Potato Kale Colcannon Soup {vegan}

by Dorothy Reinhold on March 10, 2017


Print This Post Print This Post Colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage, gets soupified for a healthy, vegan, comforting bowl of Colcannon Soup on ShockinglyDelicious.com

If you’re not going to paint the river green, the least you can do in March is make Colcannon Soup.

Colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage, takes so well to tweaking. Make a salad out of it, or how about we soupify it since there is a nip in the air?

Yes, I thought so. That hits the spot.

Vegan Colcannon Soup on ShockinglyDelicious.comIt comes together easily with only a few ingredients, and a bit of time in the soup pot.

Oh, and have you ever seen them paint the river green in Chicago? I did a few years ago, and it was rollicking good fun!

Dying the Chicago River Green from Shockinglydelicious.com

Boats pour orange and brown dye into the Chicago River, while doing donuts.

Dying the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day

Yes, it gets really, really, REALLY green!

Colcannon Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: Serves 4-6

Colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage, gets the soup treatment for a healthy, vegan, comforting bowl.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 leek, washed well and trimmed (we will use the white part; discard or compost the green part), then finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
  • 1.5 pounds Melissa's Produce Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, washed and cubed (leave the skin on) {These are Idaho Potatoes!}
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups very finely chopped kale (I used Cut 'N Clean Greens Kale)
  • Salt, pepper

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek, oregano and thyme and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the leeks just start to brown. (They will continue to cook as the soup progresses.) Add the garlic, cook and stir for another 30-45 seconds; it will be fragrant!
  2. Add the potatoes and cook for another minute or 2. Add the stock and water. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
  3. Get the kale ready: I used Cut 'N Clean Greens Kale, which is already triple-washed and chopped, but I wanted it chopped even smaller, so I quickly whirled it in a mini food processor to mince it. You could also do this on a cutting board with a knife, by hand.
  4. Remove the soup pot lid and use an immersion blender to break down the potatoes; make it smooth or leave it a bit chunky, as you wish. Taste soup and add a bit more salt (I needed 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; your mileage may vary based on how salty your vegetable broth was) and a few grindings of black pepper.
  5. Add the kale (reserve a few pinches of kale for garnish at serving time), along with a bit of additional water if your soup seems too thick to you. I needed another 1/2 cup water. Cover soup and cook another 7 minutes or so.
  6. Serve in individual bowls or cups, tossing a bit of finely chopped kale on top, for pretty. You could also garnish with chopped Italian parsley or even chopped basil, if you like. I cut a grape tomato in half and garnished with that, for a spot of color.
  7. Serves 4-6

Notes

Recipe source: Lightly adapted from Colcannon Soup on the blog Dancing Veggies

A word about the color: My son and husband loved this soup, but my son rightfully pointed out it has a less-than-yummy color. This was probably because my vegetable broth was quite dark. Your mileage may vary, depending on how dark your ingredients are.

https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/potato-kale-colcannon-soup/

Ingredients for vegan Colcannon Soup on ShockinglyDelicious.comAmanda, from the blog Dancing Veggies, led me to this soup. I was assigned her blog as part of Secret Recipe Club, a group of food bloggers who each month are secretly assigned a blog to look through. We try a few recipes and choose one to post about. Today is our “reveal day,” and I’m happy to have had the chance to cook from Dancing Veggies this past month.

Mince kale finely to go into Vegan Colcannon Soup on ShockinglyDelicious.comA 20something newlywed, she specializes in healthy vegetarian food on a budget, and began her culinary capers in the kitchen in high school when her mom told her she had to make her own dinners if she wanted to eat different food than the family. She intrigued me with her Apple Basil Cake which she said was a massive hit at a family lunch gathering, and her Buddha Bowl is calling my name, with its avocado, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, carrots and corn on top of brown rice. Can I get an amen for that? Oh, and since we’re in St. Patrick’s Day month, I am all over her Irish Eggs.

Thanks, Amanda, for a delicious month!

If you’d like to see what else the Secret Recipe Club cooked up this month, browse the photo array below.

Disclosure: Melissa’s Produce provided the potatoes, and Cut ‘N Clean Greens provided the kale, for recipe development.

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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }

Andi @ The Weary Chef March 8, 2016 at 8:55 pm

This soup looks so fresh and healthy! I love the kale and colcannon combo! Can’t wait to try this!

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Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness March 8, 2016 at 2:40 pm

This soup looks delicious! What a great combo!

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Joanne/WineLady Cooks March 8, 2016 at 12:39 pm

Love that green river! as well as your delicious Potato Kale Colcannon Soup. A great addition to the St. Patrick’s Day menu.

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Alisa Fleming March 8, 2016 at 7:12 am

What a crazy tradition, but an even more amazing recipe! This looks like a healthy soup to enjoy any day, not just for St. Patrick’s Day.

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Christie March 8, 2016 at 6:14 am

Love that you made colcannon into soup. I love the flavors of colcannon so I am going to love this soup.

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Rachael March 8, 2016 at 1:55 am

WOW!!! that sounds so good! Pinning!!!

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Megan Keno March 8, 2016 at 1:14 am

What a creative idea! This sounds amazing!

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Michelle @ The Complete Savorist March 7, 2016 at 11:09 pm

Yum, this looks warm and comforting. I’d love to try it.

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Patricia @ Grab a Plate March 7, 2016 at 6:44 pm

Love the kale in this good-looking soup! Great idea, and great way to celebrate!

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Amanda E March 7, 2016 at 2:18 pm

Glad you enjoyed the soup!!!!

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Sarah March 7, 2016 at 2:03 pm

I’ve never considered adding kale to my potato soup, but I bet it’s yummy! I had your blog this month and we loved your Impossible Greek Spinach and Feta Pie!

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Kristina March 7, 2016 at 11:37 am

I have never had this soup… I need to try your version!

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Matthew From Nomageddon March 7, 2016 at 10:54 am

This looks perfect for meatless monday!

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Sid March 7, 2016 at 10:30 am

I love Colcannon, but have never made it, why, I have no idea. But making it into a soup, that’s a winner. Great SRC choice.

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Bintu | Recipes from a Pantry March 7, 2016 at 10:07 am

My Irish roommate would love this! And we’re not far from Chicago either so maybe a day trip to see the green river might be in order 🙂

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Lori Hart March 7, 2016 at 9:13 am

MMMM!! Love this soup recipe. Perfect for St. Pat’s

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Laura @MotherWouldKnow March 7, 2016 at 9:06 am

Being the non-Irish half of an Irish-American and “other” couple, I have learned to love Irish food. It may not be gourmet, but it’s so satisfying. And when you lead me to a meatless version, even better. I’ll take your son’s point to heart and try for a brighter color:)

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SallyBR March 7, 2016 at 7:55 am

I am amazed at the green river! Never heard of this… too cool! and of course, there is still time for soup, as the weather is undecided…

great choice for your assignment, Dorothy!

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Leigh March 6, 2016 at 11:31 pm

I love, love, love Colcannon and eat it weekly during Winter – never tried it as a soup though – brilliant idea!

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Susan / the wimpy vegetarian March 6, 2016 at 9:21 pm

What a great soup for St. Patrick’s Day! I used to live in Chicago and had forgotten this tradition!! Great post 🙂

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Dorothy Reinhold March 6, 2016 at 9:32 pm

Susan,
We happened upon this river-dying while visiting one year, and were utterly flabbergasted by it. It was so exciting!

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Susan / the wimpy vegetarian March 7, 2016 at 7:28 pm

It really is so fun. Chicagoans are committed to St. Paddy’s Day – not as much as Bostonians, but close.

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