Seolleongtang is a deeply savory Korean beef bone soup built on marrow bones simmered for hours to extract rich collagen and umami. It's an economical restaurant favorite that transforms inexpensive bones into luxurious, nourishing broth.
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Soak the bones in cold water to draw out as much blood as possible, about 1 hour (or longer if you have time). Rinse well and drain.
Soak the meat in another bowl to draw out as much blood as possible, about 1 hour. Drain. Keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
Add the bones to a large stockpot (preferably 8 quarts or largewith enough cold water to cover. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and boil for 5 minutes.
Drain. Rinse the bones, and clean out the pot to remove any brown bits. Return the bones to the pot.
Fill up the pot with cold water, leaving a little room for boiling. Bring it to a boil over high heat, and reduce the heat to medium.
Cover, and boil until the broth becomes rich and milky, about 5 hours (or longer if you have time). Adjust the heat a little, if necessary, to maintain a medium boil. Add more water (boiling hot water to maintain the cooking temperature) to cover the bones, once or twice while boiling. (This photo was taken at the 3-hour point.)
Add the soaked meat (and more water if needed to submerge the meat). Boil until the meat is tender, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the meat. Once cooled, thinly slice the meat to add to the soup when serving. Pour the broth through a colander into another pot or a large bowl to cool.
Fill up the pot with fresh water again. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover, and boil until the broth becomes rich and milky, 3 - 5 hours. Reduce the heat a little, as necessary, to maintain a moderate boil. Add more water if the liquid reduces too quickly while boiling. Pour the milky broth through a colander into the pot or large bowl that contains the first batch. You can repeat this one more time, if desired. Just mix them all at the end to even it out.
You can use a fat separator to remove the fat, or keep it in the fridge (or out on the deck or balcony in the winteuntil the fat solidifies to spoon off the fat.
To serve, place some rice and, if desired, noodles in a serving bowl, add the meat pieces, and then ladle the hot broth on top. Typically, chopped scallions, salt and pepper are served separately so each person can season to taste. Serve piping hot with kimchi.
Freeze leftover broth in freezer bags.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat without boiling.
Traditional seolleongtang requires 6–8 hours of simmering to fully extract marrow and develop deep flavor from the bones.
Yes. Marrow bones (sagol) are traditional, but cow knuckles (도가니) and foot (우족) work equally well and add additional collagen.
Blanching briefly removes impurities and results in a clearer, cleaner-tasting broth. It's optional but recommended for restaurant-quality results.
Yes. The soup freezes well for up to 3 months, and flavor deepens after a day in the refrigerator.
Seolleongtang uses marrow bones as the primary ingredient; gomtang uses beef brisket or chuck. Both are simmered long and served with rice and noodles.
