Prep: 20 mins + overnight draining time & 15 mins soaking
Cook: 30 mins
Servings: 4

COLCANNON SOUP WITH LEEK TOP OIL & SODA BREAD CRUMBS

An exclusive recipe, created for Nanna Tate by Great British Chefs Kitchen.

A twist on the classic leek and potato combo, this soup sees the iconic duo joined by savoy cabbage, leaning into the Irish dish of colcannon. The green leek tops are blitzed into a punchy bright green oil to drizzle on top.

Start cooking

Ingredients

2 large leeks, sliced, green tops reserved and roughly chopped (you’ll need around 100g)
500g Nanna Tate potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
40g unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1l vegetable stock
100ml double cream, plus extra to serve
1 tsp Dijon mustard
200g savoy cabbage, finely shredded
Nutmeg, for finely grating
1 tsp cider vinegar

LEEK TOP OIL

Reserved leek tops
20g chives, roughly chopped
100g baby spinach
250ml vegetable oil

SODA BREAD CRUMBS

100g soda bread
25g unsalted butter

Let’s get cooking!

Step 1 of 4
(START THE DAY BEFORE) PREP THE OIL

Start the leek top oil the day before you want to serve the dish. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and set up a bowl of iced water. Blanch the leek tops for 1 minute, then transfer to the iced water. Blanch the spinach and chives for 15 seconds, then transfer to the iced water and leave to cool.

Drain the vegetables then place in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer to a blender with the vegetable oil and blend for 3 minutes, then strain into a bowl through a sieve lined with muslin cloth or kitchen paper, allowing the oil to drip into a bowl below.

Transfer to a piping bag and hang in the fridge overnight to allow any water to separate in the tip of the piping bag

The next day, snip the end of the piping bag and drain any water, then transfer the oil into a squeezy bottle and set aside.
Step 2 of 4
COOK THE SOUP

For the soup, soak the potatoes in water for 10 minutes to remove excess starch, then drain.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leek and a good pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Step 3 of 4
PREP THE CRUMBS

Meanwhile, for the soda bread crumb, crumble the bread into a food processor and pulse into coarse crumbs.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add in the crumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 8 minutes until crisp and golden, tossing regularly, then drain on kitchen paper.
Step 4 of 4
FINISH & SERVE

Stir the cream and Dijon mustard into the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Blend until completely smooth using a handheld blender, adding a little more stock to loosen, if necessary.

Add the cabbage to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt, a fine grating of nutmeg and the cider vinegar, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and split the surface with a little extra cream and the leek top oil to serve.