This is a killer mashed potato swap. Not that white potatoes aren’t a perfectly healthy food, but this version uses cauliflower, white sweet potato, kale, and anti-inflammatory fats. Colcannon is perfect year-round if you ask me, who doesn’t want an epic side dish?
Why This Is An Epic Side Dish
This cauliflower colcannon is going to be a star at your next meal. It’s got this great combination of textures – the crispy bacon and buttery bits. This recipe is a perfect side dish, like mashed potatoes with a serious glow up. This recipe is simple to make but truly satisfying. Perfect to serve with steak, chicken, grilled fish or even Thanksgiving Turkey!
While, traditional Colcannon is made with regular white potato, they’re high inflammatory to my body, along with all other nightshades SO I made an AIP Colcannon without them. Cauliflower Colcannon is a great substitute for the real thing. I mixed in a little Japanese sweet potato, the white, less sweet one for added creaminess and went heavy with the added fats and flavor. You’re going to love this lower-carb, much healthier, yes absolutely delicious paleo Colcannon.
Cauliflower Colcannon Ingredient Breakdown
- The main ingredient is cauliflower. This versatile cruciferous veggie can really do it all.
- Japanese sweet potato is the white brother of regular sweet potato, less sweet, more starchy. Gives this predominately Cauliflower Colcannon that authentic potato feel.
- Leeks for color and onion flavor and because they’re delicious. Always wash well!
- Dino kale, my favorite hearty green, traditional Colcannon often features it too.
- Coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
- Palm oil shortening instead of ghee or butter to keep it AIP and make it really creamy!
Step by Step Colcannon
- Start by peeling potatoes and garlic. Dice everything up. Put in a pot and cover with water.
- Add salt and bring to a boil. Once tender, drain the water out and set aside.
- Cook all of the bacon until crispy. Reserve the fat.
- While the bacon cooks de-stem the kale, cut and clean the leeks. Then sauté in the bacon fat.
- Add the coconut cream and palm oil to to the cauliflower and use a whisk to cream.
- Mix in the sautéed greens, salt, horseradish, onion powder and some bacon fat if needed.
- Add chopped up bacon and serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can add more cauliflower and more garlic! Reduce the coconut cream a bit.
Absolutely! You can use pretty much any greens you like.
Yes, it can be. But I purchase Nutiva brand palm products and they’re sourcing is ethical, you can read more about it on their site.
If you’re not doing the autoimmune protocol or allergic to dairy, yes you can definitely use butter or ghee.
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Cauliflower Colcannon (AIP, Low Carb, Paleo)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Irish
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Cauliflower Colcannon and keep it AIP! Creamy and dreamy this low-carb version hits the spot.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Japanese sweet potato (3 small ones)
- 12 ounces cauliflower (1 large head)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 10 ounces bacon (1 pack)
- 1 bunch dino kale, de-stemmed
- 1 stalk leek
- 2 tablespoons palm shortening
- 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons fine salt, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon grated horseradish
Instructions
- Peel your sweet potatoes and garlic cloves. Dice the potatoes and cauliflower. Put in a large pot, cover with water, and add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until tender.
- In the meantime, wash your leeks and slice them, wash the kale and destem it, then tear the leaves into chunks.
- When the cauliflower is tender, pour everything out into a colander, set it aside.
- Put the pot back on the heat and add the bacon to the pot and cook here until crispy. Crumble it up and set it aside. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the veggies to the pot and saute, stirring often until tender and wilted for about 12 minutes.
- Put the cauliflower mix in a large bowl. Add in the coconut cream, salt, onion powder, horseradish, palm shortening, and mix and mash with a whisk.
- Add in the sauteed kale and leeks (along with the bacon grease). Keep mixing and mashing until creamy and combined.
- Mix in a little bacon and leave the rest to put on top. Take a spoon, taste it, add more salt if needed. Add more palm shortening if it needs to be creamier. Once it’s perfect, top with bacon and serve!
Recipe Notes:
- Great served with roasts, steaks or any protein entree.
- If you can’t find horseradish you can leave it out.
- If you don’t have palm oil shortening any saturated fat will do!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 recipe
- Calories: 164
- Fat: 11.3g
- Carbohydrates: 11.9g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Protein: 5.3g
Taylor says
Super interesting flavor combo. A bit of time to prep but made a large portion for multiple meals. The family gobbled it down so that’s a win for me!
Tammy says
Has anybody made this the day before and then baked it the day of? Did you change anything and how did it turn out?
Amy says
OMG! This is seriously amazing. The horseradish ::swoon:: The first time I made it was with braised lamb shoulder chops and tonight with some pork chops
Heather says
This was absolutely amazing and such a versatile recipe. The flavors were fantastic and were just as good for a couple days after! Sometimes I feel like veggies get weird when you reheat them but I ate this for 3 days straight and just couldn’t get enough!
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
Yesss!!! I feel the same way about it!
Keira says
I made this to go with pot roast. I left out most of the bacon and used tallow and it was DELICIOUS! So good. I’m going to make this in lieu of mashed potatoes going forward. Thank you, Cristina!
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
woo-hoo!! Thank you for sharing!
Kasey Riggins says
Phenomenal! I loved it so much! You know how to work kitchen magic for sure! Would this freeze? I am the lone ranger eating like this in my family and while I demolished that whole pot in 3 days on my own, freezing would be nice! If not still 100% worth making! I loved it both hot and cold!
Jen P. says
This is so good! Love all the flavors and the texture turned out great!!!
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
Thanks so much Jen!
Amy says
You may have just saved my St. Patty’s day! Colcannon is one of my many favorite Irish dishes (along with Shepherd’s Pie and soda bread)! I make it every year but have had to tweak it over the years due to dietary restrictions. I’ve typically been making it with mashed rutabaga and cabbage (I’m half Irish) but this year I now have fodmaps to contend with, so cabbage is out. 🙁 Why haven’t I thought to use kale?! I will be altering a bit to accommodate my aip/low fodmap diet (garlic oil and green tops of scallions, along with the rutabaga) but thank you for the inspiration! 😉 HAPPY St. Patrick’s Day to ye! 🙂
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
yeayyyy Amy! Glad to be helpful!
Roberta says
Do you think that lard or tallow could work instead of palm oil shortening? I can’t find a good one here where I live… If not, I may go trying eith ghee, even if not AIP, because I tolerate it and this recipe seems to deserve the compromise of accepting some variations (also have to skip the japanese sweet potatoe, but you already explained that it wouldn’t be a problem changing the amount of cauliflower: thank you!) 😉
Cristina Curp, FNTP says
Yes, lard or more extra bacon grease will work!