Colcannon Soup (Potato Kale Soup)

The last time I made colcannon (traditional Irish mashed potatoes with kale), the thought occurred to me while gathering the ingredients that they would also be perfect in a soup!

So…here we are. 

I’m pretty sure this isn’t a traditional soup in Ireland, so I make no claims for authenticity here. But the traditional ingredients in colcannon (potatoes, kale, garlic, bay leaves, cream) form a fantastic base for a potato soup. And when simmered with extra leeks in veggie broth, partially blended until thick and creamy, and topped with a vibrant sprinkling of chopped scallions, this simple soup was just as delicious as I had imagined. So cozy and flavorful!

I decided to take a bit of extra inspiration from the Irish and add in a big handful of shredded cheddar make it extra cheesy, but the soup is plenty flavorful without the cheese if you’d like to leave it out. You could also add in some bacon or sausage here for extra protein if you’d like. Or if you prefer cabbage instead of kale for the greens in your colcannon, chopped green or Savoy cabbage would be wonderful in this soup as well.

Let’s make some colcannon soup!

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 large leeks, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 3 ounces (a medium-sized bunch) fresh kale, stemmed and finely chopped
• toppings: thinly-sliced scallions and extra shredded cheddar