Creamy Colcannon (Cabbage and Potato) Soup with Cheddar Straws

St. Patrick's Day is next week so time to start getting your Green on!  If you'd like to try an Irish dish that's easy to make and delicious while there is still a chill in the air, try Colcannon soup. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made from potatoes and cabbage or kale with milk, cream or butter added. It may also contain other ingredients such as scallions, leeks, onions and chives and often eaten with boiled ham or bacon.  I've made Colcannon soup before but without the creamy twist and cheddar straws.

This version, again from Full-On Irish by Kevin Dundon, is made with savoy cabbage, potatoes, leeks and onion, thickened with cream and served with cheddar straws on the side.  A delicious combination!  Don't the cheddar straws remind you of a rustic walking stick? 

Whether used in soup, slaw or egg rolls, I love cabbage!  It is thought that cabbage was domesticated in Europe somewhere around 1000 BC (!), although Savoy Cabbage was not developed until the 16th Century. 

As you prepare to take a mental stroll through the lush green meadows of The Emerald Isle, grab your cheddar walking stick and enjoy a bowl of hot Colcannon. It will warm the cockles of your heart.

Creamy Colcannon Soup with Cheese Straws

Adapted from Full-On Irish by Kevin Dundon

Printable Recipe

Serves: 4 - 6

FOR THE CHEESE STRAWS

They can be made up to three days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Crisp in a preheated oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6 for 2-3 minutes before serving.

175 g/6 oz sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen
Plain flour, for dusting
50 g/2 oz Cheddar, finely grated
1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

To make the cheese straws, place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the Cheddar over half of the puff pastry in an even layer. Fold the portion without cheese over the cheese layer to enclose the cheese layer completely.   Roll out to its original size, using a little extra flour if necessary. Place on a baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.

Cut the chilled cheese pastry into 10 cm/4 in lengths, each 1 cm/1/2 in wide. Hold the ends of each strip between your fingers and twist the ends in opposite directions. Arrange the twisted strips on non-stick baking sheets and sprinkle a little salt over each one. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FOR THE SOUP

50 g/2 oz  bacon, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
225 g/8 oz russet potatoes, cut into small dice
1 leek, trimmed and white part only thinly sliced
150 g/5 oz Savoy cabbage, thick stalks removed, shredded
700 ml/1 1/4 pints vegetable stock or water (I used chicken stock)
150 ml/1/4 pint cream (I used fat free half and half)
25 g/1 oz room temperature butter, diced (I omitted)

Snipped fresh chives or scallion for garnish - optional

Heat a large stock pot and sauté the bacon over a medium heat for a couple minutes until the fat is rendered. Stir in the onion, potatoes, leek and cabbage, then cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 15-20 minutes until well softened but not browned, stirring occasionally.

Pour the vegetable stock or water into the cabbage mixture and bring to the boil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and simmer for a few minutes until the soup has a creamy texture.

To serve, remove the soup from the heat and whisk in the butter. It is important not to reboil the soup once the butter has been added or you’ll find it will curdle. Ladle the colcannon soup into cappuccino cups or warmed serving bowls and arrange a cheese straw to the side. Serve the remaining cheese straws in a separate dish at the table or use as a canape.

Cheddar-Herb Biscuits, Colcannon Soup and Gaelic Coffee

Shall we start with dessert first?  Or perhaps sip on it while we're making dinner? :)  

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! Whether you are Irish or not, no one cares because everyone loves to get in the Irish mood this time of year.

To get my Irish feast started, I chose Colcannon soup from Kevin Dundon, author of Full On Irish, along with some freshly baked Cheddar-Herb biscuits from Margaret Johnson, the author of five Irish cookbooks.  (You will find all of these recipes at the end).

Both the soup and the biscuits were wonderful! I decided to leave out the called-for cream and butter in the soup and I'm glad I did.  The soup needed neither and was delicious on its own.

The biscuits were flaky and flavorful and I could have eaten several. They are best right out of the oven. I found the following day they had already dried out. Rather than fresh herbs, which I did not have on hand, I used chopped scallions and they were perfect with the cheddar cheese.

For 'dessert' I chose Trish Archer's Gaelic Coffee. This was so good!  A perfect end to the meal and made with decaf coffee it didn't keep us awake all night.  

The hot whiskey-flavored coffee sipped through the cold, whipped cream is one of the best Irish traditions I can think of, warm and soothing like a fisherman's knit sweater.

Sláinte agus saol agaib!  Health and long life to you all!  And remember, half a loaf is better than no bread at all! 

Cheddar-Herb Biscuits

Adapted from Margaret Johnson, Irish Cookbook Author
Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for serving
4 ounces Kerrygold Vintage Cheddar (1 cup), grated
2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, and tarragon
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter the wells of a 12-cup (1/3-cup capacity) muffin pan.

Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 2 to 3 times to blend. Add the butter and process for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cheese and herbs and pulse 2 to 3 times to blend. Add the egg and buttermilk, and process for 10 to 20 seconds, or until a soft dough forms. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with butter. Makes 1 dozen

Colcannon Soup 

Adapted from Full On Irish by Kevin Dundon
Printable Recipe

Serves: 4 - 6
2 oz rindless streaky bacon, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
8 oz potatoes, diced
1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
5 oz Savoy cabbage, thick stalks removed and shredded
1 1/4 pints vegetable stock (I used chicken stock)
1/4 pint cream (I did not use)
1 oz butter, diced and room temperature (I did not use)

Heat a large pan and sauté the bacon over a medium to high heat for a couple minutes until the fat comes out. Stir in the onion, potatoes, leek and cabbage, then cover with a lid and sweat over a medium heat for 10 minutes until well softened but not browned, stirring occasionally.

Pour the stock into the cabbage mixture and bring to a boil, then season to taste. Stir in the cream (if desired) and simmer for a few minutes until the soup has a creamy texture.

I omitted this next step:

To Serve, remove the soup from the heat and whisk in the butter. It is important not to reboil the soup once the butter has been added or you’ll find it will curdle. Ladle the colcannon soup into serving bowls.

Trish Archer's Gaelic Coffee 

Adapted from Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen
Printable Recipe

Serves 1

1 measure of Irish whiskey
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
Strong black coffee
Softly whipped cream

Warm a medium sized wine glass with hot water. Pour out the water and put the sugar and whiskey into the glass. Add the coffee and stir well. Pour the softly whipped cream out of a pitcher over the back of a spoon on to the top of the coffee. The cream should float on top of the coffee so don't attempt to stir.