Light Korean Rice Cake Soup with Vegetables Recipe
A delicate vegetable soup with soft tteok rice cakes, in a milder, everyday meatless version. The broth is lightly garlicky and sesame-scented, and the sliced rice cakes are pleasantly bouncy, a bit like very soft potato dumplings. In Korea, soups like this are often eaten on cooler days as a quick, warming midweek meal.
This soup combines the comforting chewiness of Korean tteok rice cakes with a light, aromatic vegetable broth, making it both satisfying and gentle on the stomach. It’s a simple way to bring Korean flavors into an everyday, meatless meal.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality vegetable broth—homemade or from a low-sodium stock—to control the saltiness, especially since soy sauce also adds salt. If your rice cakes are frozen, thaw them briefly at room temperature or under cold water so they cook evenly and don’t stick together.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with extra soy sauce or chili flakes on the table so everyone can adjust the flavor to their taste. A side of kimchi, pickled radish, or a simple green salad balances the richness of the rice cakes.
Ingredients
- rice cakes (tteok) - 300 g
- vegetable broth - 1.2 l
- carrot - 1 piece
- zucchini - 1 piece
- onion - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 clove
- soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
- sesame oil - 1 tablespoon
- spinach - 60 g
- chives - 3 tablespoons
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
- salt
Preparation
- Rinse the rice cakes in a sieve under cold water to separate them. If they are very hard and dry, cover them with warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Peel the onion and slice it into thin wedges. Peel the carrot and cut it into thin half-slices. Wash the zucchini and cut it into half-slices about 0.5 cm thick.
- Finely chop the garlic. Rinse and dry the spinach; tear larger leaves into smaller pieces. Finely chop the chives.
- In a large pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it softens and turns slightly translucent but not browned.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 30–40 seconds, until it becomes very fragrant; be careful not to let it burn.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, add the carrot and zucchini. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm.
- Add the soy sauce and taste the broth; if needed, season with a little salt. Add the rice cakes and cook for 5–7 minutes, until they are soft inside but still slightly chewy when bitten.
- Finally, add the spinach and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until the leaves wilt and turn a vibrant green.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with chopped chives and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot, preferably right after cooking, when the rice cakes are at their most delicate.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is my go-to version of Korean rice cake soup for days when I want something warming but not too heavy. The vegetables can be easily swapped for what you have on hand, and the gentle garlic–sesame broth makes it feel like a cozy, restorative meal.
