Korean beef short rib soup (galbitang or galbi-tang / 갈비탕) is a beef stew with flavourful and delicately clean tasting broth that features aromatic vegetables and Korean-style short ribs made 'fall-off-the-bone tender' by cooking slowly. Chewy Korean glass noodles and tasty, stewed radish add wonderful texture to the soup. The result is hearty, fulfilling, and nourishing comfort food.
While it does take some time to make this soup and achieve the wonderful 'clean' taste that it is known for, the steps are easy and the results are so worth it! If you can, I really recommend making it the day before. This allows you to remove more fat from the soup and have an extra light and delicious broth. It will still be extremely tasty either way.
Jump to:
'Galbi' (갈비) means beef short ribs and 'tang' (탕) is a word for soup. Earliest historical records show this dish was served at royal banquets dating in the 1890s. Korean beef short rib soup is very nutritious and considered a great stamina food in Korea. Many like to enjoy this dish when they are feeling under the weather.
Because of the price of this prime cut of meat, traditionally galbitang was seen as a special occasion dish, often enjoyed at wedding receptions. You can enjoy this delicious dish any time of the year, however, its heartiness makes it perfect for enjoying in the wintertime. So you will often see it around Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) and Korean Lunar New Year times.
If you love this recipe you will love rice cake soup (tteokguk), too. It is another delicious Korean dish with flavourful, tender beef, served with plump, chewy rice cakes in a tasty broth.
Ingredients
- Korean-style beef short ribs - Unlike Western-style short ribs, Korean-style is cut lengthwise across the rib bones, resulting in a thin strip of meat studded with bones down one side. You will need a thicker cut than the kind used for 'galbi' (Korean grilled short ribs). Look for a cut that has bones about 1.5-2" in length. I asked my butcher to cut this for me.
- Korean radish / mu (무) - Korean radish has a peppery flavour with a sweetness that deepens with cooking. They cook up tender and delicious, and add excellent flavour to broths. This radish is available year-round, with its peak season in late fall.
- Aromatic vegetables - Onion, green onion, and garlic.
- Korean glass noodles / dangmyeon (당면) - A thin, transparent noodle made from sweet potato starch.
- Korean cooking rice wine / mirim (미림/맛술) - Mirim, also known as 'mirin,' is used to tenderize and remove odours from raw meat, as well as a flavour enhancer in Korean dishes. It is most similar to a sweet sake, though with lower alcohol and higher sugar level. The alcohol content of this ingredient is important, so don't purchase one without any. Don't worry, it will cook out of the dish.
- Korean soup soy sauce / guk-ganjang (국간장) - This is a type of Korean soy sauce made of fermented soy beans and brine. It is saltier, richer, with more umami flavour than regular soy sauce, as well as lighter in colour, which is great for seasoning soup while maintaining clarity. This ingredient is essential for making an authentic Korean soup, such as this one.
- Salt and ground black pepper
Optional:
- Egg - Jidan (지단) is a garnish made of thin strips of fried egg. This topping is optional and doesn't add a lot of flavour, however, it's easy to make and makes a nice, colourful addition to the dish. If you'd like to try making it, see my Korean rice cake soup post for step-by-step instructions, as well as pictures.
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → Substitutions
- Korean radish - You can substitute this with Japanese daikon radish.
- Korean cooking rice wine / mirim (맛술) - Can be substituted with soju (소주) or sake with some added sugar. Do not substitute with rice wine vinegar.
- Korean soup soy sauce - If you can't get Korean soup soy sauce, you shouldn't substitute with regular soy sauce in soups. Fish sauce would be the best substitute. If you have to use regular soy sauce, just use a tiny amount and season to taste with salt.
- Egg garnish / jidan (지단) - An alternative is to simply drizzle a lightly beaten egg into the boiling soup right before turning off the heat (do not stir). Or, you can omit the egg entirely.
Variations
- Sometimes this soup is made with the addition of other, more affordable cuts of beef to keep the cost more economical. However, the short ribs shouldn't be completely omitted as flavour from the bones is an important part of the broth.
- While this soup is already quite nutritious, sometimes additional ingredients (such as ginseng or ginger) are added to add even more health benefits.
- In Korea, you can find this soup with an addition of locally sourced abalone (sea snail).
Instructions
Place the meat in a large pot with enough water to cover it, and add in a splash of rice wine. Soak for 3 hours, changing the water after each hour.
When the meat is just about finished soaking, place the glass noodles in a large bowl filled with warm water to soak.
Prepare the vegetables. You will need half of an onion, 2 (about an inch thick) slices of peeled radish, and green onion white parts separated from the green tops and roots removed. Set aside for now.
Drain the meat and replace the water again. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. This parboiling step will remove some impurities and fat from the meat.
Drain the meat and wash it thoroughly with hot water. Wipe the sides of the pot clean.
Add the meat, 10 cups of water, rice wine, and the prepared onion, radish, and white parts of the green onions. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 30 minutes.
Add 2 more cups of water to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to boil for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot. Reserve the meat and radish but discard the onion and green onion whites. Strain the broth through cheesecloth into a large bowl (this step is optional, but will give you a more clear and beautiful broth).
Cut the meat into pieces by cutting between the bones, and cut the radish into bite-sized pieces. Drain the glass noodles. Return the broth, meat, and radish to the pot, along with the glass noodles, green onion greens, garlic, soup soy sauce, and salt. Boil until the noodles are cooked, around 2-3 minutes.
Divide into serving bowls and top with more green onion and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Optional: If you want an even lighter, purer broth with less fat, make galbitang the day before. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will separate from the broth and rise to the surface. Remove the fat from the pot before reheating to serve. The soup will taste even better the next day! Don't add and cook the noodles until you are reheating as they do not store well.
How to serve it
Korean beef short rib soup is always served with a bowl of rice and some kimchi. The spicy, fermented kimchi adds a great contrast to this heavy beef dish, making it feel lighter to eat. Korean side dishes (banchan / 반찬) are usually served on the table, as well.
Equipment
Special equipment that you will need:
- Large soup pot
- Large mixing bowl
- Cheesecloth
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → Storage
Store leftover galbitang in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The glass noodles do not store well, so finish those off or remove them before storing. You can also remove the bones to save space, if desired.
Korean beef short rib soup freezes well and is great for a make-ahead meal. It will keep well in the freezer for up to a month. Wait to add and cook glass noodles until you are reheating the soup to eat it.
Tip for success
- Be careful to not overcook noodles. Soaking them ahead makes them tender and delicious. However, it also makes them cook very quickly ~ about 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that you don't overcook and turn them into a mushy mess.
- If you are able to, take the time to make galbitang the day before. Removing the cooled, hardened fat from the surface of the broth will allow you to appreciate the delicious and delicate flavours of this soup even more. And it tastes even better the next day!
- If you want to make the already tender meat extra easy to bite off the bone, you can use a sharp knife to cut small slits between the bone and the meat of the short ribs before cooking.
FAQ
Galbitang, or Korean beef short rib soup, is served with steamed rice, fermented kimchi, and other Korean side dishes (banchan).
This Korean dish is very high in protein. It also is rich in iron, amino acids, and other vitamins, making it very helpful for fighting symptoms of anemia.
Both of these dishes are savoury, Korean beef stews made with short ribs. Galbitang is the lighter of the two, with aromatic vegetables and glass noodles. Galbijjim is a heavier, beef-central dish.
Pairing
These are some of my favourite dishes to serve with Korean beef short rib soup:
📖 Recipe
Korean Beef Short Rib Soup (Galbitang)
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
Korean beef short rib soup (galbitang or galbi-tang / 갈비탕) is a beef stew with flavourful and delicately clean tasting broth that features aromatic vegetables and Korean-style short ribs made 'fall-off-the-bone tender' by cooking slowly.
Ingredients
1 kilogram Korean-style beef short ribs - cut thick so that the bones are around 2 inches long
30 grams Korean glass noodles
1 small Korean radish (or daikon radish)
½ medium onion
6 green onions - white parts
¼ cup Korean cooking rice wine - plus more for soaking the meat
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 green onions - green parts, thinly sliced on a diagonal
2 tablespoons Korean soup soy sauce (more or less, to taste)
1 ½ teaspoon salt
ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg (optional - see notes below)
Instructions
Place the meat in a large pot with enough water to cover it, and add in a splash of rice wine. Soak for 3 hours, changing the water after each hour.
When the meat is just about finished soaking, place the glass noodles in a large bowl filled with warm water to soak.
Prepare the vegetables. You will need half of an onion, 2 (about an inch thick) slices of peeled radish, and green onion white parts separated from the green tops and roots removed. Set aside for now.
Drain the meat and replace the water again. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. This parboiling step will remove some impurities and fat from the meat.
Drain the meat and wash it thoroughly with hot water. Wipe the sides of the pot clean.
Add the meat, 10 cups of water, rice wine, and the prepared onion, radish, and white parts of the green onions. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 30 minutes.
Add 2 more cups of water to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to boil for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot. Reserve the meat and radish but discard the onion and green onion whites. Strain the broth through cheesecloth into a large bowl (this step is optional, but will give you a more clear and beautiful broth).
Cut the meat into pieces by cutting between the bones, and cut the radish into bite-sized pieces. Drain the glass noodles. Return the broth, meat, and radish to the pot, along with the glass noodles, green onion greens, garlic, soup soy sauce, and salt. Boil until the noodles are cooked, around 2-3 minutes.
Divide into serving bowls and top with more green onion and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
Egg garnish / jidan (지단) - Jidan is a topping used for Korean rice cake soup made of thin strips of fried egg yolk and egg white. This topping is optional and doesn't add a lot of flavour, however, it's easy to make and makes a nice, colourful addition to the dish, so I recommend that you try it. See my Korean rice cake soup post for step-by-step instructions as well as pictures. An alternative is to simply drizzle a lightly beaten egg into the boiling soup right before turning off the heat (do not stir). Or, you can omit the egg entirely.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 18.6 g
- Sodium: 2722.5 mg
- Fat: 22.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.1 g
- Protein: 51.7 g
- Cholesterol: 199.9 mg
Bernice says
Great break down of the required ingredients and method used to make this Korean classic comfort food. I've made it a few times with mixed results but your recipe was the best by far.
Asha says
Thank you so much, appreciate it!
Kristen says
On our list to try, we love shortribs and soup so this is right up our alley!
Asha says
I'm a big fan of short ribs too 😄
Marie-Pierre Breton says
That's interesting and super aromatic soup! I didn't have the radish but used the daikon like she recommended and Japanese mirin, which turned out fantastic!
Asha says
Thank you!