Vegetable Soup Gets Boring — Make It Irish-Style For A Creamy Twist

Vegetable soup can be warm and nourishing, but let's be honest, sometimes it can also be a bit boring. And while you might not immediately think of vegetable soup when it comes to Irish cuisine (as opposed to, say, lamb stew or boiled bacon and cabbage), hear us out. There's a traditional Irish vegetable soup that tends to lean heavily, if not surprisingly, into butter. For generations, the Irish have been famous for both making and consuming butter. The Irish variety, as opposed to American butter, is creamier, higher in butterfat, and comes from grass-fed cows.

This rich soup goes by various names and variations, but it's commonly called cream of vegetable soup or funeral soup, since it gets served at wakes, weddings, and other occasions in Ireland. The potage includes root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, potatoes (of course), along with leeks, celery, garlic, and onions. Many versions call for a generous 1 to 2 ounces of Irish butter to sweat roughly 2 pounds of mixed chopped veggies, softening them before simmering in stock until fork-tender and blending until smooth. Despite its simple assortment of ingredients, much of this simple soup's heartiness and depth of flavor comes from the use of native Emerald Isle dairy.

While some folks feel using Irish butter in a recipe is wasteful since it's so luxurious in taste and texture, in this soup, it can be key, especially if you don't add cream, which wasn't used in traditional versions, although these days it often is. The higher-fat butter gives the soup an extra bit of richness, enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, and helps it emulsify for a balanced taste. While you could use American butter for this soup, we believe it's worth splurging on the real Irish deal, not just for the higher butterfat, but for its flavor as well.

Veggie soup doesn't have to be a boring clear broth with chunks of vegetables bobbing in it. There are a nice range of Irish cream of vegetable soups, or funeral soups, out there that make it easy to upgrade your go-to. Pro tip: use russets or other starchy potato varieties (what is called "floury potatoes" in Ireland) to help thicken the soup. Irish butter might just become your new favorite ingredient in vegetable soups.