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Soups & stews · Korean home cooking

Korean rice cake soup (tteokguk)

The comforting sliced rice cake soup enjoyed for Korean New Year, made here with a quick beef broth, egg ribbons and a little seaweed garnish.

40 min2 servings6 stepsDifficulty: Easy
Korean rice cake soup (tteokguk)

AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.

01 / Before you start

Ingredients

2 servings

Get your ingredients ready
Get your ingredients ready

Everyday kitchen measurements

For 2 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).

How to fill the cup and spoons

Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.

King Arthur Baking

Essential, optional and substitute ingredients

Keep essential ingredients. For a replacement, use its listed amount and cooking changes instead of that ingredient’s original amount. Skip optional ingredients and their preparation if omitted. Photos show the original recipe.

  • Essential

    Buy thin oval tteokguk rice cakes, not sweet rice cakes or dry rice. Soak firm refrigerated slices; follow the packet if its soaking time differs.

  • Substitute available

    If Thinly sliced beef is unavailable

    Use instead
    Sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
    Substitute quantity
    1 paper cupReference quantity: 70 g

    Stir with the oil for 2 minutes, then use the same simmering method. This makes a mushroom rather than beef broth.

  • Optional

    May be omitted. Skip the egg stream; keep all other amounts unchanged.

  • Optional

    May be omitted. It adds a seaweed aroma at serving; it does not thicken the broth.

  • Substitute available

    If Korean soup soy sauce is unavailable

    Use instead
    Regular soy sauce
    Substitute quantity
    2 small teaspoonsReference quantity: 10 ml

    Use less because regular soy sauce darkens the broth. At the final tasting, add a little of the listed salt only if needed.

  • Optional

    May be omitted. Skip its preparation and addition; keep all other amounts unchanged. The flavour will be milder.

  • Optional

    May be omitted. Skip its preparation and addition; keep all other amounts unchanged. The flavour will be milder.

  • Substitute available

    If Toasted sesame oil is unavailable

    Use instead
    Neutral cooking oil
    Substitute quantity
    1 small teaspoonReference quantity: 5 ml

    Use the same heating method. The toasted sesame aroma will be absent.

  • Essential

    Keep the listed liquid so the broth does not become too concentrated. Extra water for washing or soaking is discarded.

  • Optional

    May be omitted. Add gradually only after tasting, since soy sauce and packaged broth can already be salty.

Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.

02 / You’re ready to cook

Step-by-step cooking

  1. Step 1

    Step 1: Separate the rice cake slices. If firm, soak in cold water for 15–20 minutes and drain; fresh soft slices only need rinsing. Do not force apart a frozen solid block: thaw in the refrigerator or follow the packet.

    Separate the rice cake slices. If firm, soak in cold water for 15–20 minutes and drain; fresh soft slices only need rinsing. Do not force apart a frozen solid block: thaw in the refrigerator or follow the packet.

  2. Step 2

    Step 2: Slice beef into thin small strips. Chop the spring onion, mince the garlic, beat the egg in a cup and cut the nori into short strips. Keep raw beef separate from the garnish.

    Slice beef into thin small strips. Chop the spring onion, mince the garlic, beat the egg in a cup and cut the nori into short strips. Keep raw beef separate from the garnish.

  3. Step 3

    Step 3: Warm sesame oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the beef and stir for 2–3 minutes until its outside is no longer red. Add garlic and stir for another 20 seconds.

    Warm sesame oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the beef and stir for 2–3 minutes until its outside is no longer red. Add garlic and stir for another 20 seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Step 4: Add 5 paper cups of water and the soup soy sauce. Bring to a boil, skim foam and simmer for 10 minutes to make a light beef broth.

    Add 5 paper cups of water and the soup soy sauce. Bring to a boil, skim foam and simmer for 10 minutes to make a light beef broth.

  5. Step 5

    Step 5: Add the drained rice cakes. Boil gently for 4–6 minutes, stirring carefully to prevent sticking. Check a slice: its centre should be soft and chewy without a hard core. Follow a longer packet cooking time if necessary.

    Add the drained rice cakes. Boil gently for 4–6 minutes, stirring carefully to prevent sticking. Check a slice: its centre should be soft and chewy without a hard core. Follow a longer packet cooking time if necessary.

  6. Step 6

    Step 6: Pour the egg in a thin stream and let it set completely before stirring gently. Add spring onion and cook for 1 minute. Taste, add the listed salt gradually if needed and serve immediately, with nori on top.

    Pour the egg in a thin stream and let it set completely before stirring gently. Add spring onion and cook for 1 minute. Taste, add the listed salt gradually if needed and serve immediately, with nori on top.

03 / Enjoy your meal

Finished dish

Finished dish: Korean rice cake soup (tteokguk)
Korean rice cake soup (tteokguk)
Helpful tips

Rice cakes keep absorbing broth: cook only what you plan to eat now. The listed time includes soaking. Cooked rice cakes are chewy; cut them smaller for children who can safely manage this texture. Store extra broth separately from the rice cakes. Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is hotter than 32°C. Keep at 4°C or below, use within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers to 74°C.

Enjoy every bite

How to enjoy it

Serve the soup hot and add salt only after tasting. Keep the cooked rice separate until serving.

Serve it with