Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
This starchy and soothing bowl of tteokguk (rice cake soup) is not only a New Year's tradition but is classic comfort food any time of year!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Beef Broth (quick method)
- 1/2 pound beef chuck, loin, rib eye (preferably tender cut)
- 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce (guk ganjang, 국간장) see note 1
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
If using traditional method for broth
- 1/2 pound beef brisket, flank steak, or shank meat
- 1/2 medium onion
- 3 scallions – white parts (or 1 Korean daepa white part)
- 5 – 6 plump garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce (guk ganjang)
Rice cakes (garae tteok)
- 4 cups sliced garae tteok (가래떡, rice cake)
Garnish
- 1 or 2 scallions
- 1 egg optional
- 1/2 sheet gim (김, aka nori), roasted cut 1.5-inch strips with kitchen shears, or simply crush them with hands.
Instructions
- Soak the rice cake slices in cold water for about 20 minutes.
Quick method
- Cut the beef into thin, bite-sized pieces (1 to 1.5 inch). In a pot, sauté the beef with 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce until all the pieces turn brown. Pour in 12 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Skim off the foam. Add the garlic, another tablespoon of soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to boil, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
- Add the rice cake slices and boil until soft, usually about 5–8 minutes. Lightly beat the optional egg and drizzle over the soup before turning off the heat. Or make jidan (egg garnish), as shown below. Ladle the steaming soup into individual bowls and garnish with chopped scallions and gim strips.
Traditional method
- In a large pot, bring the meat, onion, scallions and garlic to a boil in 14 cups of water. Reduce the heat to medium low, and skim off the scum. Simmer, covered, until the meat is tender enough for shredding, about an hour or longer. You can add more water if reduced too much. You'll need about about 10 cups at the end. Remove the meat and cool. Discard the vegetables. Stir in soup soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
- To make egg garnish (jidan), separate the optional egg white and yolk if desired. Lightly beat the white by gently cutting it with a spoon. Stir the yolk with a spoon until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Pour each egg part into a thin layer, tilting the skillet and/or spreading with a spoon. Cook each side briefly. (Do not brown the egg.)
- Roll each egg crepe, and slice into short thin strips. Slice the scallion diagonally into thin strips.
- Cut the cooled beef into 1 to 1.5-inch wide strips against the grain, shred, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the rice cake slices and boil until soft, usually about 5–8 minutes. Ladle the steaming soup into individual bowls and garnish with the shredded beef, optional egg garnish, scallion and gim strips.
Notes
- If soup soy sauce, known as Joseon ganjang or guk ganjang, is not available, you can use a bit of regular soy sauce to add color (about 1/2 tablespoon) and season with salt. Regular soy sauce is not a good substitute for Korean soups. It will make the soup too dark and a bit sweet. You can use fish sauce if available.
- If you want to add some Mandu (dumplings), see my tteok manduguk recipe.