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Korean

Tteokguk (rice cake soup)

Non-vegetarian

떡국 · tteokguk

Thin oval slices of rice cake simmered in a clear beef broth and topped with egg ribbons, toasted seaweed and spring onion. Eaten on Korean New Year's Day (Seollal), when a bowl is said to add a year to your age.

Tteokguk (rice cake soup) is a Korean soup from South Korea, ready in about 1 hour and made with beef chuck and korean rice cakes (tteok). It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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A serving of Tteokguk (rice cake soup)
Photo: heeyarang / Pixabay · Pixabay Content License
Prep
25 min
Cook
35 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
522

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fry the beef and garlic (opens in a new tab) in the sesame oil (opens in a new tab) until browned, then add the water and simmer, skimming, until the broth is flavourful.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile cook the yolks and whites separately as thin sheets in a lightly oiled pan and slice into fine strips.

  3. Step 3

    Season the broth with soy sauce (opens in a new tab) and salt, add the drained rice cakes and boil until they float and are soft and chewy.

    • 6 min
    • medium-high heat

  4. Step 4

    Ladle into bowls and top with egg (opens in a new tab) strips, spring onion (opens in a new tab), seaweed and black pepper (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
South Korea · Well documentedMore food from South Korea
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
savoury, mild, umami
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · One-pot
Cook more with
Beef chuck · Korean rice cakes (tteok) · Toasted sesame oil · Garlic · Soy sauce · Egg
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

522 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 697 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 54%
  • Fat 29%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy522 kcal75 kcal
Protein21.2 g3 g
Carbohydrate70.8 g10.2 g
Net carbohydrate64 g9.2 g
Sugars5.6 g0.8 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.8 g1 g
Fat17.1 g2.5 g
Saturated fat3.8 g0.5 g
Trans fat0.1 g0 g
Cholesterol125 mg18 mg
Sodium1573 mg226 mg
Salt equivalent3.9 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
387 mg
Calcium
286 mg
Iron
5.7 mg
Magnesium
46 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
47 µg
Vitamin C
3 mg
Vitamin D
0.6 µg
Vitamin B12
1.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
74 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Korean rice cakes (tteok): Gluten-free white bread made with rice flour (FDC 174100) used as a stand-in for plain cylinder rice cakes; energy and carbohydrate are similar, fat is somewhat overestimated.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add the rice cakes only once the broth is seasoned — they absorb salt as they cook.
  • Separate yolk and white garnish (jidan) is traditional for New Year; beaten whole egg stirred into the soup is a quicker everyday version.

Common mistakes

  • Overcooking the rice cakes — they turn mushy and thicken the soup.

Food safety

  • Simmer the beef until tender and cooked through.
  • Refrigerate leftover broth within 2 hours; reheat to a full boil.

Storage

  • Store broth and rice cakes separately: the rice cakes swell and turn mushy in the soup. Broth keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Variations

  • Tteok-mandu-guk: Add a few dumplings (mandu) to the soup with the rice cakes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Beef chuck, brisket or chuck, thinly sliced200 g
  • Korean rice cakes (tteok), sliced oval tteok, soaked 20 minutes if hard600 g
  • Egg, yolks and whites separated2 piece · 100 g
  • Nori, toasted and crumbled1 sheet · 3 g
Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

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