Tteokguk: Korean New Year Soup
A traditional Korean rice cake soup, Tteokguk is a symbolic dish enjoyed during Lunar New Year, believed to bring good luck and add a year to one's age. It features chewy rice cakes in a savory broth, garnished with egg and other toppings.
Ingredients
- 500 g Korean rice cakes (tteok) for tteokguk
- 200 g beef (sirloin or brisket) thinly sliced or ground
- 6 cups beef broth or anchovy broth
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 stalks green onion chopped for garnish
- 1 sheet roasted seaweed (gim) crushed for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the rice cakes in cold water for 20-30 minutes if they are fresh, or longer if frozen, until softened. Drain well.
- In a medium pot, bring the beef broth to a simmer. Add the thinly sliced beef and garlic. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add the softened rice cakes to the simmering broth. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the rice cakes are soft and chewy.
- Season the soup with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the boiling soup while stirring gently with a fork to create wispy egg strands. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the egg is cooked through.
- Ladle the Tteokguk into individual serving bowls. Garnish generously with chopped green onions and crushed roasted seaweed. Serve hot.
Notes
For a richer broth, you can use beef brisket and simmer it longer to extract more flavor. Vegetarians can use a mushroom or vegetable broth and omit the beef. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately for best texture.