Tteokguk (떡국) is a Korean rice cake soup product of sliced rice desserts in a savory beef broth that is garnished with eggs, gim (seaweed), and inexperienced onions. It’s a conventional soup eaten throughout Korean New Year, known as Seollal (설날), to mark gaining one other yr and success.

Tteokguk (떡국) is a Korean rice cake soup product of sliced rice desserts, beef, and beef broth. It’s garnished with thinly sliced eggs, inexperienced onions, gim (Korean seaweed), and toasted sesame oil.
Tteokguk actually interprets to rice cake soup in Korean. ‘Tteok’ (떡) means rice cake and ‘guk’ (국) means soup. Tteokguk can be spelled ‘dduk guk’, ‘duk guk’, or ‘deok guk’.
Traditionally, it takes over an hour to make this soup as a result of beef brisket is boiled till delicate and tender, however this fast and simple model is prepared in solely quarter-hour and has all the normal flavors!
What is tteokguk (떡국)?
Tteokguk is a comforting Korean rice cake soup made with thinly sliced rice desserts, beef brisket, beef broth, and sometimes mandu (Korean dumplings). It’s garnished with skinny strips of egg yolks and egg white (known as jidan 지단), inexperienced onions, and gim (Korean seaweed). Lightly drizzle toasted sesame oil proper earlier than serving.
Tteokguk for Korean New Year (설날)
Korean New Year is known as Seollal (설날) and marks the primary day of the lunar calendar. It’s an enormous celebration in Korean tradition that spans three days of household gatherings, together with the day of, day earlier than, and day after.
Eating tteokguk is a well-liked custom on at the present time as a result of it symbolizes getting a yr older in Korean tradition and its coin-like form is believed to deliver success, prosperity, and wealth for that yr. The white coloration of the rice desserts additionally symbolizes purity, new beginnings, and cleanliness.
A typical customized is to say “you’re now a year older” after consuming a bowl of tteokguk on New Year’s Day. These days it is eaten all all year long, and even on Western New Year’s Day.
Ingredients
Tteok (Korean rice desserts) – Look for thinly sliced rice desserts in an oval form. This sort of tteok is totally different from the lengthy cylinder shapes utilized in tteokbokki. You can discover it in Korean grocery shops or Asian shops within the refrigerated or frozen aisle. If frozen, soak in chilly water till they separate and thaw, about 10 minutes.
Beef – Use any lower of thinly sliced beef for fast cooking. I used thinly sliced rib-eye lower into bite-sized items for a wealthy taste.
Stock or broth – I used hen broth however you should use dashi, anchovy inventory, or any clear light-colored inventory or broth.
Toppings – Eggs, inexperienced onions, gim (Korean seaweed), and mandu (Korean dumplings).
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the tteok (rice desserts) in water whereas prepping the opposite substances. This makes for quicker cooking time. If frozen, soak for about 10 minutes to thaw.
- Cook the egg whites and egg yolks individually in a pan and lower them into skinny strips. This approach is known as jidan in Korea. Set apart.
- Sauté the meat with garlic and oil till totally cooked. Then add the drained rice desserts. Add mandu presently, if utilizing.
- Add your broth or inventory and convey to a boil. Skim off any scum and cook dinner for five minutes or till the rice desserts are delicate and tender. The broth ought to thicken up because the starch will get launched from the rice desserts. Season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper to style. Next, add the chopped inexperienced onions.
- Garnish the tteokguk with thinly sliced egg yolks and egg whites, crushed or thinly lower gim, and extra inexperienced onions. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and serve!
Variations
Vegetarian tteokguk – For a vegetarian model, use a vegetable broth or vegetarian dashi, and as an alternative of beef use mushrooms and agency tofu lower into bite-sized items.
Tteok mandu guk – Tteokguk can even embrace mandu or Korean dumplings. Use any mandu you want. Both recent or frozen mandu work effectively.
Easy Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
Tteokguk (떡국) is a Korean rice cake soup product of sliced rice desserts in a savory broth that is garnished with eggs, gim (seaweed), and inexperienced onions. It’s a conventional soup eaten throughout Korean New Year, known as Seollal (설날), to mark gaining one other yr and success.
Instructions
- Prep: Rinse and soak the rice desserts in a bowl of water whereas prepping the opposite substances. This helps with quicker cooking. Cook the egg whites and egg yolks individually in a pan and lower them into skinny strips.
2½ cups Korean rice desserts, 2 eggs
- Cook beef: Heat a big pot over medium-high warmth and sauté the meat with garlic and vegetable oil till totally cooked.
1 cup sliced beef, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 cloves garlic
- Add inventory and rice desserts: Next, add the drained rice desserts, inventory, and mandu (if utilizing) and boil till rice desserts are delicate and tender and mandu is totally cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Skim off any scum and season with soy sauce and add salt and pepper to style.
3½ cups broth, 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- Add toppings: Garnish with eggs, inexperienced onions, gim (roasted seaweed), and toasted sesame oil. Serve and revel in!
2 stalks inexperienced onions, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
✎ Recipe Notes
- Broth – Traditionally beef brisket is boiled in water till tender to create a beef brisket broth. For this fast and simple model, use any type of clear broth you’ve gotten.
- Beef – Traditionally beef brisket is cooked and shredded, however for this straightforward model you should use any type of thinly sliced beef resembling ribeye, beef chuck, backside spherical, or sirloin. Ground beef is one other nice possibility.
- Tteok (Korean rice desserts) – You can discover tteok in Korean or Asian grocery shops within the refrigerated or frozen aisle. They come vacuum-packed or sealed in air tight baggage. Freshly made tteok can be used.
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 244mg | Sodium: 1966mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1234IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
*Nutritional data is an estimate, calculated utilizing on-line instruments.
Tteokguk symbolizes getting a yr older in Korean tradition and is believed to deliver success for that yr. It’s sometimes eaten on the morning of Korean New Year’s Day, known as Seollal (설날), however it’s eaten all all year long lately.
Yes! Simply thaw by soaking in water for about 10 minutes earlier than cooking. It ought to simply separate and thaw since they’re thinly sliced.
You can discover them within the refrigerated or frozen part of any Korean grocery retailer. They often come vacuum-sealed or wrapped in an hermetic bag.