Description
Kale Colcannon is a comforting Irish dish featuring creamy mashed Russet potatoes blended with tender sautéed kale, garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, and green onions. This hearty side dish is perfect for cozy meals and offers a delicious twist on traditional colcannon by incorporating nutrient-rich kale.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for garnish
Greens and Flavorings
- 1 large bunch kale, preferably Tuscan/Lacinato, ribs removed and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces (3 to 4 cups)
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
Dairy
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces (½ cup) sour cream
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion, divided
Instructions
- Prepare Cream Cheese: Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature while cooking the potatoes for easier mashing and mixing.
- Cut Potatoes: Cut the peeled Russet potatoes into even chunks about 2 inches in size to ensure uniform cooking.
- Boil Potatoes: Place the potato chunks in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt and enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 1 to 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat as needed to prevent overflow. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain Potatoes: Carefully drain all the water from the pot and let the potatoes sit in a colander to remove excess moisture.
- Sauté Kale: Return the empty pot to the stove over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and let it melt. Add the chopped kale and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 4 minutes until wilted and dark green. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
- Mash Potatoes and Kale: Remove the pot from heat and return the drained potatoes to it. Mash the potatoes and sautéed kale together, leaving some chunks if preferred, or mash smooth depending on your texture preference.
- Add Dairy and Seasoning: Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 teaspoon salt to the mashed mixture. Continue mashing and stirring until mostly combined.
- Incorporate Green Onions: Stir in 2 tablespoons of the thinly sliced green onions until well mixed.
- Serve: Transfer the colcannon to a serving bowl. Garnish with a few pats of butter and the remaining tablespoon of green onions. Serve warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- If using regular table salt instead of fine sea salt, reduce the salt quantity slightly and adjust to taste at the end to avoid oversalting.
- Substitute chard, collard greens, or cabbage for kale for a different but equally delicious flavor variation.
- For a dairy-free or vegan version, cook the kale in olive oil and substitute 1 to 1 ½ cups vegan sour cream for the cream cheese and sour cream. Omit the added butter.
- Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature before mixing for easier blending and creamier texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
