Bring a bit of the Irish to your soup bowl with this Irish Colcannon Soup! This potato and cabbage soup is inspired by Irish Colcannon for a hearty bowl any time.
Inspired by Irish Colcannon, which is mashed potatoes and cabbage, this soup features cabbage, leeks and big chunks of red potatoes, garnished with some bacon and green onion. It’s lovely and creamy, even though it doesn’t have a ton of cream in it.
Key Ingredients
Heavy cream – aka whipping cream (35% b.f.) or you can use a lighter cream/milk mixed with 1 tsp. cornstarch
Potatoes – I’ve used mini red potatoes, cut into quarters or sixths, depending on their size. You could use a diced russet (baking) potato, if you don’t have or want to get red potatoes. The splash of red in the soup is very pretty though, if those things matter to you :)
Cook’s Notes
- Be sure to taste test your cabbage to make sure it’s tender before adding the flour. It may take longer than 10 minutes.
- Be sure to taste and season well with salt and pepper at the end of cooking and before serving. A well-seasoned soup is a delicious soup!!
- This soup keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Due to the cream, it isn’t recommended for freezing.
Get the Recipe: Irish Colcannon Soup
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 2 cups leeks, prepared per instructions below
- 3 cups cabbage, prepared per instructions below
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 cups red potatoes, diced
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, or lighter cream/milk mixed with 1 tsp. cornstarch
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- green onion, diced, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the leeks: Cut the root end from the leek and discard. Cut off the dark green tops and reserve to use for another purpose. With the remaining white and light green piece, cut down the leek lengthwise, into two parts. With each part, slice into thin slices. Place into a fine-mesh strainer and using your fingers, separate the leek slices into individual pieces, then rinse well with cold water. Set aside to drain until needed. You will need one or two leeks, depending on their size.
- Prepare the cabbage: Cut cabbage into quarters and remove the core. With each quarter, slice into thin slices, and then in half again if necessary, into thin slices no longer than 2 inches long. Remove any tough pieces. You will only need about 1/2 a head of cabbage. Set aside until needed.
- In a large pot, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper-towel lined bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pot and the heat on under the pot.
- Add the onions, leeks and cabbage to the pot and cook, stirring regularly, over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, an additional 30 seconds or so. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth and potatoes and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. If soup seems like it doesn’t have enough liquid, add a bit more chicken broth.
- When potatoes are tender, remove pot from heat and stir in heavy cream. Taste, season with salt and pepper, as needed. Spoon soup into bowls and garnish with bacon and green onion.
This was fantastic! I used a low sodium chicken broth which worked well. I’m not Irish, but it’s always fun to try an Irish recipe on St Patrick’s Day. This went well with a salad and salmon with rosemary and garlic.
Looking forward to leftover soup for dinner tonight!
So glad you enjoyed it, Amber :) Thanks so much!
This was great! I added a lot of fresh ground pepper & doubled the bacon (because, bacon) but otherwise made exactly as written. It was creamy & delicious & very flavorful. The cabbage & leeks just melted away. 👍
So glad you enjoyed it Ann and yes, more bacon is never a bad idea :) Thanks so much!
Omg! So amazing! Absolutely delicious!!! Just learned my Irish heritage and wanted to give this a try. Perfect in every way!
So glad you enjoyed it, Jen :) Thanks so much!
Loved it! Fantastic soup we very much enjoyed. I used the immersion blender in it for a few seconds and wow it is good!
Happy to hear, Kevin :) Thanks so much!
No Irish ancestry here but had cabbage & potatoes that needed to be used up! Haven’t used leeks in quite awhile & forgot how much flavour they add. The soup was very good. Since we’re bacon fans will add more next time.
Glad you enjoyed it and yes, more bacon is never a bad idea :)
Oh, I would just love this soup. Any dish topped with bacon is special. I love the flavors in this and I wil make it for St. Patrick’s Day because I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never done an Irish dish on that day and I am of Irish ancestry, lol. It’s time! Thanks for a great recipe, Jennifer.
All ready for the storm tonight? Did you have that wild afternoon of snow and wind yesterday? Wow!
Thanks Robyn and this soup is a great place to start with a celebratory Irish dish on St. Pat’s. Wonderful with a loaf of crusty bread and it will still be cool enough in our area to enjoy a warm, hearty soup :) And yes, we did get that snow and wind. Caught me off guard as it wasn’t in the forecast (I watch the forecast faithfully, so I know when I’m about to get snowed in!). Honkering down for tonight’s weather event.
This soup looks hearty and delicious, pass me a spoon!
Thanks Diane :)
What a cozy and comforting soup, it looks beyond tasty!
Thanks Laura :)
Mmm I am so happy you shared this recipe! I have been really missing my mom’s potato and vegetable stew and it looks just like this! I definitely want to give this a go before spring comes!
I think you’ll love it, Linda. A very comforting bowl :)
Uhm this has to be the perfect St. Patrick’s Day recipe. I am definitely filing this one away. :)
Thanks Sarah :)
Thanks Sue and yes, he would love this. It’s a great take on the original!
Colcannon is such classic comfort food — I love that you’ve converted it to soup! Colcannon is one of the very few dishes my husband makes, so I’m going to forward this to him — I see a wonderful meal in my future :)
We’re having warm sunshine today which makes me want salads and all things fresh but I know there are cooler days around the corner. Love your adaptation of Colcannon, it’s brilliant and fun!
Thanks Chris and even in your area, there’s sure to be a last blast of winter, I’m sure (she never goes quietly ;)
Tom’s mom always made colcannon! He is going to love this soup!!
He will, Mary Ann. Loved this soup. A hearty, comforting bowl :)
Omg, a soup spin on Irish Colcannon?! Count me in! Loving this soup, Jennifer! Looks creamy, comforting and like it’s begging me to slurp it up! Definitely not waiting till St. Patty’s day to make this dreamy soup! Cheers, friend!
Thanks Cheyanne :)
What a wonderful soup!
I happen to have all the ingredients listed, lucky me.
I generally do not have bacon, but hubby wanted bacon this past weekend so I bought 3 lbs!!
Good thing our grocers had it on sale. ?
I really like any soup, I haven’t had one yet that I turned away.
This one will be made soon, thanks Jennifer for another fabulous recipe!
Super pictures, you always do such a nice layout. ☺
Have a nice day!
Pinned!
Thanks so much, Dalila :) I’m the same way … never met a soup I didn’t like. This one was fabulous though and I’ll be making it again and again!
You KNOW I would love this soup! Brilliant adaptation of one of my favorite dishes. Our weather experts are calling for a little wintry mix later this week – gotta love spring weather. So it’s not to late for me to make a creamy hearty soup. Thanks Jennifer!
Yes I knew you would :) I loved this soup and I’d eat it any time of year, not just for St. Pat’s. We’re in for a bit more winter this week, too, so definitely a bit more soup weather here.