Clean Tteokguk (Rice Cake Soup) with Beef and Tofu
A Gyeongsang-do style rice cake soup topped with stir-fried beef and tofu garnishes that add deep savoriness to a clear broth.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This is a Gyeongsang-do style recipe that focuses on carefully stir-fried beef and tofu toppings (kkumi) rather than a heavy broth. Stirring the seasoned garnishes into the clean, simmering rice cake soup delivers a mild yet deeply savory flavor. Preparing plenty of garnish in advance makes it wonderfully easy to serve on New Year's Day.
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Garnish Ingredients (4 servings)
- Beef200 g
- Tofu1/2 block
- Egg2
- Dried seaweed sheets (gim)2 sheets
Meat marinade
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)1/2 tbsp
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
Broth Seasoning
- Sliced rice cakes (tteokguk-tteok)800 g
- Water10 cups
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)2 tbsp
- Salt1 tsp
- I bought a block of soup-grade beef and finely minced it by hand. You can buy ground meat, but I chopped it myself for better texture.
- If the rice cakes are hard, soak them in water before using.
Steps
I bought a block of soup-grade beef and finely minced it by hand.
You can buy ground meat, but I chopped it myself for better texture.
Prepare half a block of tofu (220g), 1 egg, plain dried seaweed sheets (gim) for kimbap, and sliced rice cakes (tteokguk-tteok).
Add all meat seasoning ingredients, mix well to season, then stir-fry in a heated pan.
Roughly crush the tofu and chop it finely with a knife.
Place it in a pan, pour in 1/4 cup of water, add a little salt, and stir-fry until moist.
Separate the egg white and yolk, add a pinch of salt to each,
fry into thin egg garnishes (jidan), and finely shred into 3 to 4 cm lengths.
Finely shred the dried seaweed sheets to match the length of the egg strips.
Pour water into a pot and add the broth seasonings. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add the rice cakes.
When they all float to the surface, they are fully cooked.
Taste and add more soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) or salt if it tastes bland, then turn off the heat.
If the rice cakes are hard, soak them in water before using.
Top with the beef, tofu, egg strips, and shredded seaweed to finish.
Ppunwife's tips
- Today I stir-fried the beef and tofu separately before topping, but you can also stir-fry the beef and tofu together.
FAQ
Can I use a whole cut of meat instead of ground meat?
Finely chopping a block of soup-grade beef by hand gives a much nicer texture, but using store-bought ground beef is perfectly fine too.
Do I have to stir-fry the beef and tofu garnishes separately?
Stir-frying them separately is great, but if that feels troublesome, you can also combine the beef and tofu and stir-fry them together.
How do I cook sliced rice cakes that have hardened?
Soak dried, hardened rice cakes in cold water before cooking, then add them to the boiling broth.
How can I tell when the rice cakes are done?
When the rice cakes that sank to the bottom of the boiling broth all float to the surface, they are fully cooked.
