Dont be scared to buy these bright purple veggies.
Sarah Grueneberg, chef and partner ofMonteverde Restaurant & Pastificioin Chicago
What Makes Vegetables Purple?
Taste
Do purple vegetables taste different than their conventionally colored counterparts?
Photo:sveta_zarzamora/Getty Images
The flavor profile does not change much, says chef Sarah Grueneberg.
A great carrot is a great carrot, and it can be any color.
Same with any other vegetables.
One exception:beets.
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.
If you want to increase the vibrancy of your purple veggies, 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.
Here are a few purple veggies you should try.
Purple asparagus can be prepared the same way you’d cook green asparagusroasting, 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.
They are delicious in smoothies and dips or make a wonderful crunchy garnish to a salad.
Though they have the name “red” onion, it often has more of a purple hue.
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.
Purple cabbage makes a great addition to slaw and can be incorporated into soup or mixed into stir-fries.
There are two varieties of purple sweet potato: the Okinawan sweet potato and the Stokes Purple sweet potato.
“I like to add pops of color withradicchioand Trevisothe 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.
However, since they’re purple, they have those special benefits too.
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 crudite platter or make a crunchy addition to salads.
White cauliflower can look bland when roasted, even if its full of flavor, says Grueneberg.
But purple caulifloweryou eat with your eyes first!
Take the same dish and do it with a different color veggie and have a totally different experience.
The sprouts cook a bit faster than their green counterpart, so keep that in mind when cooking them.
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 morethe options are nearly endless.
Do Purple Vegetables Stain?
One thing to beware of with purple veggiesworking with them will stain surfaces and body parts, especially beets.
you could also wear gloves to protect your fingers.
