Colcannon is a beautiful thing. Well, maybe not in the looks department, but it’s what’s inside that counts, right? And what’s “inside” Colcannon is basically mashed potatoes and chopped kale or cabbage. It’s an Irish dish that’s a way of dressing up mashed potatoes in the best rustic way and to me, it’s beautiful. (Mostly because I love mashed potatoes in a serious way.) And it just so happens to make a mighty fine soup.
Made up of the same things as traditional Colcannon — potatoes and cabbage — but livened up with fragrant leeks and garlic, it’s a soup that manages to be hearty, creamy, and comforting and way more delicious than its looks would lead you to believe.
If you like Potato Leek Soup, you’ll like this. It’s similar in the same simple way, but it also has that signature sweetness of cooked cabbage. (And a little extra creaminess too.) To make it, you’ll just need a pound and a half of russet potatoes, two leeks, some garlic, half a green cabbage, some butter, stock or broth, and some half and half. Not a long ingredient list whatsoever!
And then you’ll simply cook the leeks and garlic down in the butter until they’re soft and fragrant, and then stir in the cabbage just long enough to wilt it. The potatoes and the broth head in next and you just need to simmer everything until the potatoes are tender. (In other words, this is a 30-minute soup, at most.)
You can then blend the soup to your liking. You can make it completely smooth if you wish, but I like for it to retain some texture, so I blend it just until it’s thickened but some chunks of potato and cabbage remain. Stir in some half and half, season it with salt and pepper, and your work is done. (Not that it was much work.) You could also stir in some chopped kale if you wish, which is a common addition to Irish Colcannon.
It might not look like much but potatoes aren’t really known for their good looks. They’re humble, but truly delicious. Just like this simple, rustic soup.
Irish Colcannon Soup
Allergens: Milk
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 large leeks, trimmed of dark green parts and sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 lb green cabbage, chopped
- 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 5 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
- 1 cup half and half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in cabbage and cook until cabbage has wilted, then add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, partially blend soup to thicken. You want to thicken the soup but still want some chunky texture.
- Stir in half and half, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Fusion Craftiness.