Description
Kale Colcannon is a creamy and comforting Irish-inspired dish combining fluffy mashed Russet potatoes with tender sautéed Tuscan kale, cream cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Perfect as a hearty side, this recipe brings a flavorful twist to traditional colcannon by incorporating nutritious kale for a vibrant, satisfying meal accompaniment.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Potatoes
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt*, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for garnish
Kale and Aromatics
- 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 (1/2 cup) sour cream
Garnish
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion, divided
Instructions
- Prepare cream cheese and potatoes: Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature while you cook the potatoes. Peel the Russet potatoes and cut them into even chunks about 2 inches in size to ensure even cooking.
- Boil potatoes: Place the potato chunks into 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 the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat as needed to avoid boiling over. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain potatoes: Carefully drain all the water from the pot and transfer the potatoes to a colander to continue draining while you prepare the kale.
- Sauté kale: Return the empty pot to the stove over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Once melted, add the chopped kale and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 4 minutes until the kale wilts and turns a deep green. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add potatoes and mash: Remove the pot from heat. Add the drained potatoes back into the pot with the kale. Mash the potatoes and kale together to your preferred consistency—some like theirs chunky while others prefer them smooth.
- Incorporate dairy and seasoning: Add the room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the mashed potato mixture. Mash and stir until mostly combined, then fold in 2 tablespoons of the sliced green onions until everything is well mixed.
- Serve: Transfer the kale colcannon to a serving bowl. Garnish with several pats of butter on top and sprinkle the remaining green onions over the dish. Serve warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- If using regular table salt instead of fine sea salt, reduce the amount slightly, as table salt is saltier by volume. Adjust salt to taste at the end.
- You can substitute chard, collard greens, or cabbage for the kale if desired for a different flavor and texture.
- For a dairy-free or vegan version, cook the kale in olive oil instead of butter and replace the cream cheese and sour cream with 1 to 1½ cups of vegan sour cream. Omit the additional butter garnish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe (approximately 175g)
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
