Manduguk

This manduguk has a light beef flavor. It's just rich enough to make your lips a little sticky and you'll pick up on a subtle sweetness from the onions at the end. The fish sauce and sea salt impart umami in the soup, but it shouldn't overwhelm the beef broth or the other ingredients. All the add-ins, particularly the shredded beef, sesame oil, and nori, add savoriness without dominating each other for flavor. Serve with kimchi or steamed rice.

An overhead view on a bowl of Manduguk-a Korean dumpling soup
2
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 55 mins
Additional Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 40 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast

  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled

  • 4 large scallions, chopped, light and dark green parts separated

  • 5 cloves garlic, smashed

  • 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, smashed

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 10 cups water

  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil

  • 16 medium Potstickers, frozen, with vegetable filling

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • roasted nori strips to taste

Directions

  1. Trim chuck roast and cut into 1 1/2-inch thick by 1 1/2-inch wide strips. Quarter onion, leaving roots intact.

  2. Place beef and onion in a large pot with light scallion parts, garlic, ginger, and peppercorns. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving it slightly askew. Cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil, until beef is tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn off heat.

  3. Transfer beef to a heat-proof bowl and spoon some of the cooking liquid over top to moisten. Let rest until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces.

  4. While the beef is cooling, strain broth over an 8-cup heat-proof measure. Discard solids and return broth to the pot. Stir in fish sauce, salt, and pepper.

  5. Separate 1 egg into 2 small bowls; stir egg yolk until runny.

  6. Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Rub oil with a paper towel to coat sides and bottom of the skillet with a thin layer. Scrape egg yolk into the skillet with a rubber spatula. Remove from the heat and swirl to evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. Return to the heat and cook, undisturbed, until egg yolk is pale-yellow and the surface looks dry, about 1 minute. Turn off heat and gently flip with a spatula. Let sit for 1 minute, then transfer to a cutting board. Cut egg yolk sheet in half, then slice crosswise into thin strips. Wipe the skillet clean.

  7. Prep and heat the skillet in the same manner with the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil and a paper towel. Cook egg white until it turns opaque and bubbles form on the surface, about 45 seconds. Turn off heat and let sit until set, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently transfer to a cutting board and slice as you did for the egg yolk sheet. Set aside.

  8. Return broth to a boil over high heat. Add dumplings and cook until they float and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer over medium.

  9. Slowly drizzle beaten eggs into the simmering soup. Cook until eggs set, about 5 seconds. Remove soup from heat and stir in reserved dark green scallion parts, sesame oil, and additional salt to taste.

  10. Ladle soup into bowls and top with egg white and egg yolk strips. Garnish with nori.

Cook's Notes:

Mandu refers to Korean stuffed dumplings. Manduguk is made only with dumplings while tteok-manduguk is a rice cake soup made with dumplings. Both versions will come up when you search for this soup. North Koreans make this soup with dumplings and in South Korea, where rice grows more favorably, rice cakes are added.

There are two types of broth you can make for this soup, beef or anchovy. I added ginger to my broth, but I'm pretty sure that is not a traditional ingredient. The soup is traditionally seasoned with soup soy sauce (a byproduct of fermented soy bean paste) or fish sauce. You can use whatever flavor dumplings you like.

Use your favorite type of store-bought dumplings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

557 Calories
27g Fat
49g Carbs
29g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 557
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 9g 44%
Cholesterol 124mg 41%
Sodium 955mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 29g 58%
Vitamin C 8mg 9%
Calcium 69mg 5%
Iron 6mg 32%
Potassium 340mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.