Abundance
The core ingredients of my people, cabbage and potatoes, came from a place of want and scarcity. There were no eggs, no meat and often little dairy, but plenty of these two humble vegetables.
Nope, I’m not Irish, I’m Polish, but we share the same ingredient base to our food. However if my Irish Aunt Susan and Polish grandmother and great aunts are any indication, our people both found abundance in these simple ingredients. This soup is a celebration of the joy they brought to their cooking and, if you make a pot of Colcannon soup, I think you’ll discover just how rich a few simple ingredients can taste.
Colcannon soup
Serves 6
Colcannon is an Irish blend of cabbage and mashed potatoes. It becomes a wonderful soup for the raw, damp days of March. A combination of waxy (Red or Yukon Gold) and starchy (Russet) potatoes creates the perfect creamy, light texture.
Ingredients:
2 tbs bacon fat or olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 cups red potatoes, cut into 1” pieces (skins on)
2 bay leaves
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 large Russet potato, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
4 cups Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
Cider vinegar
Directions:
Begin soup: Warm bacon fat or oil over medium heat in a 4 quart soup pot. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red potatoes and cook 5 minutes longer. Add bay leaves and stock and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
Boil Russet potato: Meanwhile, place Russet potato in a 2 quart pot and cover with water. Place over high heat and boil until very tender. Drain.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove half the solids from the soup with a slotted spoon. Add the cooked Russet potato to the pot and purée in a blender or with an immersion blender.
Return unprocessed potatoes to soup with the cabbage and cook until the cabbage is tender. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a splash of vinegar.
TIP: Any cabbage will work but Savoy cabbage has a more delicate texture which makes this soup feel a bit less “rustic.”
