Cabbage soup & soda bread: Classic Irish fare

You only need to travel to the kitchen to enjoy these time-honored dishes

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updated 10:07 a.m. ET May 1, 2007

Bring the taste of Ireland into your home with these traditional dishes from Clodagh McKenna, author of the “Irish Farmer's Market Cookbook.”

Bacon and Cabbage Soup

Clodagh McKenna, author of "Irish Farmer's Market Cookbook"

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp butter

• 3 1/2 oz. diced smoked streaky bacon, or lardons

• 4 1/2 oz. potatoes, peeled and diced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 4 oz. onions, chopped

• 1 1/2 cups of hot stock (chicken or vegetable)

• 12 oz. chopped fresh tomatoes

• 12 oz. cabbage, shredded

• salt and freshly ground

• black pepper

Recipe continues below ↓

DIRECTIONS

Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the butter, and when it has melted stir in the smoked bacon, potatoes, garlic and onions. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Tip in the cabbage, reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with buttered chunky bread.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES

Farls

Clodagh McKenna, author of "Irish Farmer's Market Cookbook"

Makes 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 cups of plain white flour

• 1 tsp bread soda or bicarbonate of soda

• 6 fl oz. water or milk

• 4 oz. yogurt

• plain flour, for cooking

DIRECTIONS

Mix together the flour and bread soda or bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl. Pour in your chosen liquid and the yogurt, mixing with a palette knife (strange, I know, but it works), until you have a soft, dry dough.

You can shape the farls as you please, but the traditional way is to form the dough into a ball and then roll it out into a circle just under 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick and divide into quarters.

Place a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat and sprinkle lightly with flour. When it starts to brown, place a farl in the pan and cook for 5–6 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove the farl, sprinkle some more flour into the pan and cook the rest in the same way. Keep in a warm place until you’re ready to eat them.