Another name for this rich, flavorful dish is “Colcannon,” a traditional Irish favorite made of mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage. You can serve this right after mashing or bake it into a casserole; you can even use the leftovers to make delicious tater-tots!
Colcannon is traditionally made with only four ingredients: potatoes, butter, milk and kale. Instead of butter and milk, I have used a blend of cashews and water for richness, but see the Notes section below for alternatives. You can also use scallions or onions in this dish instead of leeks (my favorite). I added chives as well for a nice presentation.
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup raw, unsalted cashews (1 ounce), or see Notes
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 5½ cups)
- 1 cup chopped leek, white and pale-green parts (see photos below)
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 4 cups chopped green cabbage
- ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
- Place the water and cashews into a small blender jar and blend briefly; set aside.
- Place the potatoes, leeks, and granulated garlic into a soup pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
- Add the cabbage, and continue to boil until the potatoes are very tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. Drain the water from the soup pot. Leave the cooked potatoes in the pot and set aside off heat.
- Blend the water and cashews again until very smooth. Add this, along with the chives, to the pot, and mash with a potato masher. Serve hot as it or garnished with chives on top. (See Notes below for baking instructions.)
Kale: Instead of cabbage, feel free to use kale in its place (or a blend would be nice too).
Leek variation: Some recipes use white or yellow onions, or green onions (scallions) instead of leeks (but I think leeks provide the most interesting flavor).
Cashew option: If you don't want to use cashews for richness, feel free to substitute with a nut or seed that suits you better. Or you can also use a rich nondairy milk (like soy milk) instead of water and nuts/seeds. If you desire no added fat, just mash the potatoes with some of the cooking water that’s been saved before draining, or with some no-salt vegetable broth or stock.
Baking: I like mine unbaked, but if you want to bake this recipe, use a 2-quart casserole dish, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Tater Tots: If you want to make tater tots out of any leftovers, form the mashed potatoes into small balls (or tater tot shape, kind of oblong; see photo below), and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes on the center rack. Remove and, with tongs, gently turn the tots over; bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are browned (see photo below). Serve hot with homemade, salt-free ketchup.
Above: The prepared and ready to boil potatoes, leeks, and granulated garlic.
Above: The sliced cabbage and chopped chives.
Above: How to prepare leeks in 3 steps! (1) Top image: first, cut away the root end and the other end of dark green, and discard. (2) Middle image: cut the large middle section lengthwise (and rinse clean if there is any dirt between the layers). (3) Bottom image: slice the lengths again and chop across to get smaller pieces. (And be sure to use a sharp knife so the knife doesn’t slip off of the leeks.)
Above: Hot and ready to serve!
Above: Leftovers baked into homemade tater tots (see Notes above for instructions).
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please share a comment below or on my Facebook page. If you’d like to print this recipe, use the green “Print” button near the top-right of the recipe. Learn more about the Straight Up Food Cookbook here. Thank you!
How much milk?
The same amount as water: about 1/4 cup. 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! It reminded me of how much enjoy leeks, and that I need to incorporate them into my routine more often. Instead of cabbage, I had a bag of greens I needed to use up [mustard, turnip, collard mix], and even my vegetable-fickle partner enjoyed this hearty dish. I made your carrot cake recipe for dessert, and I must say it was one of the most satisfying meals we’ve had in a while. Thank you so much for developing and sharing these recipes.
Yay, I love to hear this! 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting, Nicolas!
I made your cabbage salad last night minus the avocado,it was delicious. I have leftovers for today.
I could have eaten the whole bowl!
Thank you for creating this yummy salad. Will be my go to often!
Thanks Jan! 😉
Just made your Irish Potato dish and I felt like it was St. Patty’s Day! It was creamy, with lots of veggies in it that are disguised!! The only change I did, was swapped green onions for chives, since I did not have any. It is such a wonderful dish and tomorrow…TATER TOTS!!
Yum! Love these. Thanks Kat! 😉
Should the recipe say “1/4 cup water or milk”? There’s reference at point to milk but there’s no milk listed in the ingredients.
I changed it to “water”, thanks! 😉
This is great and I’ve made it many times.
Thank you Lisa! 😉