ST PATRICK’S DAY

Cook up Clodagh Mckenna’s Irish feast

‘In Ireland, life revolves around the kitchen. Whether it’s cups of tea and a piece of cake fresh from the oven, a family supper, Sunday lunch, or our famed Irish breakfast, life happens over a simmering pot. When you’re welcomed into someone’s home, the kettle is put on, and the first thing you’re asked is “Are you hungry?” And when there’s a celebration, it’s food that we bring with us.’ @clodaghmckenna @clodagh_mckenna

Colcannon soup with parsley pesto

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 25 mins EASY

50g butter

300g potatoes, diced 100g onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg 800ml hot chicken or veg stock 400g cabbage, sliced 100ml cream

For the parsley pesto 150g flat-leaf parsley 150ml extra virgin olive oil 50g hazelnuts, toasted 1 garlic clove, crushed 50g freshly grated parmesan

1 Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic and nutmeg, stir, then cover with a lid, turn down the heat and leave to sweat for about 15 mins, stirring occasionally.

2 Add the stock and turn the heat up to high, then cook until the onions and potatoes are completely soft. Add the cabbage, then cook for 5 mins more.

3 Once you’ve added the cabbage to the soup, put all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and whizz to a chunky consistency. Set aside until ready to serve.

4 When the cabbage has wilted, stir in the cream, then pour the soup into a blender and whizz until smooth. Season well. 5 To serve, divide the soup between four bowls and garnish with a generous drizzle of parsley pesto.

GOOD TO KNOW fibre • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 360 kcals • fat 25g • saturates 12g • carbs 18g • sugars 5g • fibre 6g • protein 12g • salt 0.8g