Dduk guk (lunar new year soup)

Happy lunar new year 🎊Here's a tradition enjoyed in Korea nation wide. To think of it, I don't think there was a single year i did not eat this dduk guk on lunar new year. Hope your new year is full of blessings.

seol nal is how we call the lunar new year in Korean. the word “seol” means “new” or “unfamiliar” and “nal” means day. In Korea 설날 is celebrated for 3 days- the day before the lunar new year, and the day after.

As a tradition Korean people eat dduk gook for seol nal, it’s made with rice cakes, beef, and eggs. And only after you eat this soup, we say that you’re adding another year to you life.

Now that I think of it, I don’t think there was a single year that I did not eat this dduk guk on the lunar new year. People as me if you only eat this on the new year, but no, along with a lot of traditional korean food, it’s enjoyed especially on this day, but can be enjoyed all year round :)

Here’s the recipe

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 eggs

• 2-3 anchovies and 1 kombu piece for broth

• 2.5 cup water

• 3 oz of stew beef

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 scallion

• 1 cup of frozen dduk

  • (the flat kind specifically for dduk guk)

• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 Tbsp soysauce

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• salt, pepper

1. boil 2.5 cups of water with the anchovies and kombu while we prep the ingredients

2. beat 1 egg with a pinch of salt, and spread it over a non-stick oiled pan to make a thin crepe

3. mince the garlic, chop the scallions, and fold the egg crepe to cut it into thin strips (see GIF below)

4. cut the beef into strips, or bite-size pieces

5. on a heated pot, add 1 Tbsp each of sesame oil and vegetable oil, and stir fry the beef

6. once the beef is mostly brown, add 1 Tbsp of soysauce

7. add half the broth (from #1) first, bring to a boil, and then add the other half

8. add 1 tsp each of fish sauce and minced garlic, and season the broth with salt and pepper as needed.

9. add the rice cakes

10. boil another 3-4 minutes

11. carefully add another beaten egg in the end, and gently swirl the pot. cover the pot and let it simmer another 1 minute.

12. scoop the soup with the rice cakes into a bowl

13. garnish with chopped scallions, egg crepe, and thin sliced seaweed.

14. enjoy with some kimchi :)

boil 2.5 cups of water with the anchovies and kombu while we prep the ingredients

beat 1 egg with a pinch of salt, and spread it over a non-stick oiled pan to make a thin crepe

flip over the crepe, and transfer to cutting board

(this egg crepe is called ji-dan)

mince the garlic, chop the scallions, and

fold the egg crepe to cut it into thin strips

cut the beef into strips, or bite-size pieces

on a heated pot, add 1 Tbsp each of sesame oil and vegetable oil, and stir fry the beef

once the beef is mostly brown, add 1 Tbsp of soysauce

add half the broth (from #1) first, bring to a boil, and then add the other half

add 1 tsp each of fish sauce and minced garlic, and season the broth with salt and pepper as needed.

add 1 cup of rice cakes, (frozen is ok) and boil another 3-4 minutes

make sure you get the flat rice cakes specifically for dduk guk

carefully add another beaten egg in the end,

and gently swirl the pot. cover the pot and let it simmer another 1 minute.

scoop the soup with the rice cakes into a bowl

garnish with chopped scallions, egg crepe, and thin sliced seaweed.

enjoy with some kimchi :)