If your produce aisle or farmers’ market tables have been looking a little more purple lately, there’s a good reason for that. Purple veggies have been on the rise in restaurants for years, and are finally making it to consumer’s grocery lists. Ahead, an expert shares everything you need to know about purple veggies, plus how to use them.
Sarah Grueneberg, chef and partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago.
What Makes Vegetables Purple?
Purple vegetables are rich in anthocyanins which is a type of natural pigment that is found in vegetables and fruits that are red, blue, and, you guessed it, purple.
These veggies offer a fun way to eat the rainbow and sneak a few more nutrients into your typical meal. In fact,anthocyanins are believed to offer anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-obesity effects, plus help prevent cardiovascular diseases.
What Do Purple Vegetables Taste Like?
Do purple vegetables taste different than their conventionally colored counterparts? Not really.“The flavor profile does not change much,” says Sarah Grueneberg, chef and partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago. “A great carrot is a great carrot, and it can be any color. Same with any other vegetables.”
One exception: beets. Beets may range in flavor, with golden beets leaning towards a more earthy and less sweet flavor profile, while red beets have a deeper earthy flavor, and candy stripes are usually a little sweeter, Grueneberg says.
How to Cook With Purple Vegetables
Grueneberg suggests having fun with your purple veggies (her favorite is a purple carrot.) “Utilize different colors and swap them in and out for different recipes,” she says. Purple veggies can be used in recipes the same way as their traditionally-hued counterparts.
How to Intensify the Purple Color
If you want to increase the vibrancy of your purple veggies, you’ll want to play with acid. Grueneberg suggests mixing in a bit of vinegar or lemon juice.
“The color will lock and almost turn a different shade of red, versus purple,” she says. “Boiling a veggie in water will always leach out color. I’d recommend other cooking techniques that really intensify the flavor of the vegetable, like roasting, grilling, steaming, sautéing, or even searing in the oven.”
Green veggies that come in purple, such as green beans and asparagus, will lose their purple color when they’re cooked, even if you blanch them. Grueneberg suggests slicing them thin and eating them raw, on a crudités platter, as a garnish, or in salads if you want to keep their purple color.
Purple Vegetables You Should Try
“Purple is one of those colors that normally doesn’t grace our plate, cutting board, sauté pan, or salad often, so when you have the opportunity to make your plate more colorful and more vibrant, it puts a real smile on your face,” says Grueneberg. Here are a few purple veggies you should try.
Purple Asparagus
Originating in Italy, purple asparagus has a nutty, sweet taste in comparison to its green counterpart. Purple asparagus can be prepared the same way you'd cook green asparagus—roasting, sauteeing, or baking. However, when cooked, purple asparagus will turn green. To preserve the purple color, shave raw purple asparagus and use it as a garnish for salads.
Beets
Beets are a sweet root vegetable and can be cooked in nearly every way imaginable or used raw. They are delicious in smoothies and dips or make a wonderful crunchy garnish to a salad. Although they may not be the most popular, the purple veggie is known for its many health benefits, including lowering blood sugar and reducing inflammation.
Red Onion
Of all the different types of onions, red onions might just be our favorite for their spicy flavor and versatility. Though they have the name "red" onion, it often has more of a purple hue. Red onions are delicious raw or cooked; add them to salads, stack them on a juicy burger, or sautee them with fajitas. Heads up: Red onions will lose their color during the cooking process.
Purple Cabbage
Purple cabbage, also known as red cabbage, can be prepared in many ways. “With a purple cauliflower or cabbage, I like to roast them, grill them, pickle them, and chop them up into salads," says Grueneberg. Purple cabbage makes a great addition to slaw and can be incorporated into soup or mixed into stir-fries.
Purple Sweet Potato
Purple sweet potatoes are a bit more starchy than regular sweet potatoes, and for that reason, are typically cooked a little longer. There are two varieties of purple sweet potato: the Okinawan sweet potato and the Stokes Purple® sweet potato. The most popular way of cooking them is to roast them, but you can also cut them up and turn them into fries or mash them.
Radicchio
A member of the chicory family, radicchio is a leaf vegetable that is maroon to purple with white stripes and has an intense, bitter flavor. "I like to add pops of color withradicchioand Treviso—the Italian purple bitter greens," says Grueneberg. Treviso is a variety of radicchio. Radicchio is commonly added to salads but also tastes great roasted or used as a garnish.
Purple Carrots
Purple carrots pack in all the same health benefits as orange carrots (hello, vitamin A and fiber!), however since they're purple, they have those special benefits too. Eat purple carrots just like you would orange ones; toss them into a salad, roast them, or let them soften in the slow cooker with roast. Purple carrots may oxidize a little bit, so try shocking them in ice water immediately after cooking.
Purple Cauliflower
Use purple cauliflower anywhere that calls for cauliflower in a recipe. It will look stunning among other veggies in a crudité platter or make a crunchy addition to salads. “White cauliflower can look bland when roasted, even if it’s full of flavor,” says Grueneberg. “But purple cauliflower—you eat with your eyes first! Take the same dish and do it with a different color veggie and have a totally different experience.”
Purple Kale
Purple kale, a member of the cabbage family, is delicious tossed in salads, baked into chips, or simmered in a soup. The superfood leafy veggie is full of good-for-you vitamins and nutrients, and the purple variant has even more thanks to the anthocyanins. Swap out typical green kale for purple kale in your morning smoothie for a purple version (which may help you get in the nutrition if you're averse to green smoothies!)
Purple Brussels Sprouts
In season from summer to fall, purple Brussels sprouts have a milder, sweeter flavor than green Brussels sprouts. The sprouts cook a bit faster than their green counterpart, so keep that in mind when cooking them. Purple Brussels sprouts can be used in so many ways, but really shine when thinly sliced and tossed into a salad for crunch and color.
Red Leaf Lettuce
Abundant in vitamins A and K, red leaf lettuce easily brings vibrancy to your salads while packing in healthy nutrients. While most commonly used in salads, add a few leaves to your sandwiches for an easy way to incorporate it into your diet, or throw some of the lettuce at the end of your next stir fry.
Turnip
Turnips are incredibly versatile in their uses; slice them up and eat them raw for a milder radish-like peppery taste or cook them down for a sweet and earthy flavor. You can find these veggies year-round, but they are at their best in the fall and winter. Like potatoes, turnips can be boiled down and mashed or even made into fries for a side dish. Use them in soups, casseroles, stir-fries, and more—the options are nearly endless.
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Be Careful, Purple Vegetables Might Stain
One thing to beware of with purple veggies—working with them will stain surfaces and body parts, especially beets. “I recommend cutting them on a board you do not necessarily mind if it gets stained, or use a piece of parchment paper on top of the cutting board,” Grueneberg says.
You can also wear gloves to protect your fingers. Color may also leach off purple veggies in your dish, “So don’t be alarmed if your apples turn red, pink, or purple!”
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