Irish Colcannon (or Mashed Potatoes with Greens)

Just in time for St. Patrick’s day, colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made by mashing potatoes and mixing in cabbage or other greens. When I was growing up, my parents used to make colcannon, or my dad would sometimes call it ‘thump’ (a Scottish variation), with whatever greens we had around. Usually, this was chard or kale from the garden. Sometimes it was cabbage. This dish is the definition of comfort food for me, both because it’s filling and tastes delicious and also because it reminds me of being a kid. I used cabbage this time because we had some in the fridge that needed to be used. But for a less monochromatic dish, use a more colorful leafy green–like rainbow chard or kale. With cabbage and potatoes, this is an extremely affordable and filling dish to make. I also didn’t realize until this moment that the bowl in the photo looks a little like a shamrock. Happy almost St. Patrick’s Day!

The Recipe

Serves 3-4

Prepare vegan garlic mashed potatoes according to directions

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 cups of chopped cabbage or other greens

splash of olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Prepare the vegan garlic mashed potatoes according to directions. While the potatoes are cooking, saute chopped onion in a splash of olive oil or water in a large pan. Cook until slightly soft. Add the cabbage or other greens and cover with lid to steam the greens. Add salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind the potatoes will also have salt and pepper in them. When the mashed potatoes are prepared and the greens are cooked, mix the two together thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Enjoy!

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