Jump to Recipe ·  Print Recipe 

Creamy and buttery whipped potatoes with sauteed tender baby kale, green onions and parsley make up this delicious authentic Irish colcannon. This traditional Irish dish is perfect to serve alongside roasted chicken or a seared steak. 

Creamy and buttery whipped potatoes with sauteed tender baby kale, green onions and parsley make up this delicious authentic Irish colcannon. This traditional Irish dish is perfect to serve alongside roasted chicken or a seared steak. 

I have always been very interested in the various cuisines from all around the world. One of my favorite parts of traveling is tasting the regional food. When we traveled to Ireland last year, I absolutely loved trying local foods at each of the cities we stopped at. I fell in love with traditional Irish breakfasts (which I quickly learned was the staple all across the UK) after tasting the beans, fried egg, broiled tomatoes, sausage and fresh cheese combo. 

Everything tasted so fresh in Ireland. We noticed quickly that the Irish don’t salt their food as much as Americans do. As we ate our meals, we could actually taste the flavors of the dish without being overwhelmed with salt. 

Creamy and buttery whipped potatoes with sauteed tender baby kale, green onions and parsley make up this delicious authentic Irish colcannon. This traditional Irish dish is perfect to serve alongside roasted chicken or a seared steak. 

Since St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate by posting a favorite Irish recipe of mine! I think celebrating SPD will have a different meaning for us now that we’ve visited St. Patrick’s cathedral in Dublin. Such a cool experience. 

Colcannon is traditionally made from mashed potatoes and kale (or cabbage), with milk (or cream), butter, salt and pepper. Other ingredients such as green onions, leeks, or chives can be added as well. It’s served alongside a piece of cured, salted ham. I like to have a hefty dollop of colcannon alongside roasted chicken or a seared steak and a nice light salad. 

To make colcannon truly authentic, you can’t skimp on any of the ingredients. You’ve got to use milk or cream and real butter. None of this mashed cauliflower crap. Real potatoes. Real butter. Delish! I used baby kale for this recipe so it would sautee nicely and would be tender. If you use regular kale, make sure you trim the stems and inner core and slice into small pieces before sauteing. I used my kitchen aid mixer to whip these potatoes nice n’ fluffy. 

How to Make Authentic Irish Colcannon

Here’s the recipe for authentic Irish Colcannon: 

Authentic Irish Colcannon

Creamy and buttery whipped potatoes with sauteed tender baby kale, green onions and parsley make up this delicious authentic Irish colcannon. This traditional Irish dish is perfect to serve alongside roasted chicken or a seared steak. 

Author Emily Weeks, RDN, LD

Ingredients

  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 3 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 2-3 cups kale, trimmed and chopped use baby kale for a more tender bite
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic
  • 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
  • 3 green onions, sliced thin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the diced potatoes to a stock pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, rub the kale with the tsp of olive oil and massage. This will help tenderize the kale. Set aside in a small dish. 

  2. Drain the potatoes and add to a large bowl or stand mixer. Add the butter, milk and cream. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer until whipped, this could take a minute or two. 

  3. Meanwhile, in a medium pan, heat the kale and minced garlic over medium heat until wilted. 

  4. Fold in the cooked kale, parsley, green onions, salt and pepper to the bowl with the whipped potatoes. Serve immediately with an extra pat of butter for garnish! 

1 Comment

  1. this is seriously an upgrade from a traditional mashed potatoes…love the idea of chives too.

Comments are closed.