Easy Tteokguk Recipe: Korean Rice Cake Soup with Seafood Broth
This easy tteokguk recipe shows you how to make Korean rice cake soup at home using a light seafood broth (anchovy-based). Tteokguk is a traditional Korean New Year soup made with thinly sliced rice cakes simmered in a clean, savory broth. This version is simple, beginner-friendly, and ready in under 30 minutes.
If you are looking for an easy tteokguk recipe that tastes authentic without hard-to-find ingredients, this rice cake soup is the perfect place to start.
What Is Tteokguk?
Tteokguk is a traditional Korean dish made by boiling thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok) in a flavorful broth.
This rice cake soup is most commonly eaten on January 1st and during Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year.
The long shape of the rice cakes symbolizes long life, which is why tteokguk is known as a meaningful Korean New Year soup. While there are many variations, this easy tteokguk recipe uses a light seafood broth instead of beef for a cleaner, more refreshing taste. Popular versions of tteokguk include beef tteokguk, mandu tteokguk (with dumplings), and seafood-based Korean rice cake soup like this one.
3 Popular Types of Rice Cake Soup
1) Tteok Mandu Guk
A hearty version of Korean rice cake soup that adds mandu (dumplings).
This variation works with beef broth, chicken broth, or seafood broth and is popular for holiday meals.
2) Beef Tteokguk
Made with beef or beef bone broth, this version of tteokguk is rich and deeply satisfying.
It is one of the most common styles of New Year soup served in Korea.
3) Anchovy (Seafood) Tteokguk
This lighter version uses dried anchovies and kelp to create a clean, clear broth.
If you prefer a refreshing soup with subtle umami, this easy tteokguk recipe is the best option.
Easy Tteokguk Recipe for Korean New Year
How do you make tteokguk at home? This easy tteokguk recipe breaks it down into simple steps so anyone can make Korean rice cake soup, even without Korean cooking experience.
This version uses a light anchovy-based seafood broth, which keeps the soup clear, clean, and comforting. It is the perfect Korea’s New Year soup when you want something traditional but not heavy.
This Tteokguk recipe comes together in just a few simple steps:
- Soak the rice cakes (tteok) in water to prepare them.
- Make a seafood broth by adding seafood stock to water. If you don’t have seafood stock, you can use dried anchovies, dried kelp, or dried shrimp to make a flavorful broth.
- Add minced garlic and Korean soy sauce (guk-ganjang) for seasoning, and adjust the taste with salt.
- Beat an egg and pour it into the soup.
- Garnish with sliced roasted seaweed (gim) before serving.
A Bowl of Rice Cake Soup = One Year Older?
In Korea, it is a tradition to eat tteokguk on New Year’s Day. People say you become one year older after finishing your bowl of Korean rice cake soup.
Unlike most countries where birthdays determine age, Koreans traditionally added a year to their age every January 1st. That is why tteokguk became known as the official Korea’s New Year soup.
Why You Should Try This Easy Tteokguk Recipe
• Light, clean seafood broth
• Beginner-friendly cooking steps
• Ready in under 30 minutes
• Perfect as a Korea’s New Year soup or everyday comfort meal
Another Korean New Year Food Recipe
On big Korean holidays like Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year), families prepare many types of jeon (Korean pancakes). Popular varieties include fish jeon, beef jeon, and zucchini jeon.
When several kinds of jeon are pan-fried and served together on one plate, it is called modeum jeon, which means “assorted Korean pancakes.” This is the easiest modeum jeon recipe you can make at home, using simple ingredients and beginner-friendly steps.
Savory Korean Pancake Set: Modeum Jeon for Lunar new year
FAQ about Korean Rice Cake Soup
Easy Tteokguk Recipe & Video (Korean Rice Cake Soup)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 150 g sliced rice cake rice cake for tteokguk.
- 1 seafood coin broth or dried anchovies or kelp instead.
- 1 egg
- 10 g spring onion (green part) for garnish
- 2 slices seaweed for garnish
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce (gukganjang)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Instructions
Prepare The Tteok
- Soak the sliced rice cakes(tteokguk tteok) in water for 20 minutes.150 g sliced rice cake
Make The Seafood Broth
- In a pot, add 500ml of water500 ml water
- Add 1 seafood coin broth. (you can use dried anchovies or kelp instead)1 seafood coin broth
- Bring it to a boil.
Prepare Garnish
- Cut spring onion(green part) for garnish.10 g spring onion (green part)
- Cut seaweed for garnish.2 slices seaweed
Cook Tteokguk
- Once the broth starts boiling, add the soaked rice cakes.150 g sliced rice cake
- Add 1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce and 1 tsp minced garlic.1/2 tbsp soup soy sauce (gukganjang), 1 tsp minced garlic
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.1 pinch salt
- Beat 1 egg and mix with chopsticks.1 egg
- Add it to the soup.
Serve
- Serve the soup in a bowl.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion and seaweed slices.
Jal meokgetseumnida!
- Tteokguk(rice cake soup) 떡국
- 잘 먹겠습니다!
So easy to make, thank you!
I made it for my family and they really loved it!