This Irish colcannon inspired sweet potato mash comes with sauteed kale, cabbage and garlic, which give it plenty of flavor and lovely crunchy textures. This is a healthy and nutritious sweet potato dish that can be served as a side with pretty much anything. It’s paleo, gluten-free and Whole30-friendly.


This Irish sweet potato mash recipe came about when I was trying to cook up something fun for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. We were making my hearty beef stew and I needed a side dish. This seemed kind of appropriate.

One of the most famous Irish dishes served on this day is colcannon – Irish mash potatoes with cabbage and/or kale and butter. Colcannon means ‘white-headed cabbage’ and there are many variations of this dish that have additions of leek, bacon, shallots and other flavorings.

How To Make Irish Sweet Potato Mash

My healthy mash is made with sweet potatoes cooked and mashed, then blended with sauteed onions, savoy cabbage, kale and a little twist of garlic and lemon zest. It’s well seasoned and moistened with ghee and butter. For another kale and sweet potato dish, check out this recipe.

It can be made ahead of time as it keeps well in the fridge (3-4 days).

What Goes With Sweet Potato Mash

Mashed sweet potatoes are such good comfort food and this colcannon version goes superbly well with any type of sausages, meatballs, steaks, burgers, pot roast or a stew.

See also  Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

It’s a great vegetarian dish, too. You can serve it as a main with a big side of veggies and some plant-based protein. Check out more of my vegetarian recipes here.

You can enjoy it on St. Patrick’s Day or any other day you feel like something different to your regular mashed potatoes.

I’ll leave you with this Irish quote ‘May you live all the days of your life’ – Jonathan Swift.

Full Recipe

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.

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This Irish sweet potato mash colcannon with kale, cabbage and garlic, is a healthy and nutritious side dish that can be served with pretty much anything. It’s paleo, gluten-free and Whole30-friendly.

  • Place sweet potato in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them. Add the stock powder or use liquid stock instead of water. Bring to boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft when poked with a fork.

  • Heat a large frying pan with a dollop of ghee and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add kale and cabbage and another dollop of ghee. Season with a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cabbage and kale will start to wilt and decrease in size. Add garlic, lemon zest and a few tablespoons of water and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

  • Finally, strain the potatoes and place them in a food processor or use a potato masher to mash them into a smooth puree. Season with a good pinch of nutmeg, black pepper and add the butter. Process until well incorporated and smooth and transfer to the frying pan with the cabbage. Stir together and taste for salt. Serve with a little extra lemon zest and black pepper on top. Enjoy!

This variation on a potato mash can be made with any starchy tuber such as pumpkin, white potato, parsnip and celeriac. Kale can be replaced with spinach or other leafy greens.

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 544mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 27817IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2mg

Keywords: Kale, Sweet Potato Recipes, Side Dishes, Appetizers, Vegetable Recipes

MORE HEALTHY MASH RECIPES

Check out this Spiced Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash

Or, my Parsnip Cauliflower Mash With Garlic Butter


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