Colcannon
Ireland's mash with buttery cabbage and scallions folded through — comfort with a green streak.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 5 Potatoes
- ¼ head Cabbage
- 4 Scallions
- 80 g Butter
- 120 ml Milk
- 1¼ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper (optional)
Method
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into even quarters so they cook at the same rate.
- Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water over high heat until a knife slides in with no resistance, about 18 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and let them steam-dry in the colander for a minute.
- Shred the cabbage finely and slice the scallions, keeping them in separate piles.
- Fry the shredded cabbage in half the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat until soft and golden at the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the sliced scallions into the cabbage and cook just until they soften, about 1 minute.
- Mash the drained potatoes with the warm milk and the remaining butter until fluffy, then fold the buttery greens through with the pepper.
- Pile the colcannon into a warm bowl and press a butter well into the middle, as law requires.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Colcannon
Colcannon is Irish comfort food distilled to its essence: buttery mashed potatoes folded through with cabbage and scallions. The method is straightforward but particular—boil the potatoes until they're completely tender, fry cabbage separately in butter until it softens and begins to caramelize at the edges, then combine everything with a final flourish of scallions wilted in. What you get is a side dish that's almost a complete meal, the creamed potato base providing a canvas for the cabbage's slight char and the scallions' sharpness.
There's an honesty to colcannon that speaks to how it developed: in a place where potatoes were the main crop and cabbage grew nearly as well, these two ingredients needed to taste good together in every season. The butter and milk are there to make it luxurious, yes, but they're also there to marry the potato to the cabbage's assertive flavor, binding them into something that's greater than the sum. Traditionally served alongside a well-cooked ham or roasted chicken, it's equally at home mopping up the sauce from a good braise. Once you've made it, you'll understand why it survives in Irish home cooking: it asks very little of you and delivers a plate that feels properly nourished.
Colcannon: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Colcannon?
One serving of Colcannon has about 295 calories, with 7g of protein, 30g of carbs, 18g of fat and 7g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Colcannon gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Colcannon has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Colcannon dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Butter, Milk. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Colcannon take to make?
About 35 minutes start to finish, but only around 22 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Colcannon?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out black pepper — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Colcannon make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.