A bowl of Irish champ topped with a pad of dairy free butter and green onions.

What I love about Irish Champ

Happy St. Patrick’s  Day! To celebrate, I thought I would share a follow-up side dish recipe from my dinner last week. Since I had made Guinness braised beef, I figured why finish off the meal with an Irish accompaniment – champ. Champ is basically a gussied up mashed potatoes.

If you like this recipe, you have to try this Irish beef stew, and this Irish shepherd’s pie and this Homemade Irish sausage with onion stout gravy. But for dessert you have to try this Irish potato candy, they are the cutest miniature potato candies.

Searching for more dairy free potato recipes? Some of our favorites include: Vegan scalloped potatoes / Dairy free mashed potatoes / Vegan potato leek soup / Roasted duck fat potatoes

Overhead shot of two small bowls of irish champ and one serving bowl of irish champ topped with green onions and dairy free butter

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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Dairy free milk – You can use any dairy free milk alternative for this recipe, just make sure to it is an unsweetened option.
  • Coconut yogurt – This adds an extra layer of creaminess to the Irish champ, again make sure to opt for an unsweetened plain yogurt.
  • Vegan butter – Vegan butter or margarine will both work well for this recipe.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

A spoonful of mashed potatoes loaded with green onions with a serving bowl of them in the background.

The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.

How to make Irish Champ

Cook the potatoes. Bring large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Don’t skip the salt, this helps season the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and set aside while you heat the remaining ingredients.

Simmer the green onions. Add milk, yogurt, butter and green onions and simmer for a few minutes before returning the potatoes to the pan to mash. This should only take a few minutes for the butter to melt and the onions to become aromatic.

Mash the potatoes. Using a potato masher or a hand mixer, mash potatoes and green onions until smooth – or you have reached your desired consistency. Garnish with additional green onions and a dab of butter for serving.

A serving bowl full of irish champ mashed potatoes with green onions, topped with a pad of dairy free butter.

FAQs and tips for making Irish Champ

  • Why is it called champ? The word champ refers to chewing or chomping, but has historically fallen out of common language use. The green onions that are cooked with the milk and butter add just a bit more bite to the mashed potatoes in flavor and texture.
  • What is the difference between colcannon and champ? Champ simply has green onions cooked in the milk and butter of the mashed potatoes. When you start adding in cabbage or kale even, is when you would start calling it colcannon.
Close up of a bowl of irish mashed potatoes made with green onions and vegan butter.
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Irish Champ

By: Melissa Belanger
Irish champ transforms the humble potato into an incredible dairy free side dish with flavorful green onions and creamy vegan butter. Serve them alongside Guinness braised beef or your baked corned beef for a delicious St. Patrick’s Day meal.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients 

  • 6 medium baking potatoes, peeled, halved and quartered
  • 1/2 cup dairy free milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced

Instructions 

  • In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Strain potatoes, letting them rest in the colander.
  • Add the milk, yogurt, butter and green onions to the saucepan. Heat to a simmer over medium heat until butter is melted and onions are fragrant.
  • Return potatoes to the pan and mash until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Sodium: 77mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin C: 13mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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6 Comments

  1. Cheryl says:

    Mmmmm I have to try this. LOOOOVE green onions so much and this sounds so simple! But you’re making me feel bad by blogging regularly again :/ haha!

    Reply