Rice Cake & Dumpling Soup (Dduk Mandu Gook)

Categories: Korean, Soups, World Cuisine
Contributed by: Kelly CA

Dduk gook is a wonderful thing to eat on a cold winter's day. It is warm and filling...comfort food at its very best.
There are MANY recipes for dduk gook out there(as well as many ways to SPELL it). The recipe below is simple and easy to follow. You can leave out the mandu if you don't want to make them, or can't find them in your market.
The dduk can be found in Korean markets, already sliced into ovals. It is usually in the frozen or refriferated section.

INGREDIENTS

1 package dduk (thin oval slices)**
8 c. rich chicken(or beef or pork) broth
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-3 T soy sauce (basically, to taste)
2-3 scallions (green parts only) cut into 2" long pieces
4 eggs
mandu- enough for all the people who are eating (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste
sesame oil to taste
toasted gim (seaweed, or nori), julienned/crumbled for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Soak dduk in cold water for at least 20 minutes, or until soft.

In large pot, heat chicken broth, then add garlic (more if you prefer), soy sauce, scallions, and salt/pepper to taste, and let simmer for about 10 minutes (to flavor the broth).

Add mandu to broth to cook, then add dduk. Allow to simmer until dduk is soft.

Lightly beat eggs, then stir slowly into simmering soup.

To serve, ladle into large bowls, drizzle with sesame oil, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and gim, if you'd like.

** Put any unused part of the dduk package in the freezer because they mold pretty quickly in the fridge.