Galbitang with a Huaxi Noodle Soup Twist

I have been on a mission to make the best dishes I have eaten at restaurants at home. And I wanted to mix two classics that come from completely different places.

The Story Behind Galbitang

Galbitang is a Korean short rib soup that goes all the way back to the Joseon dynasty. It was served at royal banquets and later became an everyday comfort dish. The broth is clear and light because the short ribs are soaked and blanched before simmering. It is the kind of soup you drink when you need to feel restored or after a hard partying.

The Flavor of Huaxi Noodles

Huaxi noodles come from Guizhou in southwest China. The broth is simple, but the toppings make it shine. Scallions, cilantro, pickled mustard greens, and a spoon of chili sauce give the soup a spicy, sour, and refreshing kick. Lao Gan Ma actually started in Huaxi, when Tao Huabi opened a noodle stall before her chili sauce became world famous.

Why Combine Them

I thought it would be interesting to take the clean broth of galbitang and layer it with the bold flavors of Huaxi noodles. Fall apart short ribs with sour greens, fresh herbs, and Lao Gan Ma on top. Comfort meets heat.

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 1 kg beef short ribs
• 1 onion
• 1 daikon radish
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 to 3 scallions
• A small piece of ginger
• 다시다 or chicken stock
• Salt

For the Toppings

• Chopped scallions
• Fresh cilantro
• Pickled mustard greens
• Lao Gan Ma chili sauce

For the Noodles

• Thick round rice noodles if you can find them
• Any rice noodles will work

🔪 Preparation

Step 1: Clean the Ribs

Soak the short ribs in cold water for 30 minutes to remove blood and impurities. Bring a pot of water to boil, add ribs, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse. This is what keeps the broth clean and light.

Step 2: Build the Base

Add the blanched ribs back into a clean pot with plenty of water, onion, garlic, scallions, ginger, and daikon. Normally I would add 다시다 here, but mine was expired, so I used chicken stock. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer. Skim off fat and foam until the ribs are tender and almost falling apart.

I also forgot the garlic at first and added it later, which still worked fine.

After that, throw out onion, scallions, ginger. Keep the daikon for later.

Step 3: Prepare the Toppings

Chop scallions and cilantro. Rinse and chop the mustard greens. Get your Lao Gan Ma ready.

Step 4: Cook the Noodles

Boil the rice noodles separately until they are chewy. Drain and set aside.

Step 5: Assemble the Bowl

Place noodles in the bowl. Add daikon pieces if they cooked properly. Pour the galbitang broth over the noodles. Place the ribs in, then top with scallions, cilantro, mustard greens, and a spoon of Lao Gan Ma.

The Result

Galbitang on its own is light, clear, and comforting. Huaxi noodles are spicy, sour, and full of life. Together, the dish became something different. It had the soothing quality of galbitang, but the toppings gave it a spark of brightness and heat.

I would make this again for sure. Next time with the proper noodles from Guizhou and hopefully radish that softens instead of drying up.