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Torantang (taro soup)
Clear beef and kelp broth with silky taro and radish for Chuseok
Torantang is the soup of Chuseok all over Korea: taro is dug up just as the harvest moon festival arrives, and its name, 'egg of the earth', makes it a natural thanks for the year's crops. Elders also say it settles the stomach after days of rich jeon and rice cakes. The broth is clean and gently beefy with a sea-sweet depth from kelp, and the taro turns silky and creamy, almost like a soft potato. Serve it piping hot with rice, kimchi and the holiday jeon. Chef's tip: wear gloves when peeling taro, which makes bare skin itch, and parboil it before it goes into the soup so the broth stays clear.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the broth
- 10 ½ oz beef brisket or shinsoaked in cold water 20 minutes to draw out blood
- 8 ¼ cups water
- ⅓ oz dried kelp (dasima)a 10 cm square, wiped
- 7 oz Korean radish or daikoncut into thin 3 cm squares
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
For the taro
- 1 ⅛ lb small taropeeled with gloves on, larger ones halved
- 1 tsp saltfor parboiling
To season and serve
- 1 tbsp tamarior Korean soup soy sauce if gluten isn't a concern
- 1 tsp saltto taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 spring onionsliced on the diagonal
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 10 ½ oz beef brisket or shin and put it in a large pot with 8 ¼ cups water and ⅓ oz dried kelp (dasima). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and lift out the kelp after 10 minutes, before it turns slimy; keep it.
12 minStep 2: Skim off the grey foam, add 3 cloves garlic, and simmer gently, half covered, for 40 minutes, until the beef is tender when pierced with a chopstick.
40 minStep 3: Meanwhile, bring 4 ¼ cups water from rinsing rice (or plain water) and 1 tsp salt to the boil in another pan, add 1 ⅛ lb small taro and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water, rubbing off the slippery coating. Common mistake: putting raw taro straight into the soup; it releases a thick slime that clouds the broth.
8 minStep 4: Lift out the beef and cut it into thin, bite-size slices. Cut the kelp into 2 cm squares.
4 minStep 5: Return beef and kelp to the broth with the taro and 7 oz Korean radish or daikon. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, until a skewer slides easily through the taro and the radish turns translucent.
15 minStep 6: Season with 1 tbsp tamari, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper, tasting as you go; the broth should be light and clear. Add 2 spring onion, simmer for 1 minute and serve piping hot.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does torantang (taro soup) take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of water from rinsing rice (or plain water)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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