A big pot of this Corned Beef, Potato, Leek soup is just what you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year. Warm and filling with rich flavors from a variety of vegetables and sausage, it makes a soul satisfying meal.
St. Patrick’s Day is here and we are in the Irish spirit! Of course that isn’t hard for me given my Irish heritage, but The Artist is an Honorary Leprechaun, LOL. I love it when St Pat’s lands on a Friday or Saturday. We can celebrate as long as we like and we get to sleep in the next day. Let the party begin!!
Corned Beef Sausages
The bulk of American’s will be drinking green beer and struggling to make corned beef and cabbage whether they like it or not, thinking that it is absolutely required on St. Patrick’s Day. I have news for you … no one in Ireland eats this and you have other options if you want!
But if you want to make corned beef and cabbage and are looking for a recipe, you can check out my article that contains three different ways to make it here!
Last week I was shopping in Whole Foods and saw all the corned beef briskets lined up in the cold case. But just down the way was something really interesting … corned beef sausages. Yep, the beef with extra corning spices, potatoes, cabbage and carrots all together and stuffed into casings. Brilliant! All the flavors we are looking for without having to deal with a huge piece of meat and wondering how to cook it.
My first thought was to serve them on hoagie rolls with sauteed peppers and onions, one of our favorite ways to have sausages. But I had been looking at a variety of Irish recipes in anticipation of sharing some with you. All of a sudden, I put the two together … a merging of corned beef and potato leek soup plus a hint of colcannon!
Corned beef and potato soup are probably familiar to you, but colcannon may be something new. It is a blend of mashed potatoes, cooked cabbage or kale, onions, and often cubes of ham. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish that costs next to nothing to make and is very filling, perfect for a poor family in the old country. I made an amazing version with bacon and compound butter that was out of this world!
This corned beef, potato, and leek soup utilizes corned beef sausages I found at Whole Foods, but you could substitute corned beef, Andouille sausage, Cajun, or smoked kielbasa. Just about any protein will work, so use your favorite.
The white potatoes, orange carrots, and green leeks and onions make up the colors of the Irish flag making this even more fun for the holiday.
The Artist and I met on St. Patrick’s Day and we always have fun celebrating my heritage and our anniversary together – this is our 28th year together. Pull on some green clothes, grab your dancing shoes, and party till the leprechauns come home! And don’t forget to enjoy a big bowl of this Corned Beef, Potato, Leek Soup!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Corned Beef, Potato, Leek Soup:
- Potatoes, chicken broth, water, salt, olive oil, butter, onion, leeks
- Shallot, gluten-free flour, corned beef sausages, andouille, kielbasa, or
- Leftover corned beef, carrot, peas, sour cream, chopped chives or green onions
PRO Tip:
Cleaning leeks can be a little tricky because they collect gritty, sandy dirt between the layers of leaves as they grow. Starting at the light green part of the leek, cut lengthwise toward the dark leaf end. Turn the leek 1/4 turn and make a parallel cut through the stalk. Trim off the darker tough leaves, leaving the white and light green parts. Place the leeks under running water, fanning out the leaves to expose and clean out any trapped dirt or debris. Then slice the leek sideways into rings.
How to make Corned Beef, Potato, Leek Soup:
- Boil the potatoes in salted water and broth until tender, then set aside. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil and butter and sauté the onion, leeks, and shallots, stirring often, for 3 minutes, then sprinkle with the flour, stirring to coat the vegetables cooking until the raw smell of the flour is gone. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan.
- Add the crumbled sausage to the center of the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and beginning to brown. Add the carrots, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook 5 minutes stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer about half of the cooked potatoes to the skillet with the sausage. Use an immersion blender and purée the potatoes that remain in the cooking liquid until smooth. Add the meat and potatoes to the puréed potato mixture in the saucepan.
- Stir in the peas, bring to a simmer stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If too thick, add a little more water or milk to thin a little.
- Scoop soup into warmed serving bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with chopped chives or green onions if desired. Serve immediately.
PRO Tip:
If you can’t find corned beef sausages, not to worry. You can use corned beef, Andouille sausage, Cajun sausage, or smoked kielbasa. Use whatever you like and have on hand. The flavor will change but it will still be delicious.
PRO Tip:
If you are using a regular blender to purée the potatoes, never fill more than about 2/3 full, working in batches, place the lid on the blender, slightly ajar and hold it firmly in place with a kitchen towel. Hot liquid expands when running the blender and you don’t want to risk the lid flying off, splattering boiling soup all over you and the kitchen!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Kitchen scale
- Large saucepan or Dutch oven
- Large nonstick skillet and a universal lid
- Slotted spoon or skimmer
- Immersion blender or regular blender
- Serving bowls
Gluten-Free Tips:
Be sure that the sausages and corned beef you use are gluten-free because sometimes the manufacturer may use gluten ingredients as fillers. The stock is another place gluten can hide. Always watch labels on any manufactured ingredients. And of course, use a gluten-free flour, either a plain flour (like rice, sorghum, or millet) or a flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 or King Arthur’s Measure for Measure).
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Corned Beef, Potato, Leek Soup (Gluten Free)
A big pot of this Corned Beef, Potato, Leek soup is just what you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year. Warm and filling with rich flavors from a variety of vegetables and sausage, it makes a soul satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups (473ml) gluten-free chicken broth or stock
- 1 to 2 cups (237ml to 473ml) water, as needed
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp organic olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and thoroughly rinsed
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp gluten-free flour
- 2 gluten-free raw corned beef sausage links, removed from the casings and crumbled or sliced thinly (See *Note)
- 1 medium carrot, chopped very finely
- 1/4 cup (59ml) frozen peas, partially thawed, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Chopped chives or green onions, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a 3-quart (2.8L) saucepan or Dutch oven, pour in the broth and water, adding more water if needed to cover the potatoes. Add the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil and butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onions, leeks, and shallots. Sauté 3 minutes stirring often. Sprinkle with flour, stir to coat vegetables and continue to cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until the raw smell of flour is gone. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan.
- Add the sausage to the center of the skillet and continue to cook, about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until cooked through and beginning to brown. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, cover with a lid and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
- Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer about half of the cooked potato pieces to the skillet.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the remaining potatoes and cooking liquid until smooth. Or you can transfer it (in batches) to a regular blender. If using a blender, only fill it about 1/2 full and be careful to hold the lid on, with one corner slightly lifted to allow steam to escape, with a kitchen towel to protect your hand. Any fuller than that and when the hot liquid expands you run the risk of it spewing boiling soup all over you and the kitchen. Return the puree to the pot and continue until all the potatoes in the pot are puréed.
- Add the sausage mixture with potato chunks to the pot. Stir in the peas and bring back to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed. Add more water or a touch of milk to thin the soup if necessary.
- Scoop into warmed serving bowls, sprinkle with chives or green onions if desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
*You can also use andouille, Cajun, or smoked kielbasa if you can’t find the corned beef sausages. If they are fully cooked sausages, slice into disks and they only need to be heated through. You can also use corned beef, just chop it into bite-size pieces, about 1/2 pound (227g). Be sure sausages, corned beef, and stock are labeled gluten-free if you are following a GF diet or cooking for someone who is.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 264Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 1076mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 10g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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