Sunday Soup #81: Instant Pot Irish Colcannon Soup

I am not sure what it is about St. Patrick's Day, but I always find myself wanting to make Irish food... The old standby is Corned Beef & Cabbage, of course, but there are some good Irish soups too! I've made a few before, my favorites being the Dublin Coddle (https://soupersleuth.blogspot.com/2018/03/sunday-soup-55-dublin-coddle-irish.html) and the Guinness and Coffee Irish Beef Stew (https://soupersleuth.blogspot.com/2018/03/sunday-soup-56-guinness-and-coffee.html), but this year I thought I'd take a run at a colcannon soup.

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish comprised chiefly of mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage, often eaten as a side dish with ham or Irish bacon (i.e., back bacon, sometimes also called Canadian bacon). It is traditionally an autumn/winter dish (e.g., an Irish Halloween tradition is to serve colcannon with a ring or thimble hidden in it), so with three days left before we usher in spring, it seemed like a perfect soup to make for this St. Patrick's Day Sunday!

This recipe came from: https://www.rebootedmom.com/instant-pot-irish-colcannon-soup/

*Pic 1 - https://www.rebootedmom.com/instant-pot-irish-colcannon-soup/

Variations from Recipe as Written: This recipe, as written, did not call for any protein. But, we are meat-a-sauruses in this house, so I added a pound of smoked bacon and sautéed it up along with the leeks, kale, and cabbage. And, since I added bacon (and the salt that comes with it), I only added 1 tsp of kosher salt instead of the 2 tsp called for by the recipe.

General Thoughts: Hunter and I worked to prep this one together. Prep wasn't that bad... with a chop-chop here and a chop-chop there, here a chop there a chop, everywhere a chop-chop! LOL The potatoes were a bit of work, as they had to be peeled and chopped, but Hunter knocked those out pretty quickly.

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

This soup delivered in the right places... It was hearty and filling, the perfect amount of salty and bacon-y, and I loved the taste of the leeks and the green onion garnish. I really liked that the recipe called for both kale and green cabbage, as each brought its own bit of color and flavor to the dish overall. The soup had a very interesting texture, as the broth suggested mashed potatoes (i.e., the recipe had me gently mash them in the pot) but was liquid enough to leave no doubt that this was a soup rather than a potato dish. What I enjoyed most was that each bite was filled with some bit of yumminess; whether it was cabbage or bacon or a chunk of potato, every bite was savory and delicious! (*And, a special shout-out to the Irish soda bread I picked up at Safeway this morning... It was the PERFECT compliment to this soup.)

There were a couple of things that kept this one from being 5 stars for me (although, if I gave half-stars, this one would probably have rated a 4.5)... For example, although the flavor was pretty good, there weren't really any spices (other than salt and pepper), so I found great enjoyment in adding some Cholua Hot Sauce (not exactly Irish, I know). Also, when I went to eat it (leftover) for breakfast this morning, it had significantly thickened up, and it was more like eating a bowl of thin mashed potatoes than a potato soup. But, to give credit where it is due, it was still delicious!!

This one wasn't perfect, but it was close... a solid choice for your next Irish meal!

Potential Improvements? Next time, I think I'd sautée up the bacon separately, get it a bit crispier, and then adding it to the pot when I add the potatoes back in. Also, I think I'd use the full dose of kosher salt (but, if you are more sensitive to sodium, you may still want to only use half - or none, if you use salty bacon). Finally, a feature of several other colcannon soup recipes I checked out was the addition of a couple bay leaves, which might be an improvement here too.

Polling the Fam: I really liked this soup and would definitely make it again, particularly if my meal was Irish-themed. Becky really liked it, as well, although she wished the bacon was a bit crispier. And, Hunter also gave this one top marks. Sláinte!!

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

Sunday Soup #80: Easy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo (or Linguiça)

For the second post in a row, I am featuring a soup from a cookbook rather than an online source. This one comes from a book called Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups, which was a gift thoughtfully given to me by my friend, Debbie. This recipe jumped out for its ease of prep and hearty ingredients! I made some alterations to the recipe right off the bat and, as such, will print my version of the recipe in this post for your evaluation...

This recipe came from: Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups by Cook's Illustrated (https://www.amazon.com/Time-Best-Soups-Cooks-Illustrated/dp/1940352800/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39E3B8KMEZVK&keywords=cooks+illustrated+all+time+best+soups&qid=1552358587&s=gateway&sprefix=cook%27s+illustrated+all+the+best%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-1)

*Pic 1 - The cover of Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups

*Pic 2 - Pic of Easy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo from Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Soups

Recipe:

Ingredients
4 (15 oz) cans of black beans, rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
11oz hot linguiça sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 white onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste
garnish with sour cream and/or shredded cheese, as desired

1. Process two cups beans and one cup broth in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds; set aside.

2. Combine oil, linguiça, onion, and bell pepper in Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining 2 cups broth, scraping up any brown bits.

3. Stir in bean/broth purée and the remaining beans and simmer until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve hot.

Variations from Recipe as Written: The biggest change I made in this one was to use a hot Portuguese linguiça, instead of Spanish chorizo (which is what the original recipe called for). While the taste of Spanish chorizo is unique (and quite tasty), it is often dry (similar to an Italian dry salami) and can be tough if not cooked for long enough. As this soup cooked for less than 30 minutes total, I went for a spicy linguiça instead, which still added good flavor with a more tender sausage (i.e., the texture of the linguiça was closer to kielbasa than dry salami). In addition, the original recipe called for only 6 oz of meat, but I used 11 oz.

General Thoughts: As I mentioned, the prep on this one was SUPER simple... In fact, it could be the easiest soup of the whole project, so far, in terms of prep. I was lucky enough to again cook with my favorite sous chef, Lisa, and she even took care of what little prep there was (e.g., dicing the onion and bell pepper and slicing the sausage). From top to bottom, the prep AND cook time combined on this one barely totaled 30 minutes... It doesn't get much easier than that!!

*Pic 3 - Picture from when I made it

This soup was quite hearty (with the beans, sausage, and various veggies), and the puréed bean mixture gave the broth some "weight" and creaminess. Without the purée, I am afraid the broth would have been too thin and just wouldn't have had the same magic. The ratio of ingredients in my version of the recipe seemed just about perfect to me, so I'd not hesitate to use the same amounts again (particularly, the increased quantity of meat). The taste of this one was very solid, as well. Each bite was filled with tasty beans and sausage, and the taste of the spices and garlic jumped to the front of the flavor profile.

Potential Improvements? I think the only thing I'd do differently next time is add some salt and pepper directly into the pot. The recipe did not call for any added salt or pepper, except that people could add to their individual bowls. But, I really think this soup was begging for a little more salt overall than was ultimately contributed to the pot by the broth and sausage.

Polling the Fam: I thought this one was quite good and would definitely make it again. Becky thought it was okay and that it needed more beans (although, I think she scooped in such a way that she got more sausage and fewer beans than the rest of us). She also suggested that some potatoes would have been a welcome addition. Jayson enjoyed it, saying he thought it might be too spicy but that it turned out just right. Lisa liked it and said she'd have liked to try it with the Spanish chorizo instead of the linguiça. Hunter really liked it and said he wouldn't change anything; however, he did say it was at his limit for beans. And, even Fox said this one was pretty good.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)