Head chef at Faithlegg House Hotel, Jenny Flynn, joined Maria McCann on The Saturday Café for the first Food at Faithlegg of 2026. Jenny kicks off the year of tasty recipes with a Brown Butter Colcannon Soup with Smoked Bacon Crumb.

January is a month where a warm bowl of soup is a must, so I have combined some seasonal treats with an Irish twist! Leeks and cabbage are in season, giving the soup a natural sweetness and the brown butter and smoked bacon make it richer without much effort.

Brown butter Colcannon Soup with Smoked Bacon Crumb

This recipe makes enough for 6 bowls

Ingredients:

• 600g potatoes, peeled, diced
• 1 leek, both the top and the white, washed and sliced
• 1 med head or 400g Savoy cabbage
• 2 cloves of  garlic
• 1litre of vegetable stock, or if you have stock from cooking bacon or ham, use half of ham stock and half water
• 80g butter
• 200ml cream
• 150g smoked streaky bacon, finely diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

  Method:

1. In a heavy-based pot, brown your butter by melting it over medium heat until it turns a nutty amber colour. It will foam up. Keep a tablespoon for garnish later
2. Make the base by adding leek and garlic into the nut-brown butter and cook for 5 mins, keep a stir on the pot.
3. Add potatoes, mix, add stock and bring to a simmer for about 20 mins.
4. Cook the cabbage in a pan with a knob of butter and a drop of vegetable stock it will take about 6-7mins as you only want to soften it.
5. Add to the base and blend, add the cream taste for seasoning and blend until smooth.
6. Bacon crumb, grill or pan fry the bacon until crisp or place in the oven on baking parchment in between two baking trays.
7. Chop into fine breadcrumbs
8. To serve: pour into a warm bowl, sprinkle the smoked bacon crumb and drizzle with the remaining brown butter.

Enjoy

Jenny Flynn