There’s just something about chicken soup. Nourishing. Comforting. Homey. A big pot of Korean Chicken Soup, also known as Dak Gomtang, will banish the sniffles and cure all ailments! Make this satisfying bowl of cozy comfort that’s so delicious!

this recipe

What is Korean Chicken Soup or Dak Gomtang?

Korean Chicken Soup, also known as Dak Gomtang, is a delicious chicken soup served with green onion and salt. A whole chicken is simmered in aromatics until the broth becomes deeply flavorful with a pearly sheen. A popular dish that’s pure comfort food, it’s often served with sweet potato noodles (Dang Myeon) or thin wheat noodles (Somyeon).

In Korean, “Dak Gomtang” is translated as “chicken bone soup.” Or, chicken soup made from long-simmered bones. Similar to Khori Gomtang (Oxtail Soup), the comforting milky broth comes from the vitamins and minerals that leach out of the bones.

There are several different kinds of Korean Chicken Soup. The most well known is Samgyetang, made with little cornish hens and ginseng. But Dak Gomtang is also a popular favorite and very easy to make at home.

I grew up eating this Korean Chicken Soup. My Korean grandmother simmered the chicken bones until the broth turned milky white. She also seasoned the tender meat 2 ways — spicy and non-spicy. Today, I do the same so everyone in the family can enjoy this soup!

For a complete meal, serve with rice and kimchi. Koreans like to add rice directly to the soup, so that it soaks up all the broth. Also, it’s customary to add bowls of green onion and mineral salt on the side. That way, everyone can season their soup to their own liking.

Dak Gomtang is such a comforting soup full of noodles, rice, and chicken! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Whole Chicken. The star ingredient. Find the best chicken you can. For the best flavor and color, I recommend organic, free-range chicken.
• Onion + Carrot + Garlic + Ginger. The essential aromatics.
• Black Peppercorns. Adds subtle earthiness and depth of flavor.
• Chicken Bouillon. Boosts the chicken flavor of any chicken soup.
• Noodles. Dang myeon (Korean sweet potato noodles) or Somyeon (Korean thin wheat noodles) are both frequently used in Korean chicken soup. Either one works great. Dang myeon is more chewy while Somyeon is more soft. They can both bee found at Korean markets.
• Green Onions. Also known as scallion greens. Not just a garnish but an essential flavor component to Korean Chicken Soup! Mince finely and serve in a small bowl at the table. People can help themselves and add as much as they like.
• Korean seasoning. My recipe calls for seasoning the chicken two ways. 1) Non-spicy: salt, pepper, and green onions. 2) Spicy: Gochukaru (Korean dried chili flakes), sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, and green onions.

Watch how to make it:

How to make Korean Chicken Noodle Soup

1. Make stock. Add chicken, carrot, onion, garlic, ginger and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
2. Shred chicken. Remove chicken to a separate platter. When cool enough to handle, shred meat and discard most of the skin. Return the leftovers bones back into the stock pot. Simmer bones and vegetables for 30 more minutes. Discard the bones and vegetable chunks and season with salt and chicken bullion.
3. Season chicken. While the soup pot simmers away, season the cooked chicken meat. Divide the cooked, shredded chicken between two bowls. Bowl 1: season with salt and black pepper. Bowl 2: season with gochukaru, soy sauce, garlic, green onions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.
4. Prep noodles. Choose either dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles) or Somyeon (thin wheat noodles). For the dangmyeon, soak in in cold water for 10-15 minutes. Drain water and add noodles to the hot broth. Cook until soft and pliant, about 3-4 minutes. For the Somyeon, cook in a separate pot of water until al dente (per package instructions). Drain and rinse with cold water. Add to the hot chicken stock, right before serving.
5. Serve. Serve the hot soup with green onions, mineral salt, and two bowls of seasoned chicken. Don’t forget the rice and kimchi. Enjoy!

PRO Tips:

• Skim off the scum. At the beginning of the cooking process, skim off the scum. It will ensure a clear broth.
• Make sure to use a whole chicken. A whole chicken is ideal for homemade chicken soup. All that bone, skin, cartilage, and tendon add so much depth and body to the stock! A whole chicken also gives a variety of dark and light meat. Swap with a combination of skin-on, bone-in thighs, drumsticks, wings, and/or breast meat in a pinch. But DO NOT use boneless, skinless chicken alone! This soup will NOT taste the same without chicken skin and bone!!
• Serve with rice. Rice adds an essential comfort factor. Koreans call the combination of rice and soup “Guk Bap.” Add a scoop of rice directly into the soup and swirl around. Eat the noodles, rice, and soup together. Pure comfort!
• Serve with kimchi. Kimchi also adds an acidic, spicy tang of fermented goodness. A nice compliment to this dish’s mild, milky-based broth. Koreans add kimchi directly into the broth for flavoring. Or eat a bite of kimchi alongside every bite of soup. Keep it from being too boring!

More Soup recipes:

• Beef Gomtang (Beef Bone Soup)
• Instant Pot Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup
• Homemade Miso Soup
• Korean Pork Bone Soup (Gamjatang)
• Spicy Braised Chicken Stew (Dak Dori Tang)

Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Soup)

The Subversive Table | Lis Lam

Banish the sniffles and cure all ailments with a big pot of Korean Chicken Soup, also known as Dak Gomtang. A satisfying bowl of cozy comfort that's nourishing and so delicious!

4.89 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Korean

Servings 4

Calories 239 kcal

Equipment

• Large stock pot with lid
• fine mesh strainer (large)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Stock:

• 1 3 lb whole chicken (can be subbed with 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 large onion, peeled + chopped in half
• 1 large carrot, chopped in half
• 3-inch ginger, sliced thinly
• 8 cloves garlic
• 9 cups cold water
• 1 tsp mineral salt (or to taste) (regular salt also works, if you don't have it)
• 1-2 tsp Better than bullion Chicken seasoning (or to taste)

Spicy Chicken Seasoning (optional):

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp Gochukaru (Korean chile flakes)
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil

Non-spicy chicken seasoning (optional):

• salt and pepper *to taste
• 1 green onions, chopped
• 1 drizzle sesame oil

For serving:

• 4-6 ounces dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato noodle) OR somyeon (Korean thin wheat noodles) (use 6 oz if you like more noodles, 4 oz if you like less)
• 3 green onions, chopped
• mineral salt (regular salt also works, if you don't have it)
• black pepper

Instructions

 

Make the Soup:

• Add whole chicken, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, chicken bouillon, and 9 cups of cold water to a stock pot. Bring to a boil, skimming off the scum with a fine mesh strainer. Then cover with lid and lower heat. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Remove cooked chicken to a separate platter. Cool chicken for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite sized strips. Discard most of the chicken skin. Transfer the bones back into the soup pot. Simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes.

Season chicken:

• While the soup simmers away, season the shredded chicken. Divide chicken evenly between two bowls.
• Bowl 1: season with salt and pepper lightly, to taste. Add green onion and a drizzle of sesame oil. Mix well.
• Bowl 2: add ingredients for Spicy Chicken Seasoning and mix until well combined.
• Serve both bowls of chicken at the table, so people can help themselves.

Prep noodles:

• Place Dang Myeon in a large, shallow bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 5 minutes. Drain.
• OR cook Somyeon according to package directions in a medium sized sauce pan. Drain and rinse in cold water until cold to the touch.
• When the soup is ready, discard all bones, vegetables, and peppercorns. Season with salt and chicken bullion to taste.
• Add drained Dang Myeon and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and pliant. OR add cooked Somyeon and serve immediately.

To serve:

• Serve with green onions, mineral salt, and the two bowls of seasoned chicken. Also, don't forget the rice and kimchi! Eat immediately and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*The soup can be prepared in advance. Make the soup according to recipe directions but do not soak the Dang Myeon with water until just before serving. When ready to serve, simply warm up the chicken broth and cook the drained Dang Myeon until soft and pliant, about 3-4 minutes.

**The Whole chicken can be substituted with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, wings, and/or breasts. Shorten the cooking time and start checking for doneness at 15 minutes. The chicken should be tender and cooked all the way through, without bloody parts.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 8gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0.3mgSodium: 820mgPotassium: 305mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3891IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Chicken Soup, Dak Gomtang

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