Korean Fish Cake Soup Recipe (Eomuk Guk / Odeng Guk)

A quick, cozy Korean fish cake soup made with clear anchovy broth, sweet Korean radish, and tender fish cakes. Light and savory, this eomuk-guk (also called odeng-guk) comes together in about 30 minutes — perfect for warming up on a chilly day.

I grew up grabbing steaming cups of fish cake soup from street carts after school, the wooden skewers sticking out and the broth almost too hot to sip. That first soft, juicy bite of fish cake on the stick is still what I crave when the weather turns cold. Whether you call it eomuk-guk or odeng-guk, the core of the dish is the same: a clean anchovy-based broth enriched by sliced Korean radish and simple seasonings, with fish cakes that soak up the soup until tender and flavorful.

What Makes This Soup Special

The magic is in the broth. Anchovy dashi (anchovy-kelp stock) gives a light oceanic umami without heaviness, while Korean radish (mu) softens and sweetens the liquid as it simmers. A small splash of Korean soup soy sauce and a touch of tuna sauce or tsuyu adds rounded savory notes without overwhelming the delicate base. Fish cakes then absorb that flavor and puff slightly, turning almost juicy with each bite.

Key Ingredients and Tips

• Fish cakes (eomuk/odeng): Use a mix of flat and round varieties for texture. Pre-skewered fish cakes are convenient, but threading your own gives better control. If you prefer, cut fish cakes and cook them without skewers.
• Korean radish (mu): Sliced thickly, radish adds sweetness and body to the broth. Don’t skip it — it elevates the stock from ordinary to memorable.
• Anchovy dashi: Ready-made dashi packets are convenient and give a clean, ocean-rich flavor. If you have time, simmer dried anchovies with a piece of dried kelp (dashima) for a deeper homemade stock.
• Rice cakes (garae-tteok) — optional: Add chewy rice cake logs for heartiness. Briefly boil refrigerated rice cakes to soften them before threading on skewers so they don’t crack.
• Seasoning: Korean soup soy sauce and a bit of tuna sauce (or tsuyu) provide gentle umami. Finish with minced garlic, salt, and pepper to taste.

How to Make Korean Fish Cake Soup (Odeng Guk)

Prep the skewers: Thread fish cakes onto long wooden skewers. If using rice cake logs, briefly boil them until soft and pliable, drain, cool slightly, then thread onto skewers. Keep wooden skewers soaked in warm water until ready to cook so they stay flexible and don’t burn at the ends.

Build the base broth: In a 4-quart (or similar) pot, bring 7 cups (about 1.6 liters) of water to a simmer with an anchovy-kelp dashi packet and sliced Korean radish. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes to let the radish sweeten the stock. Remove and discard the dashi packet (and any large aromatics like leek if used), leaving the radish in the pot.

Season and simmer: Add 1 tablespoon Korean soup soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon tuna sauce or tsuyu (optional), 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently lower the skewers into the simmering broth — they don’t need to be fully submerged. Occasionally ladle hot broth over exposed ends to help the fish cakes absorb flavor. Simmer for a few minutes until the fish cakes puff slightly and the rice cakes (if used) are heated through.

Serve street-style: Serve directly from the pot with a small bowl of soy-based dipping sauce on the side (soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, gochugaru, sliced green onion, and optional fresh chili). Garnish bowls with chopped green onion and thin chili slices for color and a hint of heat.

Recipe

Servings: 6 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 10 oz (300 g) flat fish cakes, skewered or sliced
• 10 oz (300 g) round fish cakes, skewered
• 7 oz (200 g) rice cake logs (garae-tteok), optional
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 fresh chili, thinly sliced (optional)

For the soup broth

• 7 cups (1.6 L) water
• 1 anchovy-kelp dashi packet (or homemade anchovy-kelp stock)
• 7 oz (200 g) Korean radish, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp tuna sauce or tsuyu (optional)
• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the dipping sauce

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped green onion
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chili (optional)

Equipment

• Long wooden skewers
• 4-quart soup pot

Instructions

1. Prepare rice cakes (optional): Boil rice cake logs 1–2 minutes until soft. Drain, rinse with cold water, cool, then thread onto skewers. Keep skewers soaked until ready to cook.
2. Make the broth: In a pot, combine water, dashi packet, sliced radish, and any aromatics. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, and simmer 8–10 minutes. Remove and discard the dashi packet.
3. Season the stock: Stir in Korean soup soy sauce, tuna sauce (or tsuyu), minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Adjust to taste.
4. Cook the skewers: Add fish cake and rice cake skewers to the pot. Simmer until fish cakes puff slightly and are heated through, occasionally ladling broth over exposed parts so they absorb flavor.
5. Finish and serve: Garnish with chopped green onion and sliced chili. Serve hot with the soy-based dipping sauce on the side.

Notes

• Skewers: Skewers are optional; cut fish cakes can be served in pieces. Skewers make it easy to eat without utensils and are how the soup is commonly served on the street.
• Anchovy stock: If you don’t have dashi packets, make anchovy stock by simmering dried anchovies and dried kelp briefly, then straining for a clean, savory base.

If you enjoy simple, warming bowls of soup with a savory, comforting broth, this Korean fish cake soup is an easy weeknight favorite — ready in about 30 minutes and satisfying in every spoonful.