SIMPLE Colcannon Soup Recipes: Traditional AND Vegan

There’s nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of soup on a cold day. If you celebrate the Celtic sabbats or enjoy honoring your Celtic ancestors, making colcannon soup might be your next favorite easy and cozy recipe. This recipe isn’t just simple, it gives you, the cook, the ability to add your own flavor and style to it. And if you’re having that bone-gnawing cold weather this season, it’ll warm you up from your head to your toes. For our Vegan friends, we’ve also included a simple Vegan Colcannon Soup recipe. Plus, if you’d like to understand the origins of this sacred Celtic soup, we answer the question what is colcannon at the end of the post.

First, What is Colcannon?

Now we should answer the question, what is colcannon to help you understand the importance of this Celtic dish. Put simply, colcannon is a traditional Irish recipe of mashed potatoes that also includes cabbage or kale, milk, scallions and sometimes leeks. With a healthy dose of butter, of course.

Colcannon is pronounced coal-can-in and is a famous dish in Ireland. Back in the day, it was cheap to make and eaten year-round along with other Irish foods like corned beef and cabbage. Some folks will add bits of meat to the Colcannon including salted ham, bacon, or pork. It can literally be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner OR as a snack between meals. It’s versatile, to say the least. I would even eat it with a fried egg or two on Imbolc morning. This dish is so popular in Ireland, there have been songs made about it!

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, colcannon was “first recorded in 1735 by a Welsh traveler. He claimed to have eaten the mashed potato dish with roasted mutton.” Even more interesting, colcannon is used as a means of divination on Samhain Eve (Halloween). Small objects are placed in the potato dish and, when you eat your serving, whatever object you find in your colcannon predicted your year’s fortune to come. For example, if you found a ring, you’d be married. A coin meant you’d find riches. Etc. If you choose to add the charms to your colcannon, warn your guests and family members ahead of time. And it’s probably best to keep it away from children.

Colcannon Soup Recipe PREP Time!

The prep for this Colcannon soup is super easy, if you don’t mind peeling potatoes. Good thing there’s only eight! So, first wash and peel your potatoes, then chop them in large chunks like what’s shown below. In addition, wash and chop half of your cabbage head and chop your yellow onion.

NEXT, We Cook!

Once your ingredients are prepped and you have everything ready to go, get out your big stockpot and set it on the stove. Add your butter over medium heat and add your onion first. You’ll cook the onion until translucent, then add your minced garlic. Cook until fragrant (about one minute). Now you add your broth, bay leaves, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a light boil and allow to cook for ten minutes or so. Sometimes I end up adding a little more water if I want my soup to be thinner. The choice is yours.

Next, We Add Our Cabbage and Vinegar

Next, we’re going to add our cabbage and vinegar. The apple cider vinegar actually has a profound effect on the stench given off by the cabbage – it cuts the smell down considerably. You’ll want to add the vinegar if you don’t like your house smelling like…well, not very good. At this point, I taste the broth to determine if it needs more salt and pepper. Then add more, if need be. Bring it back to a boil and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the cabbage is soft. For the end, you can either leave the soup as is or use an immersion blender to make it creamy. Add a tab of butter to the top of each soup bowl and serve with crusty bread and/or a fresh salad.

Simple Colcannon Soup Recipe

Our simple, cozy version of the traditional Colcannon soup from Ireland.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course lunch, Soup

Cuisine Irish

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 8 Russet potatoes Peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 1/2 Cabbage head Washed and chopped
• 1 Yellow onion Chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves Minced
• 32 oz Chicken broth
• 6 TBSP Butter
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 2 Bay leaves
• Salt and pepper To taste
• Smoked sausage rounds or chopped ham OPTIONAL

Instructions

 

• Melt half stick of butter (4 tbsp) in large stockpot. Add onion. Cook until onions are translucent.
• Add garlic and cook one minute until fragrant.
• Add broth, potatoes, bay leaves, a palmful of salt and a pinch of pepper. Heat to a light boil. Let cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. (NOTE: I sometimes add some extra water, depending on if I want my soup to be thin or thicker like stew. The choice is yours)
• Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (this cuts down on the smell of the cabbage when it boils)
• Add cabbage. Taste and add extra salt and pepper, if needed. This is also where you can add any extra herbs or spices you'd like (optional).
• Bring it back to a boil and cook for another 15 minutes until cabbage is softened and potatoes are cooked.
• If you want to add cooked meat, do so now (this is totally optional).
• Serve with a tab of butter on top. We also enjoy eating crusty bread with herb butter and dipping it into our colcannon soup.

Keyword american, dinner, soup

Simple VEGAN Colcannon Soup

So, check this out. I know some of you don’t eat meat or dairy or animal products. NOT A PROBLEM! Our simple colcannon soup recipe can be modified to be completely vegan! The difference is substituting the broth and butter. And, of course, leaving out the optional pork or ham. Don’t forget to add your favorite crusty bread on the side, as well as a fresh salad. This dish makes the perfect Winter lunch or dinner. And, if you’re Irish or Irish American, is the perfect meal for a St. Patrick’s Day or Imbolc celebration!

Here it is:

More Soup Recipes:

• Split Pea Soup with Hambone Recipe
• Butternut Squash Soup with Apple