Seolleongtang
intro
A rich, milky slow-simmered Korean ox bone soup, served with tender beef, radish, and rice for a deeply nourishing, cold-weather comfort meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Blanch bones and brisket
Place 1.8kg ox leg bones and 450g whole beef brisket in a large 8L stock pot, cover completely with 2L cold water (for blanching, discarded later), bring to a rolling boil over high heat (approximately 15 minutes). Boil uncovered for 10 minutes to draw out residual blood and impurities, then drain all water completely. Rinse the bones, brisket, and empty pot thoroughly under cold running water to remove all dark scum residue, ensuring no gritty dark bits remain on ingredients or pot surfaces.
Start initial slow simmer
Return the thoroughly cleaned bones and brisket to the scrubbed stock pot, pour in 4L of cold fresh water. Set heat to medium-high to bring the water to a gentle boil (approximately 12 minutes), then immediately turn heat to the lowest stovetop setting to maintain a soft, constant simmer (no violent rolling bubbles). Cover the pot partially with a lid, leaving a 2cm gap for steam to escape, and simmer for 3 full hours. Check the pot every 30 minutes, topping up with 120ml (1/2 cup) hot water if the liquid level drops below the top of the bones.
Add radish and aromatics
After 3 hours of initial simmering, cut the peeled white radish into 8cm chunks and add to the pot, along with 8 lightly crushed whole garlic cloves and 4 whole green onions. Keep heat on the lowest setting to maintain the soft simmer, keep the lid partially cracked, and cook for an additional 2.5 hours. Avoid aggressive stirring, which can cloud the broth; gently push floating ingredients under the liquid surface with a ladle as needed.
Remove and slice solids
After 5.5 total hours of simmering, use tongs to carefully lift the brisket, radish chunks, green onions, and garlic from the pot. Discard the mushy, overcooked green onions and garlic. Transfer the brisket to a wooden cutting board to rest for 10 minutes, then slice it thinly against the grain into 0.5cm thick pieces. Slice the cooked radish into 1cm thick bite-sized pieces. Leave the bones in the broth, and continue simmering on low heat for 30 more minutes to deepen the milky broth color.
Strain and season broth
After the final 30 minutes of simmering (6 hours total broth cook time), turn off the heat. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean second pot, discarding the spent, flavorless bones. Stir in 7.5g (1/2 tablespoon) of fine sea salt and 1g (1/2 teaspoon) of ground black pepper, tasting and adjusting salt levels as needed. The finished broth should be a rich, opaque milky white with a deep, meaty savory aroma.
Assemble and serve hot
Place 180g (1 cup) of cooked short-grain white rice in the bottom of each of 4 deep serving bowls. Ladle 300ml (1.25 cups) of hot broth over the rice in each bowl, then top with 3-4 thin slices of cooked brisket, 2 pieces of sliced radish, a sprinkle of thinly sliced remaining 2 green onions, and a pinch of the remaining ground black pepper. Serve immediately while piping hot, with extra sea salt and optional kimchi on the side for diners to adjust seasoning to taste.
Tips
2.Always top up simmering liquid with hot (not cold) water during the long cook time: cold water will shock the bones, stopping gelatin and marrow from rendering out properly and thinning the broth flavor.
3.Avoid adding strong seasonings like soy sauce, garlic powder, or chili flakes to the main broth pot; traditional seolleongtang has a mild, pure beef flavor, so diners can season their individual bowls to preference.
OMG I’ve been chasing the seolleongtang flavor I had at that tiny K-town spot in LA for YEARS and this recipe nailed it! The 6 hour simmer is 100% worth it, I prepped a big batch on Sunday and ate it for lunch all week. So rich and milky, no weird shortcuts.
I blocked off a Saturday to make this for our family dinner and my kids literally asked for seconds before they even finished their first bowl! I added extra glass noodles and a little extra scallion on top like the recipe said, SO good. Even my super picky 7 year old who hates all soup ate two servings.
Game changer for my winter meal prep rotation! I portioned this out into freezer containers and it heats up perfectly, no weird separation or grainy texture. I will say make sure you skim the scum like the recipe notes say, I almost skipped that step the first time and it would’ve ruined the whole batch.
Took this to my office potluck last week and everyone was begging for the recipe! Most of my coworkers had never tried Korean ox bone soup before and they went back for refills so fast the pot was empty in 15 minutes. Only note: I wish I’d made double the amount!
Wait, has anyone tried making this in a pressure cooker to cut down the cook time? 6.5 hours sounds amazing but I don’t know if I can leave my stove on that long while I’m running errands, I’m paranoid about house fires lol.
I added a little extra gochugaru and a dash of sesame oil to my bowl and wow, that little kick took this over the top! The plain broth is so nice and mild on its own, it’s the perfect base to customize exactly how you like it.
Hmm, my broth didn’t turn that milky white color like the photos even after simmering the full 6 hours? Did I do something wrong? I used the right bones, kept it at a low rolling boil like the instructions said.
I was worried medium difficulty meant I’d mess this up, but the step by step instructions were so easy to follow! I’ve made a lot of bone broths before but this is by far the most flavorful one I’ve ever pulled off. Served it with some radish kimchi on the side and it felt like I was at my grandma’s house again.
This is such a great high protein, low carb meal option! I loaded mine up with extra brisket and skipped the noodles to keep it macro friendly, and it kept me full for hours after my morning long run. Will absolutely be making this all winter long.
Quick question! The recipe says to soak the bones in cold water for 2 hours before boiling — is that step strictly necessary? I’m short on time today and want to get this simmering before my guests arrive for dinner tonight.
Made this for my cousin who’s been under the weather with a bad cold, and she said it was better than the soup her own mom used to make her when she was little! It’s so cozy and warming, I felt better just smelling it simmer all afternoon.
Wait, how much does this recipe typically cost to make? I’m on a pretty tight grocery budget right now but I’ve been craving seolleongtang so bad, I don’t want to drop $18 a bowl at the local Korean restaurant every week.
Okay full transparency, I totally forgot I had this simmering on the stove and let it go for almost 8 hours instead of 6.5 and it was STILL the best soup I’ve ever made? The broth was extra rich and creamy, I didn’t even burn it, total happy accident. 10/10, will definitely be “forgetting” to set a timer next time lol.