Keto Colcannon with Kale and Rutabaga

Keto colcannon in a white bowl topped with melted butter and a spoon with a parsley garnish.

5 from 2 votes

Keto Colcannon with Kale and Rutabaga

This savory colcannon recipe is like having buttery keto mashed potatoes, made with low-carb rutabaga. The addition of tender sautéed greens creates a cozy Irish comfort food to enjoy any time of year.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Sides

Cuisine: Irish

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Method: Pressure cooker, Stovetop

Special Diet: AIP, Keto, Low-Carb, Low-FODMAP, Paleo

Servings: servings

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Tracey Hatch-Rizzi

Ingredients

2 pounds rutabaga about 3 medium sized
5 tablespoons butter divided
2 cups kale shredded - about 4 large leaves
1 teaspoon salt plus a pinch
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 green onions green part only for low FODMAP

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the rutabaga

Cut off the top and bottom and peel the rutabaga with a vegetable peeler.
Chop the rutabaga into ½-¾ inch cubes.

Boiling cook method

Add the rutabaga cubes to a stock pot and add enough water to cover. Add a pinch of salt.
Bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain.

Pressure cooking method

Add chopped rutabagas to your pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Use the natural release or quick release method. Either is fine.

Steaming cook method

Add the chopped rutabaga to your vegetable steamer and steam for about 25 minutes or until soft.

Prepare the kale

Wash the kale, remove the stems and chop or tear into small pieces.
Sauté in 2 tablespoons of butter until soft, about 5 minutes

Combine and serve

In a large bowl, mash the cooked rutabaga with the remaining butter, salt, pepper, kale, cream and green onion.
Transfer colcannon to a serving bowl and top with more butter (if desired) and garnish with more chopped green onion (optional)

Notes

Note on cooking time: Cooking time is based on cooking the rutabaga in a pressure cooker.

Variations and add-ins

Finely diced ham or crumbled sausage – mix in for decadent salty goodness
Sautéed leek – thinly slice about half of a leek (green part only for low-FODMAP), sauté in butter or olive oil until soft and stir in
Replace the butter – with ghee
Garlic or garlic-infused olive oil – sauté some garlic or add some garlic-infused olive oil, which is a flavorful low-FODMAP option
Cheese – who loves cheesy mashed potatoes? Stir in some of your favorite shredded cheese or blue cheese to the hot colcannon.
Add some spices – thyme, savory, a pinch of nutmeg or mace powdered sage or fresh sage sautéed in butter until crisp
Sour cream – adds extra creaminess and bit of tang
Make colcannon cakes – form into patties and fry in butter, oil or bacon grease until crisp
Paleo and vegan colcannon – simply replace the butter with your favorite butter alternative and use coconut cream or nut cream to add a creamy texture

Making AIP Colcannon

There are a few easy substitutions to make the best AIP version:

Replace the butter – use coconut cream or olive oil
Replace the cream – use coconut milk or some homemade bone broth as a dairy substitute
Add herbs and omit the pepper – consider adding a small pinch of mace, sage, thyme and/or savory or grate some fresh horseradish for a touch of heat

What to serve with colcannon

Colcannon with rutabaga is a perfect keto side dish that can take the place of mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower at any meal, any time of year.

With your favorite stew – I absolutely love to serve this with Keto Irish Stew. Heap some colcannon in a bowl and cover it with this savory stew.
Savory Fried Cabbage with Sausage – serve as a base or alongside this easy skillet meal
Colcannon with bacon – crumble crispy bacon on top
Colcannon and corned beef – for a quick meal, top a bowl with some Keto 'Corned' Beef Meatballs or serve with corned beef brisket
Make an easy breakfast – top with a fried egg (and bacon, sausage or ham - so good!)

Nutrition