Tteokguk (dduk guk / 떡국) is a delicious Korean rice cake soup with tender, chewy rice cakes cooked in a clear, savoury beef brisket broth. This tasty and comforting soup is topped with various garnishes, including the tender, sesame-seasoned beef brisket that was cooked in the broth.
Tteokguk is a classic and popular dish that is famously eaten on Korean New Years (Seollal / 설날), the first day of the Lunar calendar. Up until very recently, rather than everyone aging up individually on their birthdays, Koreans would all age up a year together on Seollal. Eating a bowl of this Korean rice cake soup was considered an essential part part of this process.
The tteokguk eaten during Seollal is considered to be auspicious because the clear broth symbolizes purity and a clean and fresh start for the new year; and the white, oval rice cakes (similar in shape to old Korean coins) symbolize a bright and prosperous future. And so, Korean rice cake soup is part of an important ritual to recognize the new year that has begun.
Although known for this symbolic Korean New Years purpose, this dish is also enjoyed on Western New Year's Day, as well as all year round. It is a great interactive dish where everyone can garnish as they please. I like to take an extra large portion of the delicious, tender beef brisket for mine.
Do you love rice cakes as much as I do? Then I think you will also love Shanghai stir fried rice cakes that are cooked in a savoury chicken stir fry. Korean spicy rice cakes are another great way to enjoy tender rice cakes with a deliciously spicy kick.
Ingredients
- Rice cakes / tteok / dduk (떡) - These tender and chewy rice cakes are usually made from steamed glutinous rice flour and a bit of regular rice flour. The pillowy cakes are flavourless on their own, but readily soak up the flavour of the soup or sauce they are prepared in. You can buy rice cakes fresh (best), frozen (good), or dried (usually lower quality). Don't get the long cylinder-shaped rice cakes that are use for tteokbokki; look for the version that is sliced into thin ovals.
- Beef brisket - This lean cut of meat is perfect for using in this soup.
- Vegetables - Onion, garlic, and scallion.
- Korean soup soy sauce / guk-ganjang (국간장) - This is a type of Korean soy sauce made of fermented soy beans and brine. It is saltier, richer, with more umami flavour than regular soy sauce, as well as lighter in colour, which is great for seasoning soup while maintaining clarity. This ingredient is essential for making an authentic Korean soup, such as this one.
- Sesame oil - This adds a wonderful sesame flavour to the shredded beef brisket. Some like to use toasted sesame oil in this dish instead.
- Salt & Pepper
- Egg garnish / jidan (지단) - Jidan is a topping used for Korean rice cake soup made of thin strips of fried egg yolk and egg white. This topping is optional and doesn't add a lot of flavour, however, it's easy to make and makes a nice, colourful addition to the dish, so I recommend that you try it.
- Korean roasted seaweed / gim (김) - An optional topping for tteokguk. You can buy these in large sheets or in small packages meant for snacking. If you buy the large sheets, ensure that it is roasted. I usually use kitchen scissors to cut up this seaweeds into thin strips.
See the recipe card below for quantities.
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Substitutions
- Korean soup soy sauce - If you can't get Korean soup soy sauce, you shouldn't substitute with regular soy sauce in soups. Fish sauce would be the best substitute. If you have to use regular soy sauce, use a tiny amount and season to taste with salt.
- Korean roasted seaweed / gim (김) - You can substitute for this with nori (Japanese sushi seaweed) if needed.
- Egg garnish / jidan (지단) - An alternative is to simply drizzle a lightly beaten egg into the boiling soup right before turning off the heat (do not stir). Or, you can omit the egg entirely.
Variations
The original version of tteokguk actually used a pheasant broth. In modern times, this beef broth version is the standard, known as 'Seoul-style'. However, you can find chicken, vegetable, or anchovy broths used in different households.
Korean rice cake soup also varies geographically within Korea. For example, coastal regions along the Korean Straight often add oysters, and in the north-eastern province of Gangwon dumplings (mandu 만두) called tteok-manduguk (떡만두국) are added.
- With dumplings (tteok-manduguk, 떡만두국) - If you want to add dumplings to your soup, you should steam or boil them separately then add them into the soup once the rice cakes have softened.
- Vegetarian - To make a vegetarian version of Korean rice cake soup, use a clear vegetable or kelp broth and substitute the beef with mushrooms and bite-sized pieces of firm tofu.
Instructions
Soak the rice cakes in a bowl of cold water. Soak time depends on the kind of rice cakes you have. Fresh: not necessary if tender soft, 10 minutes if not pliable after fridge storage. Frozen: 10-20 minutes. Dry: 3 hours - overnight.
Trim the beef brisket very well. You just want the lean brisket with no pieces of fat or gristle. Prep the broth vegetables: Quarter the onion, trim the scallion stalks down to the whites (set the green tops aside), and peel and roughly slice the garlic cloves.
Add the beef, onion, scallion whites, and garlic slices into a large, lidded pot with 12 cups (2.84L) water. Bring the soup pot to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and skim any scum off of the surface. Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours. Watch that it doesn't boil over.
Turn off the heat and remove the brisket from the pot. Let it rest for 10 minutes. This will make the meat more tender.
Discard the vegetables and strain the broth through cheese cloth into a large bowl. Wipe the pot clean before returning the broth to it. (Straining and wiping the pot is optional, but will give you a beautifully clear broth.)
Season to taste with Korean soup soy sauce, salt, and pepper. You can make the broth as mild or flavourful as you would like. I used about 2 tablespoons of soup soy sauce. Cover the pot and set aside for now.
Once the beef brisket has rested, cut it into long strips against the grain (about 1-1 ½" / 2.5-4cm wide). Then use a fork or your fingers to easily shred the tender meat.
Place the shredded meat into a bowl and season it with sesame oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well to season all of the meat.
Thinly slice the scallion greens into thin slices on a diagonal, and cut the gim (seaweed) into thin strips as well. Cook and slice the jidan (egg garnish) - see instructions below.
Once the toppings are prepared, return the broth to a boil. Drain the soaked rice cakes and add them into the pot. Boil them until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Ladle the rice cake soup into individual serving bowls, then top with your various prepared toppings.
How to make jidan (egg garnish)
Separate the egg yolk from the egg white into separate small bowls, blending each with a spoon.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Pour the egg yolk into the centre, then use the spoon to spread it into one flat, even layer. Cook it briefly so that the bottom side is set but doesn't have time to brown, then gently flip it over and briefly cook the other side as well.
Set the cooked yolk aside on a cutting board, and repeat the process with the egg white. Once the egg has cooled enough to touch, roll them into a tight omelette. Then use a sharpe knife to thinly slice them into strips.
Equipment
To make this recipe you will need the following:
- Large pot or dutch oven with a lid - With a holding capacity of at least 5 litres. I used a 5 litre dutch oven and there was just room enough.
- Cheesecloth
- Mixing bowls
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Storage
Once added to the broth, the rice cakes will not keep long as they will become mushy. Don't let it sit for too long. Remove and discard any remaining rice cakes before storing the broth. You can cook new rice cakes in the broth later if desired.
Cool tteokguk completely before storing. Then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tip for Success
For the most beautiful and clear broth for your Korean rice cake soup, don't skip the step of straining the broth and wiping the pot clean.
FAQ
Tteokguk (떡국) is a Korean rice cake soup that is made of rice cakes in a clear beef broth, served with toppings of shredded beef, sesame oil, thinly sliced egg yolks and egg whites, green onions, and roasted seaweed.
Tteokguk (떡국) literally translates to 'rice cake soup.' Tteok (떡) means 'rice cake'; it can also sometimes be seen spelled as dduk, duk, or deok. And guk (국) means 'soup'.
Fresh rice cakes will spoil quite quickly, even within a few days while being stored in the refrigerator. If you don't plan to use fresh rice cakes right away you should freeze them in a freezer-safe container where they will keep for up to a few months.
📖 Recipe
Korean Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soups
- Cuisine: Korean
Description
Korean rice cake soup (tteokguk) is a delicious soup with tender, chewy rice cakes cooked in a clear, savoury beef brisket broth.
Ingredients
1 pound (454g) Korean rice cakes
Beef broth:
½ pound (227g) beef brisket, fat trimmed and removed
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, sliced thick
2 stalks scallion (white parts)
12 cups (2.84L) water
1-2 tablespoons Korean soup soy sauce *
salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings:
beef brisket, from broth
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sesame oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large egg
1 scallion (green part)
Korean gim (dried, roasted seaweed sheet) **
Instructions
Soak the rice cakes in a bowl of cold water. Soak time depends on the kind of rice cakes you have. Fresh: not necessary if tender soft, 10 minutes if not pliable after fridge storage. Frozen: 10-20 minutes. Dry: 3 hours - overnight.
Trim the beef brisket very well. You just want the lean brisket with no pieces of fat or gristle. Prep the broth vegetables: Quarter the onion, trim the scallion stalks down to the whites (set the green tops aside), and peel and roughly slice the garlic cloves.
Add the beef, onion, scallion whites, and garlic slices into a large, lidded pot with 12 cups (2.84L) water. Bring the soup pot to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and skim any scum off of the surface. Cover and cook for 1 ½ hours. Watch that it doesn't boil over.
Turn off the heat and remove the brisket from the pot. Let it rest for 10 minutes. This will make the meat more tender.
Discard the vegetables and strain the broth through cheese cloth into a large bowl. Wipe the pot clean before returning the broth to it. (Straining and wiping the pot is optional, but will give you a beautifully clear broth.)
Season to taste with Korean soup soy sauce, salt, and pepper. You can make the broth as mild or flavourful as you would like. I used about 2 tablespoons of soup soy sauce. Cover the pot and set aside for now.
Once the beef brisket has rested, cut it into long strips against the grain (about 1-1 ½" / 2.5-4cm wide). Then use a fork or your fingers to easily shred the tender meat.
Place the shredded meat into a bowl and season it with sesame oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well to season all of the meat.
Thinly slice the scallion greens into thin slices on a diagonal, and cut the gim (seaweed) into thin strips as well. Cook and slice the jidan (egg garnish) - see instructions below.
Once the toppings are prepared, return the broth to a boil. Drain the soaked rice cakes and add them into the pot. Boil them until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Ladle the rice cake soup into individual serving bowls, then top with your various prepared toppings.
Egg Garnish (Jidan):
Separate the egg yolk from the egg white into separate small bowls, blending each with a spoon.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Pour the egg yolk into the centre, then use the spoon to spread it into one flat, even layer. Cook it briefly so that the bottom side is set but doesn't have time to brown, then gently flip it over and briefly cook the other side as well.
Set the cooked yolk aside on a cutting board, and repeat the process with the egg white. Once the egg has cooled enough to touch, roll them into a tight omelette. Then use a sharpe knife to thinly slice them into strips.
Notes
* If you can't get Korean soup soy sauce, do not substitute with regular soy sauce in soups. Fish sauce would be the best substitute.
** You can substitute for gim with Japanese sushi seaweed if needed, or omit it from this recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 116
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 659.4 mg
- Fat: 5.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Protein: 19.8 g
- Cholesterol: 80.5 mg
Keywords: Korean rice cake soup, tteokguk, dduk guk
Francesca says
Great flavour to this soup.
Asha says
Thank you!
Gina says
I can't pronounce it but I loved it.
Asha says
Haha thank you 😀
Rita says
I really enjoyed this soup. Will be making many more times to come
Asha says
Thank you! 🙂
Elaine says
Delicious soup. This is guest-worthy.
Asha says
Thank you 🙂
Cathy says
So tasty and healthy too.
Asha says
Thanks 🙂
Gene says
Cold and ràiny day. This soup was delightful.
Asha says
Thank you 🙂 It makes such a great comfort meal
Garth says
Loved how great tasting this soup is.
Asha says
Thank you!
Samantha says
Easy to make. Awesome flavour.
Asha says
Thank you! 🙂
Bernice says
What a comforting bowl of soup! I have a Korean friend that introduced us to this soup in a restaurant but I've always wanted to try to make it at home. Thanks for the great recipe!
Asha says
Thanks! Yes, it's such a great comfort food. I recently made some when I was feeling under the weather and it helped immensely.
Marie-Pierre Breton says
This umami soup seems so delicate yet powerful! Would commercial soy sauce be alright? And wakame instead of Korean See Weed? I'll try this out as soon as I get my hand on those love pillowy rice cakes! Lovely recipe as always!
Asha says
Thank you! 🙂 You can substitute the Korean seaweed with sheets of nori Japanese seaweed. As for the soy sauce, it is recommended to substitute the Korean soup soy sauce with fish sauce to keep the clarity of this soup. Or, if you have to use regular soy sauce use just a tiny bit and season the rest of the way with salt.
Sean says
I've had those little rice cakes so many times - both in Chinese and Korean recipes - and yet I've NEVER thought to make tteokguk! I realize now that I've been missing out. Fantastic soup, with great flavours, and awesome textures (love that springy/chewy rice cake vibe). Cheers!
Asha says
Thanks so much! I love this soup, it's always a go-to of mine for chilly weather when I'm craving something delicious and cozy.
nancy says
this is one of my favourite recipes for rice cake soup. The temperature suddenly dipped here and i'm looking forward to trying this tonight!
Asha says
Thank you 🙂 Hope you are getting some warmer weather again ~