Rice Cake And Dumpling Soup 떡만두국 Recipe

If making stock from dried anchovies and kombu: place dried anchovies and a 3-4-inch piece of kombu in a medium pot with 8 cups water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Remove kombu just before the water reaches a simmer to avoid bitterness, then simmer 10 minutes more. Strain solids and reserve 6 cups of the resulting stock. If using prepared anchovy/chicken/beef stock, warm 6 cups in a pot.

Bring the 6 cups of stock to a gentle boil. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasoning; remember dumplings and rice cakes will absorb some salt. Add 1 teaspoon white pepper.

If rice cakes are refrigerated/hard, soak them in warm water for 10–15 minutes until pliable; drain. If using freshly frozen rice cakes, no soak required; separate any stuck pieces.

With the stock at a gentle boil, add the sliced rice cakes. Simmer 3–5 minutes until they become soft and slightly translucent but still chewy.

Add the dumplings (mandu) to the simmering broth. If dumplings are frozen, simmer 5–7 minutes; if fresh, 3–5 minutes. Cook until dumpling wrappers are tender and filling is cooked through. Gently stir occasionally to prevent sticking, but avoid breaking dumplings.

While dumplings cook, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat.

Finish Soup

When rice cakes and dumplings are cooked, reduce heat to low. Stir in the sautéed garlic and half of the sliced green onions (reserve the rest for garnish).

Beat the eggs gently in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the simmering soup in a thin stream while stirring gently in one direction to create egg ribbons. Turn off the heat after eggs are set (30–45 seconds).

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or soy sauce if needed. Grind black pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with remaining green onions, shredded toasted gim, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil if desired.

If using thinly sliced beef: briefly sear the beef slices in a hot pan with a little oil for 20–30 seconds per side until just browned, then add to bowls before ladling soup (or add raw slices to simmering broth for 30–60 seconds until just cooked).

If using soybean sprouts: blanch in boiling water 1–2 minutes, shock in cold water, drain, and add to bowls as a textural topping.