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Korean Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk)
Clear beef broth with soft oval rice-cake discs, egg ribbons and roasted gim — the Seollal / Lunar New Year bowl that marks a fresh year.
Ingredients
| Volume | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 lb sliced rice cakes (tteok), oval discs; soak 30 min in cold water if frozen, then drain | 454 g |
| 7 cups water | 1589 g |
| 1/2 lb beef flank or brisket, cut into small bite-size pieces | 227 g |
| 4 garlic cloves, minced | — |
| 1 large green onion (dae-pa), or 3 green onions, sliced thin on the diagonal | — |
| 2 tsp vegetable oil | 8.2 g |
| 2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated | 100 g |
| 1 tbsp fish sauce, or Korean soup soy sauce, to taste | 18 g |
| 1 tsp toasted sesame oil | 4.5 g |
| 1/2 tsp ground black pepper | 1.1 g |
| 1 sheet dried seaweed (gim / nori) | — |
| 1 red chile pepper, chopped, optional | — |
| 1/2 tsp table salt, to taste | 3 g |
Gram weights use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart; amounts given in lb or oz are converted by weight (1 lb = 453.6 g, 1 oz = 28.35 g); “—” means the ingredient isn’t on the chart, so measure it by volume or count. Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, or better, weigh it.
Method
- Bring the water to a boil in a heavy pot. Add the beef and garlic, boil uncovered 5 minutes, then lower to medium, cover, and simmer 20–25 minutes until the beef is tender and the broth tastes savory.
- Meanwhile, toast the gim sheet over a low flame or in a dry pan until it turns bright green and crisp, then crush it in a bag or with your hands. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with a pinch of salt; beat the whites with a pinch of salt. Warm a nonstick skillet, swirl in the oil, wipe out the excess so only a thin film remains, and turn off the heat. Pour in the yolks, tilt into a thin sheet, cook about 1 minute, flip briefly, then cool and slice into thin ribbons.
- Return the broth to a lively simmer. Stir in the drained rice cakes, fish sauce and salt. Cover and cook 7–8 minutes, until the cakes float and are soft through the middle.
- Drizzle the egg whites into the soup in a thin stream and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the sesame oil, black pepper and most of the green onion, then take the pot off the heat.
- Ladle into bowls. Top with egg ribbons, crushed gim, the remaining green onion and chopped chile if using. Serve right away (the cakes soften if they sit) with kimchi on the side.
Tips
- If the rice cakes are frozen, soak them in cold water about 30 minutes and drain before adding, or they stay dense in the center.
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) is traditional for a clear broth; fish sauce gives a similar savory depth. Season lightly first — both are salty — then adjust.
- Eat soon after ladling: the discs keep absorbing broth and can turn mushy if left in the pot.
- Inspiration: classic Korean Seollal tteokguk (rice-cake soup), including the clear-beef-broth style popularized by Maangchi. The white broth and coin-shaped cakes symbolize a clean start and prosperity; wording, proportions and steps here are our own.
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