Description
Hearty potato soup with Irish bacon showcases traditional Celtic comfort cuisine. Rustic ingredients merge into a warming bowl that connects diners with Ireland’s culinary heritage while satisfying hunger and nostalgia.
Ingredients
Scale
- 0.5 lb (226 g) Irish bacon, cut into quarter pieces
- 0.5 lb (226 g) potatoes, washed and diced
- 0.5 cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 to 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Bacon Rendering: Heat a large pot over medium temperature and crisp Irish bacon until golden, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove bacon and preserve the rendered fat.
- Vegetable Sauté: Introduce finely chopped onions into bacon fat, cooking until translucent. Add sliced carrots and continue sautéing briefly to develop savory undertones.
- Ingredient Integration: Combine diced potatoes and roughly chopped cabbage into the aromatic vegetable mixture. Season thoroughly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to enhance flavor profile.
- Liquid Infusion: Pour chicken stock into the pot and add a single bay leaf. Elevate heat to achieve a rolling boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle, consistent simmer.
- Simmering Process: Allow soup to slowly cook uncovered for 18-22 minutes, ensuring potatoes become fork-tender and cabbage maintains a delicate yet robust texture.
- Final Composition: Crumble reserved crispy bacon and reintroduce into the soup. Conduct a final taste assessment, adjusting seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Presentation: Transfer the steaming soup into warmed serving bowls. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and accompany with crusty Irish soda bread or hearty whole grain crackers for a complete culinary experience.
Notes
- Bacon Selection: Choose high-quality Irish bacon for authentic flavor and optimal rendering, ensuring crispy texture and rich taste.
- Fat Management: Reserve bacon fat for sautéing vegetables, enhancing the soup’s depth and traditional cooking technique.
- Vegetable Cutting: Maintain consistent vegetable sizes for even cooking and balanced texture throughout the soup.
- Simmering Secret: Monitor soup closely during simmering to prevent overcooking potatoes while maintaining cabbage’s slight crunch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg