Buzz
Image Credit: sveta_zarzamora/Getty ImagesLately, you might have noticed a surge of purple hues in your local grocery store or farmers’ market. This trend isn’t just a coincidence—purple vegetables, long popular in restaurants, are now gaining traction among home cooks. Here, a seasoned chef reveals everything about these colorful veggies and offers tips on how to incorporate them into your meals.
Why Are Some Vegetables Purple?
Purple vegetables are packed with anthocyanins, a natural pigment present in red, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables. These vibrant veggies are a delightful way to add color and extra nutrients to your meals. Anthocyanins are known for their potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-microbial properties, as well as supporting heart health.
Flavor Profile
Do purple vegetables taste different from their traditional counterparts? Not significantly. Chef Sarah Grueneberg explains, “The flavor remains largely the same. A high-quality carrot, regardless of its color, will always taste great. This applies to other vegetables as well.”
However, beets are an exception. Their flavor can vary depending on the variety. Golden beets tend to be earthier and less sweet, red beets have a richer earthy taste, and candy stripe beets are often slightly sweeter, according to Grueneberg.
Cooking Tips for Purple Vegetables
Grueneberg encourages experimenting with purple vegetables (her top pick is the purple carrot). “Incorporate a variety of colors and switch them up in different dishes,” she advises. Purple vegetables can be used interchangeably with their traditionally colored versions in recipes.
To enhance the vividness of purple vegetables, experiment with acidic ingredients. Grueneberg recommends adding a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. “This will lock in the color, often shifting it to a deeper red or purple hue,” she explains. “Boiling tends to drain the color, so opt for methods like roasting, grilling, steaming, sautéing, or oven-searing to amplify both flavor and vibrancy.”
Purple varieties of green vegetables, such as green beans and asparagus, lose their purple tone when cooked, even when blanched. Grueneberg suggests thinly slicing them and enjoying them raw—perfect for crudité platters, garnishes, or salads to preserve their striking color.
Varieties of Purple Vegetables
“Purple is a rare and delightful color that seldom appears on our plates, cutting boards, sauté pans, or salads. When you get the chance to add this vibrant hue to your meals, it’s truly uplifting,” says Grueneberg. Here are some purple vegetables worth trying.
Purple Asparagus
Hailing from Italy, purple asparagus boasts a nutty and sweet flavor compared to the green variety. It can be cooked using the same methods as green asparagus—roasting, sautéing, or baking. However, cooking causes it to lose its purple hue and turn green. To maintain its vibrant color, slice it thinly and use it raw as a garnish for salads.
Beets
Beets, a naturally sweet root vegetable, are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed cooked in countless ways or eaten raw. They add a delightful touch to smoothies, dips, or as a crunchy salad topping. Despite their polarizing reputation, beets are celebrated for their numerous health benefits, such as aiding in blood sugar regulation and reducing inflammation.
Red Onion
Among the various onion varieties, red onions stand out for their bold, spicy flavor and incredible versatility. Despite being called "red," they often display a purple tint. Red onions are fantastic both raw and cooked—perfect for salads, burgers, or sautéed with fajitas. Note: Cooking will cause them to lose their vibrant color.
Purple Cabbage
Purple cabbage, also referred to as red cabbage, is incredibly versatile. “For purple cauliflower or cabbage, I enjoy roasting, grilling, pickling, or chopping them into salads,” says Grueneberg. It’s a fantastic addition to slaws, soups, or stir-fries.
Purple Sweet Potato
Purple sweet potatoes are starchier than regular sweet potatoes, requiring slightly longer cooking times. There are two main types: the Okinawan sweet potato and the Stokes Purple® sweet potato. Roasting is a popular method, but they can also be made into fries or mashed.
Radicchio
Radicchio, part of the chicory family, is a leafy vegetable with a maroon to purple hue and white veins, known for its bold, bitter taste. “I love using radicchio and Treviso—Italian purple bitter greens—to add vibrant color to dishes,” says Grueneberg. Treviso is a type of radicchio. While often used in salads, it also shines when roasted or as a garnish.
Purple Carrots
Purple carrots offer the same health benefits as orange carrots, such as being rich in vitamin A and fiber. Their purple hue adds extra nutritional perks. Enjoy them raw in salads, roasted, or cooked in stews. To prevent oxidation, plunge them into ice water right after cooking.
Purple Cauliflower
Purple cauliflower can replace regular cauliflower in any recipe. It adds a striking visual element to crudité platters or a delightful crunch to salads. “While white cauliflower may appear dull when roasted, despite its flavor, purple cauliflower is a feast for the eyes,” says Grueneberg. “Switching to a colorful veggie can transform the entire dining experience.”
Purple Kale
Purple kale, part of the cabbage family, is a versatile ingredient perfect for salads, baked chips, or soups. This superfood leafy green is packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, with the purple variety offering additional benefits from anthocyanins. Try swapping green kale for purple kale in your morning smoothie for a vibrant, nutrient-rich twist.
Purple Brussels Sprouts
Available from summer to fall, purple Brussels sprouts are sweeter and milder than their green counterparts. They also cook faster, so adjust cooking times accordingly. These sprouts are incredibly versatile but truly stand out when thinly sliced and added to salads for both texture and color.
Red Leaf Lettuce
Rich in vitamins A and K, red leaf lettuce adds both color and nutrition to your meals. While it’s a salad staple, you can also layer it in sandwiches or toss it into stir-fries for a fresh, healthy boost.
Turnip
Turnips are highly versatile—enjoy them raw for a mild, peppery flavor or cooked for a sweet, earthy taste. Available year-round, they peak in fall and winter. Like potatoes, they can be mashed, turned into fries, or used in soups, casseroles, and stir-fries, offering endless culinary possibilities.
Do Purple Vegetables Stain?
A word of caution when handling purple vegetables—they can stain surfaces and skin, particularly beets. “I suggest using a cutting board you don’t mind staining or placing parchment paper over it,” advises Grueneberg. Wearing gloves can also protect your hands. Additionally, the color may bleed into other ingredients in your dish, so don’t be surprised if items like apples take on a red, pink, or purple hue!
