Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth
Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with a mild gochujang coconut broth and ramen noodles cooked right in the pot. Mild enough for kids, easy to spice up.
Quick Look: Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth
Ready In: 8 hours
Serves: 6
Calories: 358 Calories
Main Ingredients: bone-in short ribs, onions, garlic, ginger, gochujang, coconut milk, beef broth, ramen noodles
Why You'll Love It: Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth is a surprisingly kid-friendly, easy slow cooker soup recipe that makes a weeknight feel super special!
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- Quick Look: Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth
- Expert Tips
- Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup Recipe FAQs
- Other Cozy Noodle Dishes to Consider
- Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth
Short ribs usually aren't a weeknight thing, because they need hours to get tender. The slow cooker does all that waiting for you, and that's how this short rib soup came together. It's fall-apart beef in a gochujang broth with ginger, garlic, and coconut milk, and the ramen noodles cook right in the pot at the end. If Thai Dumpling Noodle Soup or Vegetarian Ramen Noodle Soup are regulars at your house, this one fits right in.
Worried it's too spicy? My kids loved it. The amount of gochujang in the recipe keeps the broth very mild, which is exactly why it worked for them. My husband and I wanted just a little more heat (it's called Minnesota Spicy...), so we added extra gochujang and some chili crisp to ours. If your family is split on spice, keep the pot mild and let the grown-ups add heat.
Looking for more cozy slow cooker soups? Check out my Slow Cooker Beef Stew, Crock-Pot Chicken Rice Soup, and Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Kid Friendly - At this amount, the gochujang adds flavor without much heat, and adults can spice up their own bowls.
Mostly hands-off - About 20 minutes of work up front, then the slow cooker does the rest.
All in One Pot - The ramen cooks right in the broth at the end.
Rich but not heavy - Skimming the fat before the coconut milk goes in keeps the broth from feeling greasy.
Please refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients.
Key Ingredients
Bone-in beef short ribs - They get very tender after hours in the slow cooker and shred easily with two forks. The bones add flavor to the broth.
Gochujang - A Korean fermented chili paste that's savory and a little sweet. Two tablespoons keeps the soup mild. Look for it in the international aisle.
Onion, Garlic, and Fresh Ginger - Diced and minced, then cooked in the same pan you seared the short ribs in, so they pick up all that browned flavor. Together they build the savory base of the broth.
Tomato Paste - Cooked briefly with the gochujang to build a savory base.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk - Stirred in at the end to make the broth creamy.
Ramen Noodles - Any packaged ramen works. Just toss the seasoning packets.
Toppings - Green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges, plus sesame oil and sesame seeds if you have them.
Please refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients.
Substitutions and Variations
Make it Spicier - Stir extra gochujang or chili crisp into individual bowls. That's what Marc and I did, and it keeps the pot mild for the kids.
Different Sweetener - Instead of honey, you could use brown sugar.
Different Noodles - If you'd rather use udon or rice noodles, cook them separately according to the package, since their cooking times are different from ramen.
How to Make Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth
Step 1.
Season the short ribs on all sides with the salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sear the ribs for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Alternately, you can do this in a slow cooker with the sauté function.
Step 2.
Remove the short ribs from the skillet/slow cooker and add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the same skillet. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly softened.
Step 3.
Add the tomato paste, gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often.
Step 4.
If doing this in a skillet, transfer everything from the skillet to the slow cooker. Add the broth and short ribs to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the short ribs are very tender and pull away from the bone.
Step 5.
Remove the short ribs, discard the bones and any large pieces of fat, and shred the beef with two forks. Skim the excess fat from the broth.
Step 6.
Stir the coconut milk into the broth and return the beef to the slow cooker. Add the noodles and push them down into the broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 to 10 more minutes, until broth is hot and noodles are cooked. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Skim before adding the coconut milk - Short ribs release a lot of fat as they cook. Skimming it off keeps the broth rich without making it heavy.
Check the Noodles Early - Ramen goes from tender to mushy quickly, so start checking at 5 minutes.
For Leftovers - Cook the ramen separately and add it to individual bowls. Noodles left in the broth keep soaking up liquid and get soft.
Storage - Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, with any noodles stored separately. Reheat it on the stove over medium heat until hot.
Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup Recipe FAQs
Not as written. The 2 tablespoons of gochujang keeps it mild enough for kids. To add heat, stir extra gochujang or chili crisp into your own bowl.
Yes. Cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, then finish with the coconut milk and noodles as written.
Searing the ribs and charring the aromatics is where a lot of the flavor comes from, so I don't recommend skipping it. However, if you're in a pinch and short on time, you can skip it.
Other Cozy Noodle Dishes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Slow Cooker Short Rib Soup with Gochujang Coconut Broth
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs about 4-5 short ribs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 6 cloves garlic sliced or minced
- 3- inch piece fresh ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 9 ounces ramen noodles seasoning packets discarded
Instructions
- Season the short ribs on all sides with salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat OR using the sauté function on a slow cooker.
- Add the short ribs and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, until deeply browned.
- Remove the short ribs from the skillet/slow cooker and set aside on a plate.
- Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the same skillet, cut-side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened and fragrant.
- If this step was on the stovetop, transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the tomato paste, gochujang, soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar to the onions and stir well.
- Add the short ribs to the slow cooker, followed by the beef broth.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the short ribs are very tender and easily pull away from the bone.
- Remove the short ribs from the slow cooker. Discard the bones and any large pieces of fat, then shred the beef with two forks. Skim excess fat from the surface of the broth.
- Stir the coconut milk into the broth and return the shredded beef to the slow cooker.
- Add the ramen noodles directly to the slow cooker, making sure they are mostly submerged in the broth.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for about 8-10 minutes, until the noodles are tender. This time may vary depending on what type of ramen you have.
- Start checking them around 5 minutes so they don't overcook.
- Taste and adjust with additional soy sauce or rice vinegar, if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. We like green onions, cilantro, a drizzle of sesame oil, lime wedge, and chili crisp for extra heat.
- Enjoy!
