Hairy Bikers Colcannon Soup Recipe

This creamy, chunky Hairy Bikers Colcannon Soup Recipe is made with floury potatoes, tender savoy cabbage, and leeks, and is ready in just 30 minutes. The real magic happens when you pulse the finished soup briefly, thickening the broth with the potatoes while leaving satisfying rustic chunks of vegetables. I love how this recipe transforms a traditional Irish side dish into a warming main meal.

Jump to Recipe

Why This Classic Works

I used to think colcannon was strictly a side dish for sausages or gammon, but turning it into a soup makes total sense. The combination of starchy potatoes and sweet cabbage creates a natural thickness that doesn’t rely heavily on flour or cornstarch. It feels lighter than a full plate of mash but still delivers that proper “stick to your ribs” comfort.

The mistake I made the first time was blending it completely smooth, which turned the cabbage into an unappealing green sludge. Keeping the texture rustic is absolutely essential here; you want to bite into pieces of soft potato and ribbons of cabbage. It reminds me of the hearty farmhouse soups Si and Dave are famous for—simple ingredients treated with respect.

Hairy Bikers Colcannon Soup Recipe Ingredients

• 25g butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 leek, washed and diced (white and light green parts)
• 500g floury potatoes (like Maris Piper or King Edward), peeled and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 200g Savoy cabbage or pointed cabbage, shredded (remove hard core)
• 1 large sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 800ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 100ml single cream
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• For garnish: Snipped chives and crispy bacon bits or crumbled black pudding (optional)

How To Make Hairy Bikers Colcannon Soup Recipe

1. Sauté the Base: Melt the butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, leek, and potatoes. Stir well to coat them in the butter and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, but not brown.
2. Add Greens and Aromatics: Stir in the chopped garlic and shredded cabbage. Cook for another 2 minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt. Add the fresh thyme sprig and bay leaf.
3. Simmer the Soup: Pour in the hot stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender and falling apart slightly.
4. Finish and Thicken: Remove the pot from the heat. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaf. Pour in the single cream. Using a stick blender, give the soup 3-4 short pulses—do not blitz it smooth! You want to break down some potatoes to thicken the liquid while keeping plenty of chunks. Season generously with salt and pepper before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Choose the right potato: You must use a floury variety like Maris Piper or Russets. Waxy potatoes won’t break down enough to thicken the soup naturally, leaving you with a thin broth.
• Don’t skip the sweat: Cooking the potatoes in butter with the onions before adding stock helps them start to break down and soak up flavor. If you boil them straight away, the soup will taste watery.
• Watch the blending: It is very easy to over-blend this soup. If you don’t have a stick blender, just use a potato masher right in the pot to crush about half the potatoes. This is actually a safer method to ensure a rustic texture.
• Prep the leeks well: Leeks hide grit between their layers. Slice them first, then rinse them thoroughly in a colander under running water to avoid any crunch in your soup.

What To Serve With Colcannon Soup

Since this soup is essentially a meal in itself, a slice of warm soda bread with salted butter is the perfect accompaniment to mop up the creamy broth. If you want to make it even more substantial, top it with crumbled black pudding or crispy pancetta, which adds a salty crunch that contrasts beautifully with the sweet cabbage.

How To Store

This soup stores brilliantly in the fridge for up to 3 days and often tastes better the next day as the flavors meld. You can freeze it for up to 3 months, though the texture of the potato may change slightly upon thawing; just reheat it gently on the stove and add a splash of fresh milk if it looks a bit separated.

FAQs

Can I use leftover mashed potatoes?
Yes, this is a great way to use leftovers. Sauté the onions, leeks, and cabbage as usual, add the stock, and then whisk in your leftover mash at the end until heated through.

What if I don’t have Savoy cabbage?
Kale or spring greens work very well as substitutes. Kale will need a few extra minutes of simmering to become tender, while spring greens will cook faster.

Is this recipe vegetarian?
Yes, provided you use vegetable stock and skip the bacon garnish. It is a hearty vegetarian meal on its own.

Can I make it dairy-free?
You can swap the butter for oil and the single cream for a plant-based oat cream. The potatoes provide enough creaminess that you could even skip the cream entirely if you prefer a lighter broth.

Nutrition

• Calories: 320 kcal
• Total Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Cholesterol: 40mg
• Sodium: 650mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 42g
• Protein: 8g

Try More Recipes:

• Hairy Bikers Eggs with Merguez Sausages Recipe
• Hairy Bikers Cowboy Baked Beans
• Hairy Bikers Smoked Fish Eggs Recipe