Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
- Korean Food Addict
- Nov 5, 2025
Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
Tteokguk is the quintessential Korean dish served on Lunar New Year. The white rice cakes symbolize purity and new beginnings, and eating a bowl signifies aging one year. This recipe creates rich, deep broth by stir-frying beef generously with sesame oil—no separate stock needed. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's perfect for busy holiday mornings.
History of Tteokguk
Tteokguk has been a Lunar New Year tradition since the Joseon Dynasty. Long garaetteok (cylinder rice cakes) symbolize longevity, and when sliced into rounds, they resemble yeop-jeon (old Korean coins), representing wealth and prosperity. The white color represents a pure new start to the year. While regional variations exist, the tradition of starting the new year with a bowl of tteokguk continues to this day.
Cooking Tips
The key to this recipe is stir-frying the beef first with sesame oil. This technique infuses the broth with deep beef flavor without needing separate stock. Fish sauce is the secret for umami—both anchovy and tuna fish sauce work well. Use soup-grade beef with some marbling for richer broth. Rinse the rice cakes beforehand to remove starch, keeping the broth clear. Beat eggs thoroughly and pour slowly into the soup for beautiful egg ribbons.
Storage and Serving
Tteokguk tastes best when served immediately. It can be refrigerated for 2-3 days, but rice cakes absorb broth and expand, so consider storing them separately. When reheating, add a little water and bring to a boil. Add dumplings to make it heartier tteok-mandu-guk, or sprinkle with seaweed flakes or extra sesame oil for added flavor. While traditional for Lunar New Year, it makes a wonderful simple meal anytime.
Instructions:
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Prepare Ingredients
- Rinse 200g beef under running water
- Pat dry with kitchen towels
- Rinse 2 bowls of rice cakes and drain in a strainer
- Beat 2 eggs
- Slice 1/2 green onion diagonally
- Prepare Ingredients
- Rinse 200g beef under running water
- Pat dry with kitchen towels
- Rinse 2 bowls of rice cakes and drain in a strainer
- Beat 2 eggs
- Slice 1/2 green onion diagonally
- Stir-Fry the Beef
- Preheat the pan
- Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Add beef and stir-fry until no longer pink
- Start the Broth
- Add 200ml water
- Add 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce
- Wait for the broth to come to a boil
- Add More Water
- Add additional 600ml water
- Boil vigorously over high heat
- Let the broth develop deep flavor
- Add Rice Cakes and Seasonings
- Add 2 bowls of rice cakes
- Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Add 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- Season with salt to taste
- Cook until rice cakes are tender
- Finish the Soup
- Add beaten eggs
- Add sliced green onions
- Sprinkle with black pepper
- Bring to one more boil and serve
Recipe Notes:
- No need for separate stock—beef and seasonings create rich, deep broth flavor.
- Fish sauce is the secret ingredient for umami depth.
- Can substitute anchovy fish sauce with tuna fish sauce.
- Add dumplings to make tteok-mandu-guk (rice cake dumpling soup).
- Beef dashida (stock powder) can enhance the flavor further.
- Soak rice cakes in water beforehand for softer texture.
- Beat eggs well and pour slowly for pretty egg ribbons.
- Add green onions last to preserve their aroma.
- Can refrigerate for 2-3 days, but rice cakes will absorb broth and expand.
Ingredients:
Serving size
Main Ingredients
- 2 bowls sliced rice cakes (tteok)
- 200 g beef for soup
- 1/2 green onion
- 2 eggs
Seasonings and Broth
- 800 ml water
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper