Tteokguk

Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

A clear, gently beefy broth with chewy oval rice cakes, finished with a seasoned egg ribbon, crisp seaweed and scallion. In Korea it is the iconic Lunar New Year soup, eaten as a symbolic way of becoming a year older.

Prep

15 min

Cook

40 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) sliced tteok (garaetteok), fresh or frozen oval rice cakes
• •300 g (10½ oz) beef brisket or shank, well-marbled cut for a clear broth
• •1500 ml (6¼ cups) water, cold, for the broth
• •20 g (¾ oz) dried kelp (dashima), optional, for deeper umami
• •15 g (½ oz) dried anchovies (myeolchi), optional; can replace beef-only broth
• •1 whole yellow onion, halved
• •6 g (1 tsp) ginger, lightly smashed
• •3 g (2 cloves) garlic, lightly smashed
• •8 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt, to taste
• •2 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •2 large eggs, fully cooked to safe doneness; see step
• •4 g (1 sheet) dried gim (seaweed), toasted and snipped
• •15 g (0) scallion, thinly sliced, white and green parts
• •4 ml (1 tsp) sesame oil, toasted, for the egg
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce, for seasoning the beef, optional

Steps

1. 1 Place the beef in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the beef and pot to remove scum — this keeps the broth clear.
2. 2 Return the beef to the pot with 1500 ml cold water, onion, garlic, ginger, kelp and anchovies (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Skim any foam. Simmer 30 minutes, until the beef is tender and the broth tastes rounded (internal temperature of the beef should read at least 85°C / 185°F).
3. 3 Remove the kelp after 10 minutes so it does not turn bitter; continue simmering the rest. Lift out the beef, let it rest 5 minutes, then shred thinly across the grain. Discard onion, garlic, ginger and anchovies; strain the broth through a fine sieve.
4. 4 Cook the eggs to a safe, fully-done set: beat with the sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Heat a small non-stick pan over medium-low and cook as a thin omelette, about 1–2 minutes per side, until the center is firm and no liquid egg remains. Slice into thin ribbons (jidan).
5. 5 Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add the rice cakes and blanch 1–2 minutes if fresh, or 2–3 minutes if frozen, until they float and are tender but still chewy. Drain and rinse briefly under warm water to remove surface starch.
6. 6 Return the strained broth to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go; a light pinch of soy sauce is optional. Add the rice cakes and simmer 2 minutes to heat through and let them absorb the broth.
7. 7 Ladle rice cakes and broth into bowls. Top each with shredded beef, the cooked egg ribbon, a small tuft of toasted gim and a scatter of scallion. Serve very hot.
8. 8 Safety notes: cook the egg fully to a firm set (no runny yolk) — internal temperature of the cooked egg should reach at least 71°C / 160°F. Cook the beef broth long enough that the beef itself reaches at least 85°C / 185°F for safe, tender shredding. Use only commercially prepared dried gim; do not forage wild seaweed.