Description
Hearty Irish bacon cabbage and potato soup celebrates classic comfort from Ireland’s culinary traditions. Rich ingredients meld together, delivering robust flavors that connect home cooks with generations of delicious heritage you’ll savor completely.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon (or Irish back bacon), chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold), peeled and diced
- 2 cups (200 g / 7 oz) green cabbage, shredded
- 4 cups (1 L / 33.8 fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups (500 mL / 16.9 fl oz) water
- ½ cup (120 mL / 4 fl oz) heavy cream (optional)
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crusty bread (optional)
Instructions
- Bacon Preparation: Heat a large pot over medium flame and render bacon until crispy and golden-brown. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon, reserving the fat in the pot.
- Aromatic Base: Sauté diced onions in the bacon fat until translucent, then add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute to release its fragrant oils.
- Liquid Foundation: Add diced potatoes, chicken stock, and water to the pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer, allowing potatoes to soften for 10-12 minutes.
- Cabbage Integration: Introduce shredded cabbage to the simmering mixture, cooking for an additional 5-7 minutes until vegetables become tender and fully infused.
- Texture Refinement: Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, maintaining a rustic texture with some chunky vegetable pieces.
- Final Touches: Stir in heavy cream, season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with reserved crispy bacon bits and freshly chopped parsley. Serve alongside crusty bread for a hearty Irish-inspired meal.
Notes
- Bacon Fat Flavor Boost: Retain the bacon fat for deeper, richer flavor infusion throughout the soup’s base.
- Potato Texture Control: Cut potatoes uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent softness across the soup.
- Blending Balance: Use immersion blender sparingly to maintain soup’s rustic texture, leaving substantial potato and vegetable chunks.
- Cream Tempering Technique: Add cream slowly and stir continuously to prevent potential curdling and achieve smooth, silky consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg