Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Korean rice cake soup served in a bowl garnished with carrot strips and shredded beef

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Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup) is a traditional Korean recipe, for a classic soup of sliced rice cakes in a beef stock served topped with dried seaweed, shredded beef, and sliced fried eggs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Korean version of: Korean Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk).

prep time

30 minutes

cook time

105 minutes

Total Time:

135 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Spice Recipes Beef Recipes Korea Recipes

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Ingredients:

For the Beef Stock:
500g skinless fat-less beef brisket, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes to remove any remaining myoglobin
2.5l water
1 large onion, quartered
2 stalks Welsh onion/branching onion (white part only) keep the green part for the toppings (substitute spring onion)
10 whole black peppercorns

For the Soup Sauce:
400g Korean rice cakes for soup
1 tbsp Korean soy sauce for soup, this is available on-line (eg from Amazon). However, if you can’t find Korean soy sauce for soup, you can season with Korean fish sauce and/or fine sea salt instead. Just add them in small doses gradually while tasting.
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Fine sea salt , to taste (you may not need any, due to the saltiness of the soy sauce)

Suggested Toppings (These are the classic Korean rice cake soup toppings):
2 eggs, egg white and yolk separated and pan fried separately at a low temperature with a little oil. Thin slice them. Alternatively, you can beat the eggs together and drizzle them into the soup 1 to 2 mins before serving.
Green parts from 1 to 2 stalks or Welsh onion/branching onion (or spring onions), thinly sliced
2–3 sheets Korean roasted dried seaweed (substitute with nori/sushi seaweed), cut into thin strips or crushed/torn with your hands.
shredded cooked beef (from making the beef stock), seasoned with fine sea salt (1/4 tsp) and sesame oil (2 tsp) or to taste

Method:

Combine the water, black peppercorns, onion and spring onion in a large pan then bring to a boil over medium-high heat with a lid on. Once the water starts to boil, add the meat. Continue boiling for a further 5 minutes then reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking for a further 50 minutes. This should yield about 1l of beef stock.

After this time remove the meat and set aside. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin (cheese cloth). Discard the vegetables, but reserve the stock. Allow the meat to cool until it can be handled (about 10 minutes) then shred with a knife, fork or your hands. Season the meat with salt and sesame oil.

Whilst the meat is cooling, soak the rice cakes in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes to soften. Drain the water. Prepare the other toppings whilst waiting. Once the rice cakes have softened slice them at a bias into pieces about 1cm thick.

Pour the meat stock into a clean pan then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts boiling add the minced garlic and the soy sauce. Now add in the rice cakes and cook until softened (about 2–3 minutes). Take care not to overcook the rice cakes as they can turn mushy.

Serve the soup in a bowl and garnish with your desired toppings. If you like it spicy, add a few generous twists of freshly-ground black pepper.