Miso Rice Cakes With Spinach and Peas Recipe • 5★

Updated April 27, 2025

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Tteok (oval rice cakes) partner up with spring’s abundance of greens to produce an easy, lightning-fast weeknight dinner. The firm, precooked rice cakes often found in soups and stews become amazingly absorbent after a quick soak, drinking in the surrounding miso sauce, becoming glossy and rich with umami. Spring offers ample opportunity for substitutions: Fragrant green garlic can swap in for the usual garlic cloves, magenta spring onions for red onions, fresh peas instead of frozen, and twirly pea shoots for baby spinach. This dish welcomes scallions, chives, parsley or any tender herbs that may need to be used up. Quick-cooking or already-cooked proteins such as shrimp, white beans or tofu are happily accommodated here, if a protein boost is desired to top off this very vegetable-forward vegan meal.

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1 ½ cups/6 ounces frozen green peas (no need to thaw)

4 cups/1 pound refrigerated, shelf-stable or frozen oval tteok (Korean rice cakes)

½ red onion, minced

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons white miso

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves or 2 green garlic stalks (pale green and white green part), thinly sliced

5 ounces baby spinach

1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus more to taste

1 cup mixed herbs, such as mint, dill and cilantro leaves and tender stems

Chile oil or chile crisp (optional), for serving

Step 1Pull 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.

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 2In a small bowl, cover 3 tablespoons of the minced onion with the vinegar.

In a small bowl, cover 3 tablespoons of the minced onion with the vinegar.

Step 3In 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.

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 4Heat 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.

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 5Drain 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.)

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 6Turn 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.

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 7Divide among shallow bowls. Top with remaining herbs and drizzle with pickled onion mixture and chile oil, if using. Serve immediately.

Divide among shallow bowls. Top with remaining herbs and drizzle with pickled onion mixture and chile oil, if using. Serve immediately.

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.

I have never had these rice cakes before. I agree with other comments that this comes together easily and has a terrific combination of texture and flavors. I may try the suggestion of crisping up the rice cakes next time for the crunch. That sounds like an interesting take on it.

I love leftovers! But although these leftovers taste good, they do not look appetizing. The rice cakes turn an unappealing shade of - I can’t even describe it - from the spinach. Eat it all in one meal.

Made this yesterday - was quite lovely! the pickled onions were stellar! Added asparagus for a little bit of crunch and lemon zest and lemon juice as I found it a bit dull. A heads up: Unfortunately the leftovers can't be eaten cold as a salad (was looking forward to that with all the fresh herbs) because the rice cakes got really tough again in the refrigerator

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026789-miso-rice-cakes-with-spinach-and-peas