Colcannon Soup

If you happen to be Irish or have anyone Irish in your family you might know what colcannon is.  If not, we are happy to explain.  Everyone knows about the Irish and how they love their potatoes.  And why not?  There are an endless number of ways to prepare these yummy, healthy, cheap and plentiful staples of Irish cuisine.  Colcannon happens to be one of them.  It is basically mashed potatoes cooked with cabbage or kale.  So this delicious and simple soup is a variation on that theme.  It is rich, smooth and creamy and very satisfying.  If corned beef isn’t on the menu for your St. Paddy’s Day supper, maybe you should try this soup and some perfectly delicious soda bread instead.

You’re bound to feel some love, joy and abundance and who knows?…you might even spot that pot o’ gold too 🙂

Colcannon Soup with Parsley Pesto
(This recipe is adapted from ClodaughMcKenna.com)

Serves 6

For the soup:

1/2 stick of  butter
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 1/2 – 4 cups hot chicken stock
1 head of cabbage, sliced
1 cup of heavy cream or half and half
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the parsley pesto:

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium
heat. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic and nutmeg. Stir, cover, and
reduce the heat to low. Leave to sweat for about 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally.

2 Add the stock and bring the heat up to high. Let the onion and potatoes cook in the stock until they are completely soft, then add
the cabbage – the cabbage will take only 5 minutes to cook.

3 While the cabbage is cooking, place all the ingredients for the
parsley pesto in a food processor and blend until you have a smooth consistency. Set aside.

4 When the cabbage has wilted, stir in the cream, then pour the soup into a blender and whiz to a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Return to the pan to warm through if required.

5 To serve, pour the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with a generous drizzle of parsley pesto.