Miso Rice Cakes With Spinach and Peas
Updated April 27, 2025
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1½cups/6 ounces frozen green peas (no need to thaw)
- 4cups/1 pound refrigerated, shelf-stable or frozen oval tteok (Korean rice cakes)
- ½red onion, minced
- 2tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3tablespoons white miso
- 1tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼cup olive oil
- 3garlic cloves or 2 green garlic stalks (pale green and white green part), thinly sliced
- 5ounces baby spinach
- 1tablespoon sesame oil, plus more to taste
- 1cup mixed herbs, such as mint, dill and cilantro leaves and tender stems
- Salt
- Chile oil or chile crisp (optional), for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
671 calories; 21 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 106 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 917 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Pull the peas from the freezer to bring them to room temperature. (No need to thaw completely.) Put the rice cakes in a medium bowl and fill with enough cool tap water to cover. Run your fingers through the rice cakes to loosen any pieces that may be stuck together and allow them to soften for at least 20 minutes. (Rice cakes can be soaked up to 8 hours ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.) Meanwhile, place the other ingredients so that they’re easily accessible near the stovetop, as the next few steps are quick.
- Step 2
In a small bowl, cover 3 tablespoons of the minced onion with the vinegar.
- Step 3
In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, mix together 1 cup water with the miso and soy sauce with a small whisk or fork.
- Step 4
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (preferably a deep one) over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic and the remaining onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Step 5
Drain the rice cakes: Use your hands to prevent the rice cakes from falling out of the bowl and pour the water out into the sink. Add the rice cakes to the skillet. Add the miso mixture and allow the sauce to come to a boil, turning the rice cakes occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the sauce has reduced and the rice cakes are soft, glossy and well coated, about 5 minutes. (If the sauce becomes too thick, add splashes of water to loosen.)
- Step 6
Turn off the heat and add the spinach and peas, stirring until well combined. Stir in the sesame oil and about half of the herbs. Season with more salt or sesame oil to taste.
- Step 7
Divide among shallow bowls. Top with remaining herbs and drizzle with pickled onion mixture and chile oil, if using. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Trader Joe’s has these rice cakes!
This is my new favorite recipe. The flavor is so balanced and multi-dimensional: the sweetness of the peas, the umami of the miso & soy, the bright fresh flavors of the herbs, etc. I skipped added salt, but then added it another way by topping with chili crisp instead of chili oil.
@Maria The rice cakes are Korean staples. They can be found in any Asian grocery stores.
not sure if I used too much sesame oil or if the pan was too hot when i added it, but either way I wasnt a fan of the way the flavors changed when I added it. I’ll be trying this again but experimenting with less sesame oil next time.
This was really good. For first timers with rice cakes, I would suggest the tube shaped ones over the slices. They hold up a bit better while you learn how to handle them. Alternatively, don't soak them. They'll soften up fine in the cooking process (someone else mentioned this, and you can think of it like pan frying gnocchi over boiling them).
Long time lurker, first time commenter for this awesome recipe! Absolutely delicious and fresh with the vegetables and herbs. (I added much more than what the recipe calls for!) I opted in for cilantro as the herb, green onions instead of garlic stem, and big handful of spinach. I would NOT skip the chili oil if you like a little spice - it really did changed the dish. The only feedback: the dish was on the salty side from just the miso and soy sauce. Maybe next time I’ll try low sodium soy sauce or maybe just slightly less miso or maybe add some honey.