Clear your stovetop for your 40-qt pot! We’re brewing collagen to keep you and your loved ones young and limber. Collagen, the most abundant protein in your body, plays a key role in maintaining your bones, joints, tissues, and skin. With age, the body benefits from a little extra support in maintaining its natural levels. Sip your daily dose with these easy, yet deeply flavorful and culturally rich, collagen-dense soups.
Seolleongtang (설렁탕)
Pure, rich, and resourceful, seolleongtang is a traditional Korean broth made by boiling ox bones for hours. In the process, marrow, fat, collagen, and nutrients are slowly extracted and emulsified into the liquid. Often served with rice, wheat noodles (somen), salt, heaps of scallions, and a side of kimchi, this milky-white broth is not only gentle enough to heal the gut, but also deeply nourishing — supporting immunity, skin vitality, and bone strength.
Milky-white seollongtang topped with a heaping spoon of scallions.
Beef Pho (Phở Bò)
Popular around the globe as a hangover cure, Việt Nam’s phở bò is a clearer, more fragrant cousin to Korea’s seolleongtang. Instead of vigorously boiling, this broth is made by gently simmering beef bones, aromatics, and spices for at least 10 hours. The result is a delicate yet subtly complex broth — light on the palate, but rich with notes of star anise, cinnamon, and charred aromatics. Served with rice noodles, herbs, and a squeeze of lime, this dish will compensate for all of life’s debauchery.
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (台湾牛肉面)
Swap out phở’s bones for beef shank, then add tomatoes, dried red chilis, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, and doubanjang (chili bean paste), and you’ll have Taiwan’s beloved braised beef noodle soup in just a few hours. The collagen comes from the tender, tendon-rich beef shank, creating a hearty and incredibly savory dish. Serve with wheat noodles, bok choy or spinach, and finish with scallions and cilantro for a balanced, comforting meal.
Left to right: Taiwanese beef noodle soup, phở bò with herbs, and fish maw soup. (Sources: RH, RDNE, Wk Lee)
Fish Maw Soup (花膠湯)
Less familiar in Western kitchens but prized in Asian cuisine, fish maw — the swim bladder that aids fish in floating — is coveted for its rich collagen content and anti-aging properties. When simmered, it softens, releasing collagen, thickening the broth, and transforming into a uniquely spongy texture that absorbs surrounding flavors.
At its most basic, this soup features bite-sized pieces of fish maw simmered in chicken or seafood broth, finished with a beaten egg swirled in at the end. Given its prized status, it is often elevated with additions like crab, abalone, or scallops for special occasions.
Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Soup)
Golden, anti-inflammatory, and gut-healthy, soto ayam is chicken noodle soup taken on a spicy tropical vacation. Infused with local ingredients — fresh turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, chilis, garlic, and shallots — this dish will undoubtedly rejuvenate your body and leave you sun-kissed from the inside out. Despite its vibrant and complex flavor, it’s easy to prepare. Simply pound or mince all the spices, sauté in neutral oil, add bone-in chicken, cover with water, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve over blanched mung bean noodles and top with tomatoes, cilantro, and fried shallots.
Golden, anti-inflammatory, gut-healthy soto ayam.
Whether you’re whipping up a simple batch of seolleongtang, floating away in fish maw heaven, or spicing things up with beef and chicken soups, your gut, joints, and skin will thank you kindly for the nourishment, hydration, and collagen. Bonus if you add veggies or a scoop of unflavored supergut fiber to each bowl. Enjoy!
Can’t find bones in bulk or the herbs and spices needed? Weee! is a fantastic delivery service for sourcing all your ingredients in one place.
