Cabbage Potato Soup Recipe
Inspired by a traditional colcannon, this Irish Potato And Cabbage Soup is a creamy, comforting meal that’s ready in 40 minutes.
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“Our whole family loved this soup! Bonus, it was so easy and budget-friendly.”
—Lisa
“I made this today for lunch with some leftover kale and cabbage. The mix was great. This is delicious!”
—Alisha
A Creamy Colcannon Soup Recipe Inspired By Irish Comfort Food
If you’ve never been particularly excited about a full corned beef dinner for St. Patrick’s Day, let me introduce you to an Irish dish that you might like a lot more.
I was introduced to colcannon for the first time while working as a food stylist. What looks simple on paper (mashed potatoes with cabbage in it) turned out to be deeply savory and super craveable in a way I didn’t expect.
This colcannon soup takes the best parts of that traditional dish – the buttery potatoes, tender cabbage and gentle onion flavor – and turns it into a hearty soup.
Whether you serve this as a main dish or as part of a larger Irish-inspired spread, this soup proves you don’t need corned beef to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day.
Why You’ll Love This Cabbage Potato Soup Recipe
- It’s a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an Irish-inspired meal for people who aren’t fans of corned beef.
- With simple ingredients, straightforward steps, and a very forgivng technique, even novice home cooks can whip up a batch of this delicious soup with ease.
- The combination of creamy potatoes and hearty greens make this a comforting meal for a chilly day.
Irish Bacon Cabbage And Potato Soup Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- potatoes – colcannon is sometimes made with yellow potatoes, but we think russet potatoes work best for soup.
- cabbage and/or kale – you’ll need 4 cups (packed) total cabbage and/or kale for this soup. We like to use a combination, but then you’ll likely have leftovers of either one. Or, you can simply use one or the other for your Irish colcannon soup.
- leeks – we love the subtle onion flavor that leeks add, and they make a pretty garnish, too.
- olive oil and butter – we like to use a combination of the two for best flavor in this cabbage potato soup recipe, but all one or the other would also be fine.
- chicken stock – you will need a 1 quart container of chicken stock for this Irish colcannon soup recipe.
- thyme sprigs – we like to use a couple of fresh thyme sprigs. We throw them in whole and then fish them out and discard them when the soup is done simmering. You could also use a pinch of dried thyme (no need to fish it out, obviously).
- bay leaf – because we all put bay leaves in all our soups because . . . we just do.
- half and half – we finish our cabbage and potato soup with a little bit of half and half to make it nice and creamy. You can also use whole milk (less creamy) or heavy cream (more creamy).
- lemon juice – we often season our soups with a splash of fresh lemon juice. It adds a bright, acidic note, and is especially welcome in heavier, creamier soups like this one.
- salt – it’s super important to add the salt at the same time you add the potatoes to the cabbage potato soup recipe, so that the potatoes will be seasoned as they cook. Otherwise, they’ll be bland!
- ground white pepper – we love the earthy flavor of white pepper paired with potatoes. If you don’t have white pepper, an equal amount of ground black pepper is great.
- nutmeg – just a pinch of ground nutmeg is a trick from culinary school for seasoning mashed potatoes, and it works for potato soups too!
- bacon – not traditional for colcannon, but excellent as a garnish for this Irish bacon cabbage and potato soup. You can make Oven Bacon or even make Turkey Bacon In Oven and crumble it over the top.
How To Make Irish Cabbage Soup
- PREP VEGGIES. Cut the leek in half lengthwise, and then be sure to rinse it really well to get all of the dirt out. Thinly slice crosswise, using only the light green parts. The dark green part can be discarded or reserved to make vegetable stock. If using kale, cut out the center rib of each leaf and discard, then thinly slice the leaves.
- SAUTE. Heat the oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven, then add the cabbage and/or kale and the leeks and cook until the greens are tender.
- SIMMER. Stir in the potatoes, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, stock and salt and simmer until potatoes are very tender. Remove the thyme leaves and bay leaf and discard.
- BLEND. If desired, use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup while leaving a lot of it chunky (you can also do this by transferring about half of the soup to a blender or food processor).
- FINISH. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the half and half, lemon juice, pepper and nutmeg. To serve, sprinkle with bacon and sliced leeks, if desired.
Irish Potato Cabbage Soup Home Chef Tips
- For extra flavor, cook the bacon in the soup pot at the start instead of cooking is separately: finely chop 4 slices of bacon and cook over medium heat until crisp in the same pot that you’re going to make the soup in. Remove the bacon and set it aside, and then saute the cabbage and leeks in the bacon fat instead of using olive oil and butter.
- Use a good quality chicken stock as the base of your Irish potato cabbage soup. Broth is OK in a pinch, but won’t be quite as flavorful.
Irish Potato And Cabbage Soup Variations
- Vegetarian: use vegetable stock or vegetable broth and skip the bacon.
- Extra creamy: swap half-and-half for heavy cream
- Lighter: use whole milk for a thinner finish.
What To Serve With This Cabbage Potato Soup Recipe
If you’re putting together a full St. Patrick’s Day spread, a few well-chosen sides and desserts will make it feel like a proper celebration.
If you want just a taste of corned beef without making it your whole meal, make a batch of Corned Beef Egg Rolls to serve alongside this Irish cabbage soup. Crispy on the outside and savory inside, they’re perfect as an appetizer, too.
Any soup is better with bread, and if you don’t prefer Irish soda bread or crusty bread, we have some other great options, like Homemade Garlic Bread, Quick Yeast Rolls and Rosemary Focaccia.
And for dessert, we think Baileys Irish Cream Brownies are a must. They’re fudgy and just boozy enough.
Storage And Reheating
- Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Reheat: In the oven or microwave until warmed through, adding a splash of broth or water to loosen the soup if needed.
- Freeze: Chill and then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
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Colcannon Soup Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups total packed finely chopped green cabbage and/or kale
- 1 cup thinly sliced leeks white and light green parts only (about 3-4 small leeks), plus additional for garnish (optional)
- 1 ½ pounds Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 4 slices oven baked bacon crumbled, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in large pot over medium heat. Add cabbage and/or kale, and leeks, to pot and stir until well combined. Cover pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until greens are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in potatoes, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, stock and salt. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook 14 to 16 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and discard.
- If desired, remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup while still leaving a lot of it chunky (you can also do this by transferring about half of the soup to a blender or food processor).
- Return soup to medium-low heat and stir in half and half, lemon juice, pepper and nutmeg. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and sliced leeks, if desired.
Made this recipe last night and it was a huge hit. Fun to make and full of flavor. Making it again very soon. If you like potato soup, this is the recipe for you!
Thank you so much, Tracey!
I thought i would taste the cabbage more .
but sure do like soup on a wet cold day .
Thanks for the feedback, Julie. I appreciate it!
After sautéing the cabbage and leeks, then cooking it another 14 minutes with the potatoes, will not the cabbage and leeks get overcooked?
Cabbage is remarkably hearty, and I didn’t find it overcooked at all.
Our whole family loved this soup! Bonus, it was so easy and budget-friendly. Thanks Lori!
I am so glad to hear that, Lisa! It’s one of our very favorites, too.