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Irish Colcannon Soup Recipe

Irish Colcannon Soup is a hearty version of a classic Irish recipe. Made with potatoes, cabbage, onions, cream and butter, this piping hot soup will keep your insides warm and your spirits high this Winter.

Irish Colcannon soup in a bowl.

This soup is a manifestation of my Ireland withdrawals. Symptoms include buying a 50 lb bag of potatoes, cooking Irish food, listening to Irish music as well as the RTE Ireland podcast. There is only one cure that I know of. I must go back. I may have left Ireland, but Ireland did not leave me.

The memories of the bucolic farms dotted with sheep will always be in my heart. The little villages where the ranchers live are like quaint pockets of Irish beauty. When you visit Ireland, the beauty and history will settle in your bones so that when you close your eyes at night, you will be transported back to that special place.

We should all go to Ireland. It’s really easy, especially if you already have a passport. If you don’t have one yet, shame on ye. For tips on how to travel to and around Ireland, check out my article on Planning a Trip to Ireland and start planning. A journey of a thousand miles… begins now.


Find out more about what you will find in an Irish Pantry.

Potatoes, onion and cabbage on a cutting board.

why i love this soup

It’s the potatoes. I’m a raving fan. There is not a potato dish that I don’t like. Buying a 50 lb bag of potatoes when it’s just me and my husband was not daunting.

This simple soup is easy to make and allows the ingredients to really shine through. There aren’t any heavy spices or overpowering ingredients that cover up the simple beauty of potatoes, onions, cabbage and butter.

This lovely soup only requires the most basic of cooking skills. Chop veggies and stir a pot. I used an immersion blender at the end, the most technical skill that is needed.

Irish Colcannon soup in a bowl.

Winters here in Utah are long and sometimes harsh. There is definitely a lot of snow and cloudy skies. Savory soups simmering away on the stove is always a welcome sight for me. The coziness of a steamy bowl of hearty soup is somehow very comforting here. I am definitely on team soup six months out of the year.

When our lovely daughter visits from Texas, we usually go skiing. The adventures on the slopes followed by a hearty bowl of soup is something that we treasure. Of course there’s hot chocolate too. I have many fond memories of skiing and soup with this kid. What are some of your favorite soup memories?

What is the Difference Between Colcannon & Champ?

Colcannon uses cabbage instead of scallions. Champ uses scallions. It you love mashed potatoes, you are going to love both Colcannon and Champ. They are the next level mashed potatoes.

What Do You Eat With Colcannon?

Savory sausage known as bangers are traditionally served with colcannon. Another great entree to eat with Colcannon is Beef and Guinness Pie, a rich and meaty savory pie that goes great with a side of potatoes.

Step-by-Step

Colcannon ingredients in a pot.
  1. Add butter and onions to soup pot. Cook over medium heat until soft.
  2. Add cabbage and cook until wilted.
  3. Add potatoes, broth and black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Process with immersion blender. Add milk. Bring to a simmer and serve with crusty bread.

What people are saying about this recipe

“We all loved this. I did sauté the cabbage in butter and I would add even more cabbage next time. Delicious!

-Shelly

“I used about 1/2 a head of cabbage and added garlic to the potatoes. So tasty!!!

-Jenna

“That’s how my Irish grandma feed me. Everything in one bowl. Miss you grandma ☘

-Diane

“This is so yummy! I love this with ham, pork chops, for breaky too.”

-Carla

Did you make this recipe?  Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below!  Take a picture and tag us @FusionCraftiness #FusionCraftiness on Instagram for a chance to be featured in our Insta Stories:)

If you are making your own broth, you will need to check out this post on How to Make Broth. It also gives you clues as to when homemade broth is a must or if you can get away with store bought broth.

Colcannon soup in a bowl.

Irish Colcannon Soup Recipe

Yield: 6 Bowls
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Irish Colcannon Soup is a hearty version of a classic Irish recipe. Made with potatoes, cabbage, onions, cream and butter, this piping hot soup will keep your insides warm and your spirits high this Winter.

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbs salted butter
  • 1 large onion, peeled & diced (2 cups)
  • 1/2 lb chopped cabbage
  • 4 medium starchy potatoes (1 1/2 lb) peeled & chopped
  • 5 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk or half & half
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. In large pot add butter and onions. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add cabbage and cook until cabbage wilts.
  2. Add potatoes, broth & black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. With an immersion blender, process soup until thick but slightly chunky. You may use a food processor instead. If you have a small food processor, you may need to do this in batches.
  4. Add milk to pot, bring to simmer and serve with Irish Soda Bread.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 729mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

Did you make this recipe?

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Irish Colcannon soup in a bowl.
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Charles P Foley Sr

Saturday 23rd of March 2024

I love this recipe. Any potatoe soup recipe is 👍with me. As with so.many other soups, if you want to enhance the base flavors, add a tbl of cummin to the mix. You'll be surprized at how the flavors pop.

Tina

Tuesday 26th of March 2024

That is very interesting. I have a friend that swears by cumin for everything. He is from Armenia so I think it's what he's used to. I will have to remember that. Thanks Charles!

Caron

Monday 19th of February 2024

To use potatoes without leeks is a sin, or so I've been told. Also, I prefer Kale to cabbage, but ya gotta steam it, squeeze it dry & chop it fine. But, we'll have this tomorrow night 'cuz it's storming & cold here. Yummy. Thx for reminding me how great this is. (With a pinch of mace & some celery, as Slobhan says.)

Tina

Monday 4th of March 2024

I love that adage about the leeks with potatoes. I have never heard that before, thanks for sharing. I haven't tried kale but I can see why you like it. When I took pics of this recipe, I actually used Chinese cabbage. I don't think there is a brassica that I don't like:) It's storming here too, I should make some today. I only have the pre-shredded cabbage in a bag right now but that works too. I have the other ingredients, thank YOU for the reminder!

Siobhan

Friday 2nd of February 2024

I don’t see celery in the list of ingredients, but there are definitely some in the illustrations of the chopped veggies. ???

Tina

Monday 4th of March 2024

Hi Siobhan. Actually I used a chinese cabbage, I think it was bok choi. The stems look like celery. In the past I have also used pre-packaged cole slaw mix which is pre-shredded cabbage in the U.S. You can use any variety of cabbage. Sharp eye my friend.

Hollyrae

Wednesday 24th of January 2024

thank you for this great recipe! I doubled it, as I needed soup for 12 people. I got carried away when processing it and made it completely smooth. So I quickly boiled a few more potatoes, diced and added to the bowls when serving :-) This was a delicious soup and so easy to prepare.

Tina

Monday 29th of January 2024

Hey Hollyrae! Welcome to the Colcannon Soup Fan Club:) So glad you loved it. I like making soups, especially from iconic dishes like Colcannon. Enjoy!

Elizabeth J.

Thursday 4th of January 2024

So very good and comforting, and, as a bonus, very easy to make. Chop an onion and some potatoes (I used a bag of shredded cabbage), and that's really all you have to do. Yes, an immersion blender is very useful for this (as for so many soups). Definitely this will be a repeat for me.

Tina

Thursday 11th of January 2024

I LOVE this recipe too! So glad it comforted you, perfect for Winter. Bagged, shredded cabbage is a staple for me. I use it a lot.

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