Tteokguk (Korean rice cake soup)
Tteokguk is a traditional Korean soup made with chewy rice cake slices (tteokguk-tteok) served in a savory broth. In my version, the broth is a light yet flavorful with dried kelp (kombu), enhanced by shiitake mushroom soaking liquid for added depth. Topped with colorful garnishes like egg omelettes, beef, shiitake mushrooms, and roasted seaweed, it represents the five cardinal colors. This recipe is customizable, whether you prefer a vegan option with tofu or the classic beef topping. It’s a comforting dish perfect for Seollal (Lunar New Year) or any time you need a warming meal.
Servings: 2 people
Equipment
- 1 stainless pot (around 2-2.5 liter by volume; half a gallon) any pots like cast iron pots (like Le Creuset or Staub pots) can be used
- 1 non stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 400 g tteokguk-tteok (sliced rice cakes for soup) 1 lb.
- 4 cups water
- 1 piece dried kelp (10 x 10 cm, about half a size of your palm) a.k.a., dashima, kombu
- 1 teaspoon guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce)
- salt to taste
Toppings
- 1 stalk green onion
- 1 sheet roasted gim (seaweed) cut into matchsticks (or simply crush it into smaller pieces
- 1 pinch Sil-gochu (Korean red chili threads)
Egg garnish (omelettes)
- 1 egg
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil for frying
Mushroom & beef garnish
- 2 dried pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms rehydrated with ½ cup warm water, save the liquid for the broth
- 1 tablespoon guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce)
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Preparations
- Soak the rice cakes in cold water for 20-30 minutes.
- Rehydrate dried pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms in ½ cup water. Warm water will help rehydrate quicker.
Toppings
- Thinly slice green onion.
- Cut the roasted seaweed (gim) into thin matchsticks. Alternatively, you can also crush it into big flakes.
Making Jidan (egg omelette)
- Separate the egg yolk and the egg whites and season with salt respectively. Stir well to prevent lumps. Strain in a small sieve if necessary to filter out egg shell or lumps.
- Heat a pan over low heat and add ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil. Wipe with a paper towel to only leave a thin layer of oil. Keep the heat on low heat to prevent bubbles or browning on egg omelette.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture into the pan, spreading it out thinly. The pan should be around 60℃ (140℉) if you want the omelette to be nice.
- Once the surface has settled (no runny parts), use chopstick or thin offset spatula to turn it over. Let it cook the opposite side for only 10-20 seconds. Set aside to cool.
- Repeat the same steps for the egg whites. This is a trickier one since it doesn't hold as well as the yolks. Once done with both sides, set aside to cool.
- Trim the uneven sides and make it into 2-3 cm length (an inch length).
- Cut into thin matchsticks.
Mushroom & beef garnish
- Squeeze out excess water from rehydrated mushrooms and chop into small pieces.
- Season the beef with guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce), sesame oil, minced garlic and black pepper. Mix well. (you can substitute beef with other meats, shrimp or tofu. Check out the Note section for details)
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add a small splash of vegetable oil and pour in the meat mixture. Stir well and cook until all the red spots are gone. Add the chopped mushroom. Cook for another 2 minutes and set aside.
Making the soup
- In a pot, add water, dried kelp (dashima, kombu) and soaking water from rehydrating the mushroom. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium low heat. Simmer for 3 minutes and remove the kelp.
- Turn the heat to high heat. Drain the rice cakes and add to the broth. Stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, keep boiling until most of the rice cakes float. Turn the heat down to medium heat.
- Season with guk-ganjang (Korean light soy sauce) and salt. Boil for another 1-2 minutes to fully cook the rice cakes and remove from the heat.
Serving
- Serve the soup in a bowl. Garnish with the toppings. I usually put the meat garnish first (around 3 spoons), then green onion, egg omelettes, roasted seaweed, then chili pepper threads. The toppings are customizable so you can put more or less if you'd like!
- Serve while warm. Mix the garnish well with the soup and enjoy!
Video
Notes
🫘For vegans, substitute minced meat with tofu. Wipe excess water and mash it into crumbles. Follow the same process
🍳 Egg can be substituted with any vegetables, like carrots, zucchini, etc.
Just cut it into thin matchsticks and stir-fry✨
🍳 Egg can be substituted with any vegetables, like carrots, zucchini, etc.
Just cut it into thin matchsticks and stir-fry✨