Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Ingredients

• Beef brisket (1 pound, trimmed)
• Water (8 cups)
• Rice cakes (tteok) (2 cups, thinly sliced)
• Garlic (4 cloves, minced)
• Soy sauce (3 tablespoons)
• Sesame oil (2 tablespoons, plus extra for drizzling)
• Salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Green onions (3, chopped)
• Eggs (2, for soft-boiling)
• Seaweed (gim) (1 sheet, shredded)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add the trimmed beef brisket and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender and easily pierced with a fork. Remove the beef from the pot and let it cool before slicing it into thin strips.
2. In the same pot with the beef broth, add the sliced rice cakes, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until the rice cakes are soft and chewy, stirring occasionally.
3. While the rice cakes are cooking, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Gently add the eggs and cook for about 6 minutes for a soft-boiled texture. Remove the eggs and transfer them to a bowl of cold water to cool. Once cooled, peel the eggs and slice them in half.
4. To serve, ladle the hot rice cake soup into bowls. Top each bowl with sliced beef, halved eggs, chopped green onions, and shredded seaweed. Drizzle a little extra sesame oil on top for added flavor.
5. Enjoy this delicious and hearty Tteokguk hot, preferably during special occasions or whenever you crave a comforting meal!