Korean Dumpling Soup or Mandu Guk is one of the ways to cook your frozen dumplings. With 4 ingredients and 10 minutes, you get a filling and comforting soup that is perfect for cold days or when you are sick.
Mandu Guk is made of broth, dumplings, toppings, and seasoning. Every Korean mom probably has a unique way of making it, but here I will teach you the basic elements of how to make mandu guk so that you can also create your own. Let’s go!
The Dumplings
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If you haven’t already seen it, this is my Korean dumpling recipe. In that blog post, I shared what is in mandu, what meat to use, tips on making it, and how to store it. With your frozen dumplings, you can easily whip up this dumpling soup recipe at any time. However, if you don’t feel like making your own, store-bought ones are also good to go.
When adding the dumplings to the soup, there is no need to thaw it. Just make sure the broth is boiling before adding it, then wait until it floats on top to know that it is already done. It should only take 5 minutes or less. Don’t overcook your dumplings, otherwise, the skin might rip.
The Broth
For the broth, you can actually go about it several ways:
- Packaged broths. In American cooking, broth is a very common pantry item and they vary in flavors such as chicken, beef, and vegetables. In Korean cooking, we also have similar products such as Chicken with Ginseng, Beef Bone, and Oxtail soup bases. You can use any of these items as your base, according to what is the most available to you.
- Dashi Packets. Another soup base that you can use for your mandu guk is to boil dashi packets for 10 minutes. The flavors will not be as rich as bone broth, but this soup base is definitely umami-filled!
- Make your own! if you do not like packed broths, you can freely use this Gomtang soup base recipe or whip up your homemade broth to use in the mandu guk. Either way, homemade may take more effort, but it is definitely worth it.
With the varying options and different flavors, the most common one to use in Korean-style dumpling soup is beef bone as a soup base because it is rich. However, with the different preferences among people, the more options you have, the better you will be able to enjoy your soup!
Other Toppings
To keep it really simple, add rice cakes, eggs, and scallions to the soup, and you’re basically done.
Korean Rice Cake or Tteok is a common ingredient we put in soups. Rice cakes help the soup to thicken, be a little sweeter, and be more filling. Aside from these, it also takes on and becomes a vessel of the flavor of the whole soup. It’s a win-win! I love rice cakes and love adding them to dumpling soups, but it is up to you. You’ll know when the rice cakes are done when it is fork tender.
The egg is commonly added in dumpling soups, but it can be done in several ways according to your preference. The first one is to add it whole and not break it apart. The second one is to scramble it, add it to the soup, and make ribbons (just like an Egg Drop Soup). The third one is to scramble the yolks, pan fry them, and slice them in matchstick-sizes making a Ji Dan or Egg Garnish. I like making ribbons so I get the egg in every bite, but what about you? How would you like your eggs?
Scallions are enough to give it aroma and a bit of green to the soup. Although it is not common, you can add any vegetables you like to make the soup healthier. If not, mandu guk is also great to be served with kimchi and a bowl of rice~
Seasonings
To keep it super simple, salt and pepper are fine to adjust the taste of the soup. However, you can also use around 1-1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce for soup or fish sauce to adjust and make the soup better. Upon cooking, gently stir to make sure that the seasoning is incorporated and nothing sticks to the bottom.
Other easy and comforting soups you might like:
- Beef & Radish Soup
- Beansprout Soup
- White Soondubu Soup
- Gochujang Jjigae
- Dried Pollack Beansprout Soup
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Easy Korean Dumpling Soup (Mandu Guk)
Ingredients
- Frozen Dumplings
- Soup Base or Broths
- Rice Cakes Handful
- 1 pc Egg
- 1 stalk Scallions Sliced to matchstick sizes
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- 1-1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce for Soup or Fish Sauce
Instructions
- In a pot, let your broth come to a boil.
- Add your frozen dumplings and rice cakes. Stir occasionally so it does not stick to each other.
- Once the soup is boiling again, add the egg and season according to preference.
- Stir gently to incorporate and finish with some scallions.
- Transfer to a bowl, serve with kimchi and rice, and enjoy!
I just tried the Mandu dumplings – YUM YUM.
I like the flavors of Korean food and plan to explore them L.A. on my next visit to with my sister and brother. Non- fussy and well-grounded; hilarious sense of humor. Thanks for being Korean!
Thank you for appreciating the culture and being open to try more Korean food! Hope you enjoy it!!!