Mason-Dixon Recipes

Cabbage and Potato Soup

In the night the cabbages catch at the moon, the leaves drip silver, the rows of cabbages are a series of little silver waterfalls in the moon.

         — Carl Sandburg

The diet of most inhabitants on the Emerald Island of Ireland had included kale and cabbage for centuries. But it was not until the middle of the 18th century, after the introduction of the potato, that a side dish called colcannon emerged as a favorite. It was mashed potatoes mixed with garden-grown kale or cabbage.

No one knows with any certainty when the potato was introduced to Ireland. A number of theories exist, including one that it was Sir Walter Raleigh who planted Ireland’s first potato in County Cork during the 17th century. Another theory from the annals of folklore is that the potato arrived by accident when a ship from the Spanish Armada wrecked on the western shore of Ireland.

We may never know about how either cabbage or potatoes arrived in Ireland, but the marriage between the two became a natural combination that found it's way into other dishes, such as cabbage and potato soup. It's unlike most potato soups that are creamier, instead being tomato based.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium potatoes
4 cups green cabbage, shredded
6 oz peeled potatoes, sliced
1 cup medium onions, sliced
2 cups water
1 cup beef broth
¹/₂ cup tomato puree
2 tsp vegetable oil
¹/₂ tsp garlic powder
1 whole bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan, then add cabbage and onions. Sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently until the cabbage is soft and the onions translucent (usually about 10 minutes). Reduce heat to low and add remaining ingredients.

Cook about 30-40 minutes on medium heat until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.

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