spices would be flavorful enough for my teen boys, but man was I wrong. They ate three bowls each after football practice and asked when I’m making it again. I threw in some extra daikon because we love veggies, and it held up perfectly to the long simmer. Great recipe!
I’ve made this recipe three times in the last month! It’s become my go-to sick day meal, it’s so comforting when I have a cold. The garlic and ginger in the broth make my throat feel so much better, and it’s light enough that I don’t feel gross eating it when my stomach is off. 10/10, no notes.
Made this before a big backpacking trip last weekend and portioned it out into insulated thermoses for me and my hiking partner. It was still hot 6 hours into our hike when we stopped for lunch, and it was the best trail meal I’ve ever had. Way better than the dehydrated backpacking meals I usually buy! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender even after being in the thermos for hours.
Okay, I know the cook time is almost 3 hours but can we talk about how worth it it is? I almost bailed and ordered takeout halfway through because I was hungry, but the second I took my first sip of the broth I knew I made the right call. The ribs are so tender they fall right off the bone, no chewy tough bits at all. Game. Changer.
I grew up eating galbi tang with my Korean grandma and was nervous no online recipe would live up to hers, but this is so close I almost cried when I tasted it. The trick of adding a small piece of Korean radish to the broth while it simmers is exactly what she did, I can’t believe that tip was included! So happy I found this recipe.
Solid recipe, but I found the broth a little too rich for my taste the first time I made it. Next time I’m going to trim a little more of the excess fat off the ribs before simmering to see if that lightens it up a bit. Otherwise, flavor is spot on, the ribs were perfectly tender.