Galbitang (Korean Short Rib Soup)

Galbitang is a traditional Korean short rib soup featuring tender beef and aromatic vegetables in a rich, clear broth. This recipe offers both Instant Pot and stovetop methods for an authentic, flavorful meal. For the best, clean-tasting broth, prepare it a day ahead.

Galbitang is a traditional Korean short rib soup, cherished for its tender beef and clear, flavorful broth. This nourishing soup has a delicate flavor and a clean, comforting taste, perfect for when you want something hearty yet light.

The beef short ribs are simmered with aromatic vegetables like radish, onion, and garlic until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. The result is a rich, umami-packed broth with a bright, savory flavor. Adding Korean glass noodles (dangmyeon) gives the soup a satisfying, chewy texture.

Traditionally, galbitang is slow-cooked on the stovetop for hours to achieve that tender meat and rich broth. But with an Instant Pot, you can enjoy this luxurious dish in about 1 hour, making this Koran short rib soup recipe a lot more accessible for busy home cooks.

Korean short ribs are a premium cut of beef, making galbitang a special-occasion soup, often served during weddings, holidays, or important family gatherings. It’s a dish that feels both comforting and elegant, a perfect meal to impress or to enjoy as a treat.

Why Soaking Short Ribs is No Longer Necessary

In the past, people would soak short ribs in cold water to remove blood, believing it helped eliminate any gamey smell. However, this practice is no longer necessary. The red liquid you see in packaged meat isn’t blood—it’s a mix of water and a protein called myoglobin that naturally seeps from the meat.

In older times, when meat was freshly slaughtered and not properly processed, soaking was essential to remove trapped blood. Today, the modern slaughtering process already removes most of the blood, so soaking isn’t needed. As long as you use fresh ribs, you can achieve a clean taste without worrying about a gamey smell.

For more on preparing beef bones, check out my beef bone soup (seolleongtang) recipe, where I explain how beef bones are initially prepared, just like in this galbitang recipe.

Key Ingredients for Galbitang

• Beef Short Ribs — Choose high-quality ribs with generous amounts of meat attached to the bone for the best results.
• Korean Radish — Thinly sliced for this recipe. You can substitute with daikon if Korean radish isn’t available.
• Glass Noodles (Dangmyeon) — Korean sweet potato noodles. These are optional but highly recommended for added texture.
• Hwang-gi (optional) — A Korean dried herb commonly used in chicken soup (samgyetang). It adds a subtle earthy aroma and flavor to the broth. While it’s a nice addition, it’s not essential. Don’t worry if you can’t find it at your local Asian market, but if you do, give it a try—you’ll love the depth it brings.
• Aromatics — Onion, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and dried sea kelp are used to create a savory soup base.

How to make Galbitang Using Instant Pot

Parboil short ribs and clean

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add short ribs and boil for 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Drain and rinse them with hot water, cleaning off any residue from the bone cuts.

Cook ribs and aromatics in an Instant Pot

Place the ribs, radish, leek, onion, garlic, and optional ingredients (shiitake mushrooms and hwanggi) in an Instant Pot. Leave out the dried sea kelp for later.

Hint: I use a large disposable soup bag (dashi bag) to hold the aromatics so that it can be easily removed without taking out the meat. The bag also helps hold any small particles that might fall off during the simmering.

Add 8 cups of water. Close the lid and set it to the Soup function for 30 minutes. After cooking, let it sit for 10 minutes, then do a quick release, or let it naturally release if you have more time.

Take out the aromatics, leaving only the broth and ribs. Add the dried sea kelp to the broth and let it steep for 5 minutes, then remove the kelp.

Note: Adding the sea kelp from the start in an Instant Pot would cause it to disintegrate, making the broth slightly slimy.

Remove Fat from Broth

If you’re ready to serve and don’t mind the fat, switch to the sauté mode on your Instant Pot. Add thin radish slices and cook for about 3 minutes, until soft. Serve the soup hot.

If you prefer a lighter, cleaner broth, chill the soup overnight to allow the fat to solidify, then skim it off before reheating and serving.

For a lower-fat option, let the soup cool and refrigerate it overnight. The fat will rise to the surface and solidify. Simply scoop it off with a slotted spoon or fat skimmer..

When ready to serve, transfer the soup to a pot and add thin radish slices. Cover and reheat over medium heat until the radish is tender, about 3 minutes. Season with Korean soup soy sauce, optional Korean tuna sauce, and salt to taste.

Add Dangmyeon Noodles

Soak Korean glass noodles in hot water for 10 minutes and drain. Add the noodles to the soup and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.

How to serve

Ladle the hot soup, along with short ribs, radish, and noodles, into a serving bowl. Top with green onion, freshly cracked black pepper, and sliced shiitake mushrooms (if used). Serve with rice, banchan, and/or kimchi.

Stovetop Cooking Method

If you don’t have an Instant Pot or prefer using the stovetop, follow these steps:

1. Place the parboiled short ribs and aromatics in a pot with water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 1-1.5 hours. If too much water evaporates, add more as needed. Remember to remove the sea kelp after 5 minutes of simmering.
3. Once done, discard the aromatics and add thin radish slices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the radish is soft.
4. Stir in the drained glass noodles and heat through.

Variety of Korean Galbi Dishes

The dish called LA galbi (Korean barbecue beef ribs), Tteokgalbi (Korean Beef Bulgogi Patties), Galbi-jjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs), share the name “galbi,” but they are actually very distinct dishes and require different cooking methods.

In addition, Dakgalbi is another dish that carries the “galbi” title, but it is made with chicken that’s stir-fried with vegetables.

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