Recipe
🥙 LUNCH
Pyongyang Manduguk
A clear northern Korean dumpling soup: hand-folded mandu of beef and tofu simmered in a light, restrained beef broth.
North Korean · advanced · serves 4
prep 60 min · cook 90 min
~620 cal · 38g protein · 68g carbs · 21g fat · 6g fiber · 5g sugars · 7g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Manduguk, dumpling soup, belongs strongly to the northern regions of Korea, where wheat and buckwheat were more common than in the rice-centred south, and where a soup made only of mandu, rather than rice cakes, is the New Year tradition. The Pyongyang style prizes clarity and restraint: a delicate, clean beef broth and light, generous dumplings.
The mandu are hand-folded around a mild filling of beef, tofu, cabbage and bean sprouts, then simmered until the wrappers turn translucent. Finished with soft egg ribbons and scallion, it is a bowl of quiet comfort served at holidays and family gatherings.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally dairy-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
12 oz beef brisket
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 cups water
1 cup firm tofu, crumbled
2 cups napa cabbage, and chopped
1 cup mung bean sprouts, and chopped
1/2 cup garlic chives, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 egg
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 , sliced
to taste salt
Instructions
1
Simmer the beef brisket in the water with the whole garlic and scallion tops, skimming the foam, for about 75 minutes until tender. Strain the broth and finely chop the beef.
2
Make a supple dough from the flour, a pinch of salt and enough water to bind. Knead until smooth, rest, then roll thin and cut into rounds.
3
Mix the chopped beef with the tofu, cabbage, bean sprouts, garlic chives, minced garlic, sesame oil and a little soy sauce for the filling.
✎ Chef’s note
Squeeze the blanched cabbage and sprouts dry so the filling holds together instead of leaking.
4
Place a spoon of filling in each round, moisten the edge, and fold and seal into plump dumplings.
5
Season the clear broth lightly with salt and the remaining soy sauce, simmer the dumplings until they float and turn translucent, then stream in the beaten egg for soft ribbons. Serve topped with scallion.
Pyongyang home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Pyongyang. The mustard and the vinegar are the diner's job rather than the cook's. They come to the table to be added to taste, the noodles are traditionally left uncut so they are slurped whole, and the broth is a clear beef stock, sometimes blended with chicken or pheasant, deliberately restrained rather than sweet.
🗺️
North Korea. Pyongyang naengmyeon is defined by restraint. The broth is a clear, subtle beef stock, sometimes blended with chicken, pork or pheasant, the noodles carry a high proportion of buckwheat, and the toppings are sparse, against the sweeter or chilli-paste versions found elsewhere on the peninsula. Mustard and vinegar go in at the table, and traditionally the noodles are not cut.
🌍
Asia. Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, and its food spans the delicate seasonality of Japanese washoku, the chili-fired curries of India and Thailand, and the wheat-and-lamb traditions of Central Asia. Rice, noodles, soy, and fermentation recur across its regions, while ancient spice routes and religious traditions shaped distinct grammars of flavor. Whether from a street-cart wok or a monastery kitchen, eating is deeply communal and ritual-rich.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from North Korea
Pyongyang NaengmyeonChewy buckwheat noodles in an icy, clear beef-and-radish broth, topped with pear, egg, and pickles.
OnbanA Pyongyang bowl of warm rice in chicken broth topped with shredded chicken and a mung-bean pancake.
Injo-gogi-bapSheets of soybean 'meat' stuffed with rice and topped with a spicy sauce, a resourceful North Korean street food.
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Good to know
Storing it: Soup keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated and freezes well. Reheat gently and loosen with a little water or stock if needed.
Make it a North Korea meal
SujeonggwaDrink
Gangnaengi-tteokDessert
BindaetteokDinner
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Frequently asked questions
What is Pyongyang Manduguk?
A clear northern Korean dumpling soup: hand-folded mandu of beef and tofu simmered in a light, restrained beef broth.
Where does Pyongyang Manduguk come from?
Pyongyang Manduguk is a North Korean dish from Pyongyang, North Korea.
Can Pyongyang Manduguk be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Pyongyang Manduguk recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Pyongyang Manduguk safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Pyongyang Manduguk take to make?
About 150 minutes total (60 minutes prep, 90 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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