These purple mashed potatoes are creamy and flavorful! Made with garlic and butter, they’re the ideal way to use this vibrant vegetable.
Got purple potatoes and need a recipe? Try these purple mashed potatoes, the ideal way to use this vibrant vegetable! This simple side dish makes the most of their brilliant violet color, mashing them into a creamy puree with garlic, butter and chives. They look beautiful on the plate and there’s a certain novelty to the lovely shade, but they taste just like regular garlic mashed potatoes!
Ingredients in purple mashed potatoes
Our farmer’s market has some beautiful baskets of purple potatoes and we can never resist nabbing a bundle. We’ve made roasted purple potatoes and purple potato salad, but our favorite lately has been mashed! It’s one of the best ways to enjoy their brilliant color and it makes an easy side dish that goes with just about anything. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Purple potatoes
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Milk
- Salt
- Chives (optional)
Can you use purple sweet potatoes?
This recipe uses purple potatoes, which are similar to a waxy white or yellow potato in texture and flavor. But you can substitute purple sweet potatoes if you have them, which are a type of sweet potato with a brilliant purple hue. The color is much brighter than a standard purple potato.
If using purple sweet potatoes, you may want to peel them for a more uniform texture but you can also leave them unpeeled. The texture will be bit looser than a traditional mashed potato since sweet potatoes have a different texture when mashed.
Tips for making purple mashed potatoes
These mashed purple potatoes are similar to a standard mashed potatoes recipe: we like ours flavored with garlic and butter for maximum savory flavor. Here are a few notes on the process:
- No need to peel the potatoes! We like the variation in texture that the skins add, and it makes the recipe that much quicker. It also includes all the nutrients from the potato skins.
- Boil the potatoes until fork tender. The timing may vary every time based on the thickness of the potato pieces. Typically it takes us between 8 to 10 minutes when the potatoes are chopped into 2-inch chunks.
- Add more milk as necessary to come to the desired consistency. Start with ½ cup milk and add more as desired. For a richer flavor, use whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream.
Ways to serve them
These mashed purple potatoes work in a variety of meals! They’re the ideal easy side dish for summer or anytime you are able to access this beautiful root vegetable. Here are a few ways to accessorize them:
- Add a fillet of fish on the side or on top, like Brown Sugar Salmon, Chilean Sea Bass, Tilapia, Mahi Mahi, Swordfish, or Stuffed Salmon
- Add shrimp, like Grilled Shrimp, Easy Garlic Shrimp, or Marinated Shrimp
- Serve with chicken, like Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Serve with vegetarian mains, like Eggplant Parmesan, Baked Tofu or Vegan Meatballs
More about purple potatoes
Purple potatoes are a type of potato that is purple in color, both when raw and cooked. There are close to 4,000 varieties of potatoes in the world; the purple type range in hue from bright violet to dark purple black. Purple potatoes are a nutritious food that is full of nutrients in the skin and flesh. Here are a few of the notable nutrition facts (source):
- A 3.5 ounce serving includes 3 grams of fiber and nutrients, including Vitamin C, Vitamin B, copper, potassium, and more.
- Purple potatoes have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes, meaning they are better for blood sugar. Glycemic index (GI) measures how much food raises your blood sugar, ranging from 0 to 100 (with 70 being considered high). A study found that purple potatoes have a GI of 77, compared to white potatoes at 93 and yellow potatoes at 81.
- Purple potatoes have 2 to 3 times the antioxidants in white and yellow potatoes. Antioxidants can protect your cells from damage.
More purple potato recipes
There are lots of ways to use purple potatoes! You can substitute them in any of these 30 Favorite Potato Recipes, from roasted to fries! Or, here are a few more purple potato recipes:
- Try bright and beautiful Purple Potato Salad
- Go for Roasted Purple Potatoes or Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Mix up Garlic Butter Steamed Purple Potatoes
This mashed purple potatoes recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use vegan butter and non-dairy milk.
Print
Purple Mashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
Description
These purple mashed potatoes are creamy and flavorful! Made with garlic and butter, they’re the ideal way to use this vibrant vegetable.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds purple potatoes*
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for boiling
- Fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and roughly chop the potatoes into 2-inch chunks (no need to peel).
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Stir in ½ tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cook until fork tender, about 8 to 10 minutes (pierce a piece of potato with a fork to assess doneness). Drain and return the potatoes to the pot.
- When the potatoes are done, melt the butter in the same pot. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Remove the heat. Add the potatoes back to the pot and pour in the milk.
- Mash the potatoes with a masher, adding more milk if desired to get to a thinner consistency. Season with the kosher salt and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Notes
*You can also use purple sweet potatoes; you may want to peel them for a more uniform texture but you can also leave them unpeeled. The texture will be bit looser than a traditional mashed potato since sweet potatoes have a different texture when mashed.
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Side dish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Purple mashed potatoes
