Clear and Refreshing Anchovy Broth Rice Cake Soup
Anchovy Broth Rice Cake Soup with a Clean and Refreshing Flavor, Enhanced by Sweet Cabbage Notes, Topped with Tofu and Seasoned Seaweed
Hello everyone, it’s Henri’s older sister. On mornings when I don’t feel like cooking a full meal, I often opt for tteokguk (rice cake soup), sujebi (hand-pulled dough soup), or kimchi rice soup. Today, I’m craving tteokguk! Since I don’t have any beef or beef bone broth on hand, I’ll be making a wonderfully refreshing tteokguk using a deeply extracted anchovy broth. This recipe is perfect for a light yet satisfying meal.
Ingredients- 2 measuring cups of rice cake soup slices
- 1 measuring cup of dried anchovies for broth
- 1 leaf of napa cabbage
- 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce (Gukganjang)
- 1/3 tablespoon of minced garlic
- A pinch of black pepper
- Salt (to taste)
- A portion of firm tofu
- Seasoned seaweed (Gim) as desired
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start by bringing two large bowls of water to a rolling boil in a pot. I use two bowls of water because I like to have plenty of broth with my tteokguk. Haha.
Step 2
Once the water is boiling, add about one measuring cup of dried anchovies for broth. Let them simmer to create a rich anchovy stock. It’s a good idea to rinse the anchovies briefly before adding them for a cleaner taste.
Step 3
Today, I’m adding a leaf of napa cabbage to the broth. This is a special touch that will make the soup even more deliciously sweet and refreshing. It really enhances the flavor!
Step 4
While the broth is simmering, let’s prepare the tofu topping. While it’s easy to pan-fry a large piece and then cut it, I prefer to cut the tofu into smaller pieces and pan-fry them until golden brown on all sides. It makes for a lovely garnish. Hehe.
Step 5
If you find that the oil splatters a lot when pan-frying tofu, gently place a paper towel over it. This helps absorb excess moisture and oil, preventing splatters. When I was young, my mother used to cover it with newspaper! Using a paper towel like this is fantastic because it absorbs moisture and oil, making the tofu cook beautifully. Hehe.
Step 6
The tofu is now perfectly pan-fried and ready to be used as a topping.
Step 7
The anchovy and cabbage broth has now nicely infused. To check if the flavor is ready, you can try chewing a cooked anchovy. If it has little to no taste left, it means the broth has fully extracted its essence. Haha.
Step 8
Carefully strain out the anchovies and cabbage. Tasting a spoonful of the broth, I can confirm that adding the cabbage has indeed made it wonderfully sweet. It’s so refreshing! Hehe.
Step 9
Now, add the rice cake soup slices to the broth. I’m adding two measuring cups for myself, as I really enjoy tteokguk! Two cups is quite a lot, so feel free to adjust the amount based on your preference.
Step 10
Add 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce (Gukganjang).
Step 11
Since anchovies are fish, they can sometimes impart a fishy smell. Add about 1/3 of a tablespoon of minced garlic. It’s best to sprinkle it down from the colander used to remove the anchovies, allowing it to disperse evenly. This avoids clumps of garlic.
Step 12
When the rice cakes float to the surface, they are cooked through. Taste the soup and if needed, add salt to adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Step 13
I also like to add a dash of black pepper.
Step 14
Finally, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. I personally feel that sesame oil is a must for tteokguk; it adds such a lovely nutty aroma.
Step 15
Stir everything together and bring it to a brief boil, and your tteokguk is almost ready!
Step 16
Ladle the hot tteokguk into a serving bowl and artfully arrange the golden-brown tofu pieces on top.
Step 17
Finish by crumbling or cutting seasoned seaweed (Gim) into strips and sprinkling it over the soup. Your delicious Anchovy Broth Rice Cake Soup is complete! It’s a perfectly satisfying and comforting meal.
