Tteok Manduguk
Tteok Manduguk is a soothing Korean soup of chewy rice cakes and juicy dumplings in a clear, savoury beef broth. Finished with egg ribbons, scallions, sesame, and nori, it is delicate in appearance yet deeply comforting and satisfying.
Ingredients
Broth and soup base
- 1 litrebeef broth
- 120 glean beef brisket or soup beef, thinly sliced
- 10 ggarlic, minced
- 20 mllight soy sauce
- 10 mlKorean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 2 gsalt
- 0.5 gground black pepper
Rice cakes and dumplings
- 250 gsliced Korean rice cakes (tteokguk-tteok)
- 6 pieces (about 180 g)Korean mandu dumplings
Egg and garnish
- 1 largeegg
- 20 gscallions, thinly sliced
- 5 mltoasted sesame oil
- 4 gtoasted sesame seeds
- 1 sheet (about 2 g)nori, cut into thin strips
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the sliced rice cakes under cold water, then soak them in fresh cold water for 10 minutes while you prepare the soup. This helps them cook evenly and prevents clumping. In a small bowl, beat the egg until smooth. Thinly slice the scallions and cut the nori into fine strips.
- 2
Bring the beef broth to a gentle boil in a medium pot. Add the thinly sliced beef, minced garlic, light soy sauce, Korean soup soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, skimming any foam, until the beef is just tender and the broth tastes savoury and clean.
- 3
Drain the soaked rice cakes and add them to the simmering broth along with the mandu. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring gently once or twice so the rice cakes do not stick to the bottom. The rice cakes should become tender and slightly chewy, and the dumplings should be fully heated through and floating.
- 4
Reduce the heat to low. Slowly drizzle in the beaten egg in a thin stream, then let it sit undisturbed for 20-30 seconds before gently stirring once to form soft ribbons rather than cloudy bits.
- 5
Turn off the heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil. Taste and adjust with a pinch more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and finish with scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and nori strips. Serve immediately while the rice cakes are soft and the dumplings are hot.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •If your rice cakes are very firm or refrigerated, soaking is especially important; if they are freshly made and soft, 5 minutes is enough.
- •Frozen mandu can be used straight from the freezer; add about 1-2 extra minutes of simmering.
- •For the clearest broth, keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil after adding the beef.
- •This is traditionally enjoyed around Lunar New Year, but it also makes a fast, comforting cold-weather meal.
Background
Tteokguk, a soup made with sliced rice cakes, is a traditional Korean dish strongly associated with Seollal, the Lunar New Year, symbolising a fresh start and the gaining of a year in age. Tteok Manduguk combines tteokguk with mandu, a variation especially popular in parts of northern Korea and in home cooking across the peninsula.
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