Tteok mandu guk (rice cake soup with dumplings) is a classic, comforting Korean soup enjoyed year-round and traditionally served on New Year’s Day. In many Korean households it is eaten on Lunar New Year for good luck. As a Korean American, I grew up having it on January 1st; in Korea it is more commonly associated with the lunar celebration.
Tteokguk appears across Korea in many regional forms. My family, originally from what is now North Korea, favors a beef-based tteokguk with kimchi mandu. You can easily omit the dumplings if you prefer—the broth and the sliced rice cakes are the real stars.
To me, a really good tteokguk needs to have these 3 things:
- A well-seasoned beef broth – While some styles use anchovy-based stock, I prefer a rich beef broth. Small additions like a concentrated beef bouillon, soup soy sauce, fish sauce, and sea salt help layer savory depth.
- A cloudy, pale broth – The ideal soup has a milky, slightly opaque appearance. Using a lighter soup soy sauce keeps the broth pale while giving it umami. Dark, regular soy sauce will tint the soup more, which is fine if you don’t mind the color change.
- A slightly thickened texture – Tteokguk often has a gently thickened mouthfeel from the rice cakes; that subtle body is an important characteristic.
Good kimchi mandu and chewy rice cakes matter too, but I always judge a tteokguk by the broth first.
Ingredients
- Brisket – Brisket gives a richly flavored broth. After cooking, shred the meat and season it with gochugaru, sesame oil, sea salt, black pepper, and sesame seeds for serving.
- Beef bouillon (optional) – A small amount of concentrated beef bouillon will enhance the beefy flavor; it typically contains a bit of MSG. It’s optional but recommended if you want a deeper savory base.
- Aromatics – Onion, garlic, and the white parts of green onions create a fragrant stock.
- Seasonings – Fish sauce, soup soy sauce (jin ganjang), sesame oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Soup soy sauce is lighter in color and more umami-forward; use regular soy sauce only if necessary.
- Mandu – Frozen kimchi mandu are convenient, but any dumplings you like will work. If using fresh dumplings, shorten the cooking time accordingly.
- Sliced rice cakes – The chewy sliced rice cakes are essential. If using frozen rice cakes, soak them briefly in water (5–10 minutes) before cooking.
- Eggs – Optional. Separate yolks and whites to make jidan (thin egg yolk garnish); pour the whites into the soup at the end for a gentle egg-drop texture.
- Roasted seaweed – Cut into thin strips for garnish. Seasoned roasted seaweed packets are a convenient choice.
Where to buy the ingredients
Some ingredients—soup soy sauce, certain brands of sliced rice cakes, dashida-style beef bouillon, and good kimchi mandu—are easiest to find at a Korean supermarket or a well-stocked Asian grocery. If you don’t have access to those stores, you can substitute similar items from a general supermarket: Knorr-style beef bouillon for dashida and regular soy sauce for soup soy sauce (use a bit less or expect a darker broth). For rice cakes, aim for refrigerated vacuum-sealed bags or fresh rice cakes rather than frozen if possible; they tend to be chewier and hold texture better.
- Dashida substitute – Use any concentrated beef bouillon powder or paste if dashida is unavailable.
- Fish sauce – Any good-quality fish sauce will work; start with a small amount and adjust to taste.
- Soup soy sauce – If you can’t find soup soy sauce, use regular soy sauce but use slightly less to avoid darkening the broth too much.
- Sliced rice cakes – Look for refrigerated, vacuum-packed sliced tteok at a Korean market. If only frozen varieties are available, soak them briefly before cooking.
Mandu
You don’t have to use kimchi mandu for this recipe. I often make tteok mandu guk with frozen dumplings for convenience, but fresh or homemade mandu are equally good. If using fresh mandu, adjust cooking time so they don’t overcook; both dumplings and rice cakes will float when done.
Frozen vs. Fresh
Choose a mandu brand you like. Frozen store-bought dumplings are a practical choice and cook reliably in the soup. If the mandu are homemade and fresh, cook for less time and watch for them to float. Rice cakes, if frozen, should be soaked to soften slightly before adding to the hot broth.
Optional Garnish/Toppings
Jidan (thin egg-yolk strips) is a pretty traditional garnish and adds color and a delicate texture. It’s optional if you’re short on time. Many recipes use unseasoned laver, but I like seasoned roasted seaweed packets for a touch of extra flavor. The shredded, seasoned brisket used as a topping is also optional but worth the small effort if you want more texture and a savory finish.
Rice Cake Soup with Dumplings (Tteok Mandu Guk)
By Stella Navarro-Kim
Tteok mandu guk is a rice cake and dumpling soup made in beef (or anchovy) broth, traditionally eaten on the new year for good luck.
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes. Servings: 2 people.
Ingredients (grouped)
Beef Broth
- 14 oz brisket
- 1 tsp concentrated beef bouillon (optional)
- 1/2 medium onion
- 2 green onions (white parts only)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 8 cups water
Broth Seasoning
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp soup soy sauce (or a small amount of regular soy sauce)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Beef Seasoning (for shredded brisket)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (or more to taste)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Garnish / Other Ingredients
- 10 oz sliced rice cakes
- 6–8 dumplings (mandu) of your choice
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 1 pack roasted seaweed, cut into thin strips
Instructions
- Soak the brisket in cold water for 1 hour to draw out blood. Discard the water afterwards.
- In a pot, combine the brisket, cold water, onion, garlic, beef bouillon (if using), and the white parts of the green onions. If the bouillon clumps, stir to dissolve.
- Bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, over medium-low for 1 to 1½ hours. Skim any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.
- While the broth cooks, prepare the jidan (egg-yolk garnish). Separate whites and yolks. Season the yolks with a pinch of salt and lightly whisk.
- On a nonstick skillet over low heat (use no oil or just a very light smear), spread the beaten yolk into a thin layer. Cook gently until set, then flip briefly so it doesn’t brown or form many air bubbles. Remove and let cool.
- Roll the set yolk sheet and slice it into thin strips. Set aside for garnish.
- When the broth is done, turn off the heat and remove the brisket. Let it cool slightly and then shred the meat.
- Strain the broth, discarding the cooked aromatics.
- Mix the shredded brisket with sesame oil, sesame seeds, gochugaru, sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Season the strained broth with fish sauce and soup soy sauce to taste. Add sea salt and black pepper carefully—remember the shredded beef will also be salted.
- Add the dumplings first if using frozen ones (they commonly take 7–8 minutes). Add the rice cakes next (usually 3–4 minutes). If your rice cakes were frozen, rinse and soak them 5–10 minutes before adding. Both mandu and rice cakes will float when cooked.
- After the rice cakes have cooked, stir in 1 tsp sesame oil, the chopped green onions, and the reserved egg whites. Stir gently and then turn off the heat.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the seasoned shredded brisket, jidan (egg yolk strips), and roasted seaweed strips. Serve immediately—don’t wait too long, or the rice cakes will absorb too much broth and become overly soft.
Note: The rice cakes will continue to soften as the soup sits, so serve promptly to preserve texture.
Additional Info
Author: Stella Navarro-Kim
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes. Servings: 2 people.
Course: Main Course. Cuisine: Korean.
Nutrition information, when provided by recipe tools, is an estimate and should be used as an approximation only.