Easy Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Tteokguk or Korean rice cake soup in beef broth garnished with eggs, seaweed, and green onions.

5 from 201 votes

Easy Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Tteokguk (떡국) is a Korean rice cake soup made of sliced rice cakes in a savory broth that's garnished with eggs, gim (seaweed), and green onions. It's a traditional soup eaten during Korean New Year, called Seollal (설날), to mark gaining another year and good fortune.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Korean

Servings:

Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Tteokguk base

2½ cups Korean rice cakes about ⅔ lb
3½ cups broth anchovy, dashi, or chicken broth; See Note 1
1 cup sliced beef bite-sized pieces; See Note 2
3 cloves garlic minced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Tteokguk toppings

2 eggs whites and yolks separated
2 stalks green onions chopped
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
gim (roasted seaweed) crushed or cut into strips
mandu (Korean dumplings) (optional) fresh or frozen

Instructions

Prep: Rinse and soak the rice cakes in a bowl of water while prepping the other ingredients. This helps with faster cooking. Cook the egg whites and egg yolks separately in a pan and cut them into thin strips.
2½ cups Korean rice cakes, 2 eggs
Cook beef: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and sauté the beef with garlic and vegetable oil until fully cooked.
1 cup sliced beef, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 cloves garlic
Add stock and rice cakes: Next, add the drained rice cakes, stock, and mandu (if using) and boil until rice cakes are soft and tender and mandu is fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Skim off any scum and season with soy sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
3½ cups broth, 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
Add toppings: Garnish with eggs, green onions, gim (roasted seaweed), and toasted sesame oil. Serve and enjoy!
2 stalks green onions, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Notes

Broth - Traditionally beef brisket is boiled in water until tender to create a beef brisket broth. For this quick and easy version, use any kind of clear broth you have.
Beef - Traditionally beef brisket is cooked and shredded, but for this easy version you can use any kind of thinly sliced beef such as ribeye, beef chuck, bottom round, or sirloin. Ground beef is another great option.
Tteok (Korean rice cakes) - You can find tteok in Korean or Asian grocery stores in the refrigerated or frozen aisle. They come vacuum-packed or sealed in air tight bags. Freshly made tteok can also be used.

Nutrition