Refreshing Oyster Rice Cake Soup (Ggul Tteokguk)
How to Make a Delicious Oyster Rice Cake Soup with a Briny Kick
Indulge in the comforting and flavorful Ggul Tteokguk, a traditional Korean soup featuring chewy rice cakes and succulent oysters, creating a deeply savory and refreshing broth. While oysters can be enjoyed in various forms like pan-fried pancakes (guljeon), spicy salads (gulmuchim), or raw (gulhoe), this rice cake soup offers a uniquely satisfying and invigorating start to your day. Even if you’ve enjoyed oysters extensively the night before, the irresistible allure of Ggul Tteokguk will have you craving another bowl. The delightful combination of tender rice cakes, plump oysters, and a wonderfully clear, briny broth is simply divine.
Ingredients- 4 servings of rice cake soup slices (tteokguk tteok)
- Approx. 2 cups of fresh oysters (shuck them if using raw oysters on the shell, or use pre-shucked oysters)
- 1000ml anchovy and kelp broth (dashima, shiitake mushroom, dried anchovies, and radish are recommended)
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)
- 1/2 Tbsp salt (adjust to taste)
- A pinch of roasted seaweed (gim) for garnish
- 1/2 large green onion, thinly sliced
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare your fresh oysters. If shucking oysters yourself is challenging, feel free to use store-bought shucked oysters. The fresh, briny essence of the oysters will truly elevate the flavor of the soup.
Step 2
To create a deep and refreshing broth, combine radish, shiitake mushrooms, dried kelp (dashima), and dried anchovies in a pot. Simmer them to extract their full flavors, resulting in a clean and savory base for your Tteokguk.
Step 3
Pour the prepared broth into a clean pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice cake soup slices (tteokguk tteok). Stir gently to prevent them from sticking together, and let them simmer until they become tender and chewy.
Step 4
When the rice cakes are almost fully cooked, season the broth with 2 tablespoons of Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) and 1/2 tablespoon of salt. This ratio usually creates a perfectly balanced flavor that complements the oysters, but always adjust according to your preference and the natural saltiness of the oysters.
Step 5
Once the rice cakes are cooked to your desired tenderness, gently add the prepared fresh oysters to the pot. Oysters can become tough if overcooked, so add them towards the end of the cooking process, just before serving.
Step 6
As the soup simmers with the oysters, you might find the broth to be a bit too salty. This can happen because oysters naturally contain salt. Don’t worry! Simply add a little water to dilute the broth and adjust the seasoning to your taste. It’s often best to start with a slightly less seasoned broth and then build up the flavor.
Step 7
Finally, stir in 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic and a generous amount of sliced green onions. Since you’ve added a good quantity of oysters for a rich flavor, adding plenty of green onions will enhance the refreshing aroma and taste. Using large, robust green onions cut into sizable pieces will add a wonderful texture.
Step 8
Prepare the roasted seaweed (gim) for garnish. Place the roasted seaweed sheets in a plastic bag and crush them into small flakes. This will create a lovely, flavorful topping for your Tteokguk.
Step 9
Your delicious Oyster Rice Cake Soup (Ggul Tteokguk) is ready! Take a spoonful of the broth and savor its incredibly refreshing and deep flavor – it’s truly remarkable. The chewy rice cakes and plump, tender oysters create a symphony of textures and tastes that will bring joy to your palate. This Ggul Tteokguk recipe is the ultimate way to experience the true essence of oysters. Enjoy this warm and comforting dish!
