Colcannon
Savoy cabbage, single cream and mature gouda cheese come together in this vegetarian — 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Peel the potatoes, cut them into even chunks and place in a pot of cold salted water, then bring to a boil and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until tender to the point of a knife.
- Meanwhile, shred the cabbage finely and cook it in a separate pan of boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes until just tender, then drain very well and squeeze out excess moisture.
- Warm the single cream with most of the butter and the finely sliced spring onions in a small pan over low heat until the butter melts and the onions soften, about 3 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return them to the dry hot pan for a minute to steam off moisture, then mash until smooth with no lumps.
- Beat the warm cream mixture into the potatoes, then season with the ground mace, paprika, salt and pepper and fold in the grated gouda until it melts into the mash.
- Fold the drained cabbage through the mash so it is evenly distributed but the potato stays light and fluffy rather than heavy.
- Spoon into a warm serving dish, make a well in the centre and add the remaining butter so it melts into a golden pool, then serve hot.
You'll use: Pan · Large pot · Saucepan · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Colcannon take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Colcannon vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Colcannon is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Colcannon (4438873634) (2).jpg by TheCulinaryGeek from Chicago, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.