Soft and Chewy Seaweed Rice Cake Soup (Maesaengi Tteokguk)
A Hearty and Tender New Year’s Rice Cake Soup Recipe Made with Tteokguk Rice Cakes and Seaweed
We’ve made an even softer and more delicious tteokguk by adding chewy rice cake slices and fresh maesaengi (seaweed). Enjoy this warm and tender maesaengi tteokguk and have a blessed new year in 2021! ^^
Ingredients- 400g Tteokguk rice cakes (sliced rice cakes for soup)
- 1 portion of fresh maesaengi (seaweed, approx. 100g)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 fresh egg
- 2 packs of beef bone broth (Sa-gol Gomtang, approx. 500ml each, total 1L)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the tteokguk rice cakes for cooking. If the rice cakes are hard, soak them in cold water for a short while to soften them.
Step 2
Slice the tteokguk rice cakes diagonally into pieces about 0.5 to 0.8 cm thick. Slicing them diagonally makes them easier to eat and cook evenly. If the cakes are too thick, they will take longer to cook.
Step 3
Place the sliced tteokguk rice cakes in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from sticking together. This step helps keep the slices separate and ensures they remain tender.
Step 4
Rinse the maesaengi thoroughly under cold running water while it’s on a sieve. Gently rinse it several times to remove any sand or debris. It’s important to clean it well, but avoid washing too vigorously, as this can impart a raw taste.
Step 5
Pour both packs of beef bone broth (Sa-gol Gomtang) into a deep pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. This broth forms the rich base of our soup.
Step 6
Once the broth is boiling, add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Stir well with a spatula to ensure the garlic is fully incorporated and doesn’t clump together. This will infuse the broth with a subtle garlic aroma.
Step 7
As the broth boils, foam will rise to the surface. Skim off this foam 3 to 4 times using a ladle or spoon. Removing the foam results in a clearer and cleaner-tasting soup.
Step 8
Now, carefully crack 1 fresh egg into the boiling broth. Use a spatula or chopsticks to gently break and stir the egg into the broth as it cooks, allowing it to disperse into thin strands.
Step 9
Once the egg is lightly cooked and dispersed in the broth, drain the water from the soaked rice cakes and add them to the pot. Let the rice cakes simmer for about 2 minutes until they become tender and chewy. Be careful not to overcook the rice cakes.
Step 10
When the rice cakes are tender, add the cleaned maesaengi to the pot. Let it simmer gently, allowing the fresh, oceanic flavor of the seaweed to meld with the broth and rice cakes.
Step 11
Using a spatula, gently break apart any clumps of maesaengi and stir it into the soup until it’s evenly distributed. Continue to simmer for about 3 minutes, allowing the seaweed to fully infuse the broth with its flavor.
Step 12
Once the maesaengi is well incorporated and the flavors have melded, let the soup come to a gentle boil for another 2 minutes until it’s piping hot. This final simmer ensures everything is perfectly cooked and warm.
Step 13
Ladle the finished maesaengi tteokguk into individual bowls. Enjoy this delicious soup where the chewy rice cakes and tender seaweed create a harmonious blend of textures and flavors, warming you from the inside out. This hearty soup is perfect for the new year, bringing good health and fortune!
