One of the many fun things about cooking is being able to explore the foods from various cultures including those that you are not familiar with. One such food for me is this Irish colcannon. A simple yet delicious dish made from potatoes, green onions, cabbage and of course lots of Irish butter. So whether you are Irish or not, it is always a good time to make and enjoy this colcannon.
There are so many delicious potato based recipes that you may want to try including Aloo Chana Chaat, Vegan potatoes au gratin, Vegan Quesadilla with Spicy Potato Filling, Tofu Katsu Curry, Vegetable Biryani with Potatoes and Cauliflower, Aloo Methi
More about Irish Colcannon
Colcannon is a dish that involves mashing cooked potatoes and mixing with cabbage cooked in butter. We then add milk/cream and mix well. It is seasoned with salt, pepper. Traditionally the variation of Irish mashed potatoes with onions/green onions is called 'champ'. However, I think most people add green onions to colcannon which only makes it more delicious! There also seems be a popular version which uses kale instead of cabbage.
This is typically made in the fall season for Halloween celebrations. However, it is safe to say it has been widely associated with St.Patrick's day celebrations as well. There are also multiple variations of colcannon that you can try making which I will talk about below.
Ingredients
Potatoes - I used Yukon gold potatoes. You can also use russet potatoes or any other varieties that work great for mashed potatoes.
Cabbage - I used regular green cabbage and cut it in to 1" pieces. You could also use savoy cabbage.
Green onions - If you don't have green onions or don't want to use them, consider chives or regular yellow or white onions chopped finely.
Milk - I did not use milk and instead used oat milk to add to the potatoes. Oat milk has a mild flavor and did not overpower the dish. You can also use vegan cream. If you are not dairy free or dont mind using milk, then just go ahead and use regular milk/cream.
Butter - I went with Irish butter but felt free to use the vegan version if you are trying to keep the dairy vegan or dairy free.
Salt and Pepper - I recommend salting the potatoes later if you decide to boil them instead of adding it to the water. The mashed texture comes out better without the added salt. Add as much pepper as you would like.
Variations for the Irish colcannon
Caramelize that cabbage - Thats what I did when I made this. It helps bring out the sweetness in the cabbage and overall makes it more delish.
Include garlic - How can you go wrong with garlic?😉. Add some finely chopped garlic and cook alongside the cabbage before mixing in to the mashed potatoes.
Add more greens - This is the best way to convince your little ones to eat more greens if they are fussy eaters. Chop up some spinach, chard and of course kale, cook and mix them in.
Sub milk/cream with sour cream/vegan sour cream - Just add in sour cream or its vegan version for a delicate tanginess.
Storage and Reheating
You can store the colcannon in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and frozen up to 3 months.
Reheat in the microwave or conventional oven until thoroughly warm. You can top it with some more butter before serving.
If you give this Irish colcannon a try, do let me know by leaving a comment below. You can also follow along on social media at Pinterest, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram.
Recipe
Irish Colcannon
Equipment
- 1 Large Sauce Pan / Steaming Basket
Ingredients
- 2 lb Potatoes preferably russet or Yukon gold, diced
- ½ cup Plant Milk/ Regular Milk
- 4 tablespoon Butter preferably Irish butter, sub with vegan butter for non dairy option
- 3 cup Green Cabbage diced
- 1 bulb/sprig Green Onion sliced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Water to cook or steam potatoes
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large sauce pan. Cover with water making sure it is at least an inch or more over than the potatoes, completely covering them. Turn on the heat and let the potatoes cook in the boiling water for 15-20 minutes until completely cooked. Once cooked, drain the water carefully and let the potatoes cool down.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat a frying pan. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the white part of the green onions. Saute for 30 seconds and add the cabbage. Let the cabbage cook until you see the cabbage caramelizing. Season with some salt and add the green parts of the onions. Mix well and cook for another minute and take off the heat.
- Place the cooked potatoes in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mash well with a fork or potato masher and then add the milk. Keep mashing until everything is incorporated.
- Add the cooked cabbage mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Warm it again and serve topped with more green onions and the remaining butter.
Notes
- You can also steam the potatoes instead of boiling them (my preferred method). Place the steamer basket in either the Instant pot(IP) or on another pan which is filled with 3 cups of water.
- Place the diced potatoes in the steamer basket and cover with a lid on top of the steamer. If you are using the IP, keep the valve set to "venting" position and press the "steam" button. Once you see the steam escaping, wait for around 10-12 minutes before turning off the IP. For any other steamer, just keep the lid covered and turn on the stove. Again, once the steam started escaping from the steam hole, wait for 10-12 minutes before turning off the stove.
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