In Korea, this rice cake soup is traditionally eaten on Seollal, the first day of the Lunar calendar—Korean New Year's Day. The soup symbolizes luck for the coming year with the round white cakes representing purity, cleanliness, and prosperity. Tteok, or Korean rice cakes, date to cultural exchanges between Korea and China from about 480 BCE and 222 BCE. Rice cake soup was a popular dish across Korea by the 1800s and has a wide variety of regional preparations. This recipe is made in the traditional Seoul style.
Recipe Servings: 8
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
Total Time
20 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs beef brisket or stew meat, fat trimmed
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp and 2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 4 green onions
- 3 inches ginger, peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 16 cups cold water
- ⅓ Korean radish, peeled, quartered lengthwise, sliced crosswise ½ -inch thick (or ½ medium daikon, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick)
- 4 large eggs
- 8–10 oz Korean rice cakes (tteok), sliced
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Korean red chili pepper threads, as needed for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Slice the meat into 1½ inch pieces.
- In a large pot heat sesame oil and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the meat and season to taste with salt.
- Cook until thoroughly browned, turning occasionally, 8–12 minutes.
- Separate the green onion whites from greens and coarsely chop. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the green onion greens and set aside for serving.
- With a flat surface like the bottom of a mug or the side of a large knife, lightly smash the ginger.
- Add the smashed ginger, garlic, reserved green onion whites, and water to the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 60–75 minutes, if using stew meat, or up to 2 hours if using brisket, skimming any foam from the surface, until the meat is tender.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer cooked meat to a plate.
- Scoop out the ginger and green onion whites and discard.
- Add the Korean radish to the pot and simmer 12–15 minutes, until just tender.
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and season with a large pinch of salt.
- Pour half of the eggs into the center of skillet and quickly swirl pan to distribute.
- Cook the eggs undisturbed for about 2 minutes, until they are just set.
- With a spatula, carefully loosen and flip to cook the other side for 1 minute.
- Remove the egg crepe to a cutting board.
- Fold in half and cool then slice into ribbons of ¼-inch thickness.
- Repeat with the remaining eggs, salt, and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
- Slice the beef as thinly as possible and return the slices to the pot.
- Add the rice cakes and cook about 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the fish sauce and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve the soup ladled into bowls topped with slices of egg and the reserved green onion greens and chili threads, if using.
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