Receta Irish Colcannon Soup..
I thought I would kick off St. Patrick's Day Week with our new favorite Irish soup...but first, some background...the mister is 1/4 Irish and 1/4 Cherokee, which means he should have been born with a Check Liver Light. (No offense intended for anyone except the mister.) This is probably his favorite time of year...college basketball on TV and St. Paddy's Day celebrations at every turn. He loves Irish food, mainly because it's harmless...no spicy-spices to upset his delicate constitution. So when I served him this soup, he was happy, he liked it...you might even say he was happier than a Leprechaun at the end of the rainbow with all of his gold and a full pint in each hand, and he said, "Ah yes, a taste of the homeland." Like either of us would know...we've never been to Ireland and I'm not sure if we could find it on a map - but we were told this soup is as Irish as they come!
For at least one week every year we eat Irish - and over the years we've had some great Irish dishes. If you're looking for something to serve to your brood of Leprechauns, here's a few of my favorites:
Irish Beef and Barley Stew (This is hearty and filling and perfect on a cold March day!)
Irish Soda Bread (Actually this should be called American-Irish Soda Bread because it's a bit sweeter and more delicious than any Irish soda bread would ever be!)
Blarney Stone Soup (This recipe is one a Slaughterhouse favorite - I've been making it for the fam for about 20 years and I never get any complaints, unless the stone in the soup takes up too much room!)
Corned Beef and Cabbage Rolls with Mustard Sauce (Corned beef and Cabbage is not an Irish tradition...it's an American-Irish tradition and one that we happily enjoy - especially this recipe, which is dang good and is always served at our St. Paddy's Day feast!)
Irish Orange Sponge Cake (You can't beat a good sponge cake on St. Paddy's Day - and this one is delicious right down to the last, moist crumb!)
If you click on the St. Patrick's Day link in the left sidebar below, you'll find more ideas for food and fun for St. Patrick's Day and all this week I'm going to share even more great recipes so you'll have no excuse for eating bland Irish food!
You don't have to puree this soup, if you want to leave the chunks of potato and cabbage, go right ahead. We've had it both ways and I prefer it pureed but it's up to you. This soup is hearty and is thickened without any flour or cornstarch, so you really taste the flavors of the potatoes and the buttery cabbage.
Irish Colcannon Soup - Adapted From Ballymaloe Cookery School Cookbook
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, divided
- 3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed (1/2 x 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1/2 of a large white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 head of cabbage, outer leaves and stem removed and finely shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Melt 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter in a large Dutch Oven or a large stock pot, then add the potatoes and onions and toss with butter. Add 1 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground pepper. Cover and let sweat over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring once. Add the vegetable stock to potatoes, turn up heat to a boil, then turn down to medium and let cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, take a pot and add the remaining butter and 3 to 4 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt ot it. Add the cabbage to this pot, toss to coat, cover and cook for several minutes until cabbage is soft. Toss again, and add some freshly ground pepper and a bit of salt to the cabbage to taste. Add the cabbage and the parsley to the potatoes and puree everything with a hand blender (or do it in batches with a regular blender or food processor). Taste for seasonings and if needed, add more salt and pepper. Stir in cream. Heat until heated through. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley. Serves 6.
I like things...unusual, quirky things...they make me happy when I see them and they always turn out to be "conversation pieces." A friend was over a while back and she asked me about one of my more unusual items and when I told her it was a conversation piece, she exclaimed, "Your whole house is a conversation piece!" (I chose not to be offended!) So here's my latest acquisition/conversation piece...found languishing in an antique shop in Monroe, WA, now prominently featured in my kitchen...and, as you can see, it has my name on it...cute, no?
Now, to state the obvious, it has officially become a conversation piece, as we have just had a conversation about it (albeit one-sided).