Let’s Make Korean Rice Cake Soup, Tteokguk:
This Korean Rice Cake Soup recipe, Tteokguk, is for the non-traditionalist, as I really can’t be bothered to boil the beef broth. That’s why I used Miso soup instead, although I do know that there is a huge difference between Koreans and Japanese, like how they hate each other. But what are traditions if not a time to indulge in oneself.
Anyway, this Korean rice cake soup recipe is super easy and super comforting. It’s usually made during the beginning of the lunar new year to ring in good luck. This is actually my first year of making this a tradition (full story at bottom if you want to know the TEA), and it’s honestly great. It’s super healthy and I am obsessed with the chewy rice cakes.
You can make this the more traditional way if you want by not using miso soup instead. You can cut ½ lb of beef flank and boil it with salt for 20-25 minutes until an opaque, white broth develops. This isn’t technically hard, but I’m just really impatient. I can’t be bothered to make something that takes a long time when it
Let’s Get Cooking!
More In-Depth Recipe at the Bottom
Korean Rice Cake Soup Tteokguk
Ingredients
- 1 Log Egg Tofu (Cut)
- 1 Stalk Scallions (Sliced)
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic (Smashed)
- 1 Knob Ginger (Smashed)
- 1 & ½ C Korean Rice Cakes (Ovalette Shaped, Rinsed & Drained)
- ½ Lb Beef Flank (Sliced & This is an alternative to the Miso and Dashi Broth)
- 1 Tbsp Miso
- 5 C Dashi Broth
- 1 Handful Seaweed (Cut)
Garnish:
- ½ C Kimchi
- 2 Large Fried Eggs (Recipe serves 2 people, one egg per person)
- Splash Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients by slicing the Egg Tofu, Scallions, Seaweed, and washing the Korean Rice Cakes, and Smashing the Ginger and Garlic.
- In a pot, you can either boil together Garlic, Ginger, Miso, Dashi Broth, and Seaweed, or alternatively boil together Sliced Beef Flank, Garlic, Ginger, for 20-25 minutes for an opaque broth, then add in the seaweed. I prefer going the former route (the Miso and Dashi Broth), as it is much easier. When the broth simmers, add in drained Rice cakes and turn off the heat to allow the Rice Cakes to cook. The Rice Cakes are done cooking after they are chewy in the middle and begin floating to the top of the broth.
- Serve with a Fried Egg, Sesame Oil, and some Kimchi
Notes
1. Prepare the Ingredients by slicing the Egg Tofu, Scallions, Seaweed, and washing the Korean Rice Cakes, and Smashing the Ginger and Garlic. You don’t really need to wash the rice cakes, as my Korean friends say that washing the rice cakes is just a waste of time, but I’m not really sure. I wash my rice. I wash my cake in the shower. So, why wouldn’t I wash my rice cakes?
In a pot, you can either boil together Garlic, Ginger, Miso, Dashi Broth, and Seaweed, or alternatively boil together Sliced Beef Flank, Garlic, Ginger, for 20-25 minutes for an opaque broth, then add in the seaweed. I prefer going the former route (the Miso and Dashi Broth), as it is much easier. When the broth simmers, add in drained Rice cakes and turn off the heat to allow the Rice Cakes to cook. The Rice Cakes are done cooking after they are chewy in the middle and begin floating to the top of the broth. When boiling the broth, this is the optimal time to fry two eggs.
Serve with a Fried Egg, Sesame Oil, and some Kimchi
Story Time (Sorta):
I wasn’t raised culturally Korean. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t follow the tradition of making Korean rice cake soup to begin the year. Actually, this is my first year of making this a tradition, as silly as this sounds. I never grew up with traditional family activities or anything other than the mainstream ones. There was nothing that really made my family special, and in retrospect, that never really made me feel special about my family either. Truth be told, I actually cut off most of my family for the last 8 years. They were never the type of people who were patient or kind. Rather, they were volatile, insecure, and jealous. At most, I only see them once a year, at the Chinese new year dinner table so that I can collect their money. It’s like retribution for the harm they did to me, except for that one cousin who always gives me an empty lucky red bag. I would tell him to eat my ass, but I have standards. I may not have a family to celebrate a tradition with, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t carve out a tradition for myself, although it may be considered untraditional, like this Korean rice cake soup. It’s important to create memories for yourself, rather than being dependent on other people. Anyway, even if it is bitter to do it alone, it is sweet that I can depend on myself to celebrate. It’s bittersweet like dark chocolate, just like the men I bring to bed. Side note, Do Koreans actually wash their rice cakes before boiling, cause it says so on the instructions, but when I showed my korean friend this, they said that that was some colonizer shit.
The SEasOning:
Rice Cake. Rice Cake Recipe. Tteok. Tteokguk. Korean Rice Cake Soup Recipe. Easy way to Cook Rice Cakes in a broth to basically make Tteokguk.
