• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Seasoned by Jin
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • INGREDIENTS
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • INGREDIENTS
    • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Soup

    Korean Rice Cake Soup, Tteokguk

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Published 3/8/2020 Updated 8/12/2022 by Seasoned by Jin

    Korean Rice Cake Soup, also called Tteokguk was believed to bring good luck, prosperity and literally gain a year of age. Although it is a popular soup to consume on Korean New Year’s Day, Koreans enjoy this soup all throughout the year.

    korean rice cake soup in a bowl

    What does tteokguk taste like?

    Tteokguk broth is typically made with beef. The meat you use for the broth is personal preference. Some people even use ox tail or ribs to make the base broth. For this recipe, I used the brisket meat, to keep things clean and light. But you will see, when this piping hot beef broth is consumed togther with the soft rice cake and savory toppings, it really warms up your whole body!

    korean rice cake soaked in water
    ttoekguk tteok from the Tteok Store

    what kind of rice cake do i need for tteokguk?

    For Tteokguk. you need to purchase the flat, oval shaped rice cakes, typically in white color. These are made from glutinous rice, water and salt. In the Korean Market, these come prepackaged and air sealed. I did notice that the market ones require longer boiling time and tend to be more chewy than the fresh ones from the tteok store. I usually like to buy mine fresh from the tteok store, and sometimes you can find brown rice tteokguk tteok as well. The fresh ones need to be stored in the freezer, if it’s not going to be used right away.

    how do you store the rice cake?

    The prepackaged ones can be stored in the fridge, however, the fresh ones should be stored in the freezer, if not being used right away, or they can mold!! If you are using frozen rice cake, they need to be soaked in cold water prior to cooking. I soaked mine in cold water for about 15-20 min. prior to adding to the broth.

    soaking meat for rice cake soup
    meat getting a cold bath
    meat getting ready to boil

    Do you need to preboil the rice cake?

    It’s personal preference wether you want to preboil the rice cake before adding them into the soup. but it’s not a required step. For my recipe, I did not preboil the rice cake, but I did soak it. It’s the starch in the rice cake that makes the soup thicker and more opaque.

    is it necessary to marinate the meat?

    The answer is no, it is not necessary to marinate the meat after you boil it. You can simply shred or cut the meat and serve with soup. This is an additional step my grandmother used to take when she made me tteokguk. I have tasted both ways, with and without the meat marinated, and they are both yummy. But of course for me, I prefer my grandmother’s way.

    garnish for korean rice cake soup
    Tteokguk ready to get dressed…

    what are some topping/garnish ideas for tteokguk?

    Garnish/toppings vary with region and personal preference but the common ones are pan-fried julienned egg yolk and white, scallion and seaweed flakes. Here are some of my suggestions for additional toppings:

    • julienned carrots, pan-fried
    • chopped bulgogi
    • roasted seaweed
    • scallians
    korean tteokguk in a bowl
    tteokguk with garnish

    Tteokguk has to be one of my all-time favorite comfort soups, even til this day. Definitely a kid friendly meal too!! If you haven’t heard, tteokguk goes super yummy with Korean dumplings, aka mandu. If you want to try making Korean Mandu, click here for the recipe.

    did you enjoy this korean rice cake soup recipe?

    Be sure to check out more of my delicious soup recipes!

    • Chicken Soup with Rice Cakes
    • INSTANT POT KOREAN OXTAIL SOUP, KKORI GOMTANG
    • KOREAN SEAWEED SOUP, MIYEOKGUK
    • KOREAN SHORT RIB SOUP, GALBITANG
    Print Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Korean Rice Cake Soup, Tteokguk

    Korean Rice Cake Soup, also called Tteokguk was believed to bring good luck, prosperity and literally gain a year of age. Although it is a popular soup to consume on Korean New Year's Day, Koreans enjoy this soup all throughout the year.
    Prep Time35 minutes mins
    Cook Time50 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: Korean
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories:
    Author: Seasoned by Jin

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz beef brisket
    • 3 cups sliced rice cake
    • 9 cups water
    • 2 tsp sea salt more if needed
    • 1 tsp garlic minced
    • 1 egg pan fried and julienned

    meat marinade

    • 2 tsp soy sauce
    • 2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp chopped scallion
    • 1 pinch pepper
    • 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

    Instructions

    • Soak meat in cold water for 30 min.
    • Add 7 cups of water into a large pot and add the meat. Bring water to boil and boil on high for 5 min. Turn to medium heat and continue to cook for 40min or until fork goes into meat easily.
    • Make the meat marinade. Add all the ingredients and stir well. set aside.
    • Wisk one egg and pan fry on low heat. Julienne the egg.
    • Soak rice cake in cold water if frozen or desired for 15min and drain.
    • When meat is tender, remove from pot and set aside to cool.
    • Shred the meat with hand or slice with knife. Add the meat marinade and toss gently. Set aside.
    • Add 2 cups of water into the pot and bring to boil. Add salt, pepper and garlic. Next, add rice cake and continue to cook for 4-5min or until rice cake is soft.
    • Serve generous amount of Tteokguk in a large bowl with julienned eggs and marinated meat. Enjoy!
    Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Tried this recipe?Mention @seasonedbyjin or tag #seasonedbyjin!

    recent posts:

    • Korean Instant Noodles, Ramyun
    • Wok Seared Shrimp and Potatoes Recipe
    • Best Korean Stew Recipes
    • tray of salmon cakes
      Salmon Tofu Patties Recipe
    • rice bowl with jjajang sauce on top with cucumbers
      Jjajangbap (Rice with Black Bean Sauce)
    • profile photo of gilgeori toast
      Korean Street Toast Recipe (Gilgeori Toast)

    Seasoned by Jin

    Hi there! Welcome to my blog! I am Jin, the creator behind Seasoned by Jin! I am a self-taught home cook and a total foodie! I love to cook and create new recipes ranging from simple to gourmet dishes! Please check out my site where I share my homemade recipes, personal stories, and inspirations with you! Cheers to Korean Food and Beyond!!

    More Soup

    • egg drop soup with scallion toppings
      Easy Homemade Egg Drop Soup
    • Savory Miso Soup
    • Chicken Soup with Rice Cakes
    • Gomtang Gold/Korean Beef Bone Soup

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi There! Welcome to my blog! I am Jin, the creator behind Seasonedbyjin. I am a total foodie and I love to constantly cook and create new recipes in my home kitchen based out of Virginia! For delicious Korean food recipes and other fusion food ideas, please check out my website!

    More about me →

    LATEST

    • Korean Instant Noodles, Ramyun
    • Wok Seared Shrimp and Potatoes Recipe
    • Best Korean Stew Recipes
    • tray of salmon cakes
      Salmon Tofu Patties Recipe

    LET’S CONNECT!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Welcome Greeting!

    Hi There! Welcome to my blog! I am Jin, the creator behind Seasonedbyjin. I am a total foodie and I love to constantly cook and create new recipes in my home kitchen based out of Northern Virginia! For delicious Korean food recipes and other fusion food ideas, please check out my website! Anyeong! Read More…

    Let’s Connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Categories

    Meat Lovers

    slow cooker chicken thigh with sweet pineapples

    Slow Cooker Sweet Hawaiian Chicken Recipe

    Instant Pot Pork Bossam

    Korean Beef Bulgogi Recipe

    More Posts from this Category

    Seafood

    spicy salmon with shishito peppers

    Spicy Salmon with Shishito Peppers

    korean spicy stew with salmon

    Spicy Salmon Stew/Yeon-eo Maeuntang

    Savory Braised Salmon

    Crispy Quinoa Tilapia

    Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos with Spicy Aioli

    Wok Seared Salmon Stir-Fry

    View more seafood recipes

    Kimchi

    The Best Watermelon Rind Kimchi

    The Best Bok Choy Kimchi

    Perilla Leaf Kimchi, Kkaennip Kimchi

    Eggplant Kimchi, Gaji Kimchi

    How To Brine a Whole Napa Cabbage For Kimchi

    Korean Vegan Kimchi With Napa Cabbage, Baechu Pogi Kimchi

    More Posts from this Category

    Dumplings/Mandu

    crab rangoon arranged on a plate with sauce

    Crab Rangoon (Crispy Recipe)

    Asian Style Chicken Perogies

    Korean Pork & Vegetable Mandu

    Sides

    tray of salmon cakes

    Salmon Tofu Patties Recipe

    oi muchim served in a bowl

    Easy Korean Cucumber Salad (oi muchim) with Mini Cukes

    cucumber and crab meat salad on the table

    Korean Cucumber and Crab Stick Salad

    view more side dish recipes

    Hearty Soups

    Savory Miso Soup

    Chicken Soup with Rice Cakes

    Gomtang Gold/Korean Beef Bone Soup

    Ham and Vegetable Soup With Noodles

    Bulgogi Soba Noodle Soup

    Ham Bone Broth/Stock

    More Posts from this Category

    Stews

    Scooping Korean Jjageuli with a spoon

    Spicy Tofu Jjageuli with Tuna

    Soybean Paste Stew with Beef & Vegetables/Korean Doenjang Jjigae

    korean spicy stew with salmon

    Spicy Salmon Stew/Yeon-eo Maeuntang

    Beef Soybean Paste Stew, Doenjang Jjigae

    Kimchi Stew with Soft Tofu, Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae

    Spicy Tofu Stew with Seafood, Haemul Sundubu Jjigae

    More Posts from this Category

    Rice

    finished folded kimbap on a plate

    Folded Kimbap Recipe (Korean Tortilla Hack)

    stir fried rice photo

    Easy 15-Minute Fried Rice Recipe

    Sweet Summer Corn with Rice

    More Posts from this Category

    Sweets

    Chewy Matcha Snickerdoodles

    Mini Banana & Blueberry Power Muffins

    Homemade Pepero Sticks with Chocolate

    More Posts from this Category

    Street Food

    rice bowl with jjajang sauce on top with cucumbers

    Jjajangbap (Rice with Black Bean Sauce)

    profile photo of gilgeori toast

    Korean Street Toast Recipe (Gilgeori Toast)

    korean tteokbokki served in a pan with serving spoon and bowls on table

    Spicy Korean Rice Cake with Cabbage, Tteokbokki

    More Posts from this Category

    Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Pork Bossam

    Instant Pot Bulgogi Jjim

    Instant Pot Spicy Gochujang Ribs

    Instant Pot Braised Kimchi with Pork, Korean Kimchi Jjim

    ox tail bone soup in a clay pot

    Instant Pot Korean Oxtail Soup, Kkori Gomtang

    close up photo udon chicken soup

    Instant Pot Chicken Udon Soup With Crispies

    More Posts from this Category

    Fusion

    Marinated Beef With Rice Noodles

    Honey Chili Lime Chicken Poppers

    Easy Tasty Pan-Fried Smoked Duck

    Five Layer Bulgogi Tots With Spicy Kimchi Sauce

    Baked Asian Style Chicken & Rice Meatballs

    Baked Asian Style Chicken & Rice Meatballs with Eggplants in Pasta Sauce

    More Posts from this Category

    Vegetarian

    Pickled Korean Peppers, Gochu Jangajji

    The Best Watermelon Rind Kimchi

    Zesty Mango Chicken Salad

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • about me
    • Privacy Policy

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Seasoned by Jin