With St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday, here’s a warming lunch to mark the occasion, whether you’re Irish or not.
It’s a twist on a classic Irish vegetable dish called colcannon, which combines rich mashed potatoes with cooked bits of cabbage and/or kale.
The word “colcannon” is derived from the Gaelic “cal ceannann,” which means “white-headed cabbage.”
In my recipe, I switched things up and instead of using those ingredients to create a vegetable side dish, I used them to make a hearty pot of what I called colcannon soup.
To make it, chopped green cabbage and onions were sautéed until tender, and then garlic, thyme and a bit of flour were stirred in to help thicken the soup. Cubed potatoes and broth were put in the pot and the soup was simmered 10 minutes. At that point, some chopped green kale was added, the soup was simmered 10 minutes more, and then it was blended.
You finish and further enrich the soup by stirring in a bit of cream (or milk) and, after ladling it into bowls, topping it with grated Irish cheddar cheese and sliced green onion.
In Ireland, you’ll see soup served with slices of hearty, yeast-free soda bread. I did that, too, but rather than make a loaf of soda bread, I pressed the dough out, cut it into rounds and made biscuits. Split and spread with butter, those biscuits will go very well with the colcannon soup.
Colcannon Soup with Aged Irish Cheddar and Green Onion
In this recipe, ingredients used to make the classic Irish vegetable dish colcannon are instead simmered and whirled into a soup. When bowls of it are topped with tangy cheese and green onion, and served with biscuits, you’ll have a very hearty lunch.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: about 35 minutes
Makes: four servings
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion (see Note 1)
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (divided)
• splash or 2 Worcestershire sauce (optional)
2 cups russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (see Note 2)
1 cup chopped, packed green kale, with any tough stems or rib portions removed
1/2 cup half and half (10 per cent) cream or milk
• salt and ground white pepper, to taste
3/4 cup grated aged Irish cheddar cheese or other aged cheddar
1 green onion, very thinly sliced
Place butter and oil in a pot set over medium heat (my pot was eight inches wide and four inches tall). When butter is melted, add onions and cabbage and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the flour, garlic and thyme and cook one to two minutes more.
Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until mixture is very thick. Slowly stir in the remaining broth and Worcestershire sauce, if using. Bring soup to a gentle simmer. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain that gentle simmer. Simmer soup 10 minutes.
Add the kale to the soup, return to a simmer, and simmer 10 minutes more, or until potatoes are very tender. Now puree the soup in a food processor or blender, or in the pot with an immersion (hand) blender, ensuring small bits of kale are still visible.
Set the soup back on the heat, mix in the cream (or milk) and return to a simmer. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, top each serving with some of the grated cheese and green onions, and enjoy.
Note 1: Diced in this recipe means to cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Note 2: 1 very large (about 14 ounce/400 gram) russet (baking) potato, or two small to medium ones, should yield the cubed amount needed here.
Buttermilk Soda Bread Biscuits
In this recipe, instead of making a loaf of soda bread, the dough is pressed out, cut into rounds and baked. The end result is nicely puffed and golden biscuits and you can split, butter and serve with the colcannon soup.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 to 18 minutes
Makes: nine to 10 biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for kneading and shaping
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375 F. Set out a non-stick or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place the 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add butter and with your fingers, two forks or a pastry cutter, work into the flour mixture until thoroughly distributed.
Mix in buttermilk until loose dough forms. Turn dough on to a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour your hands, and then gently knead and shape the dough into ball.
Press the dough into a one-inch thick, about 8- to 9-inch disc. Use a 2 1/2-inch-round cutter to cut dough into biscuits and set them on the baking sheet. Gather up the scraps of dough and press and cut them into biscuits, too.
Bake the biscuits in the middle of the oven 15 to 18 minutes, or until puffed and light golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
