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
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.
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!
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)
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