Purple potatoes are a delicious and versatile ingredient! Here’s what to know about this vegetable and the best recipes for cooking them.
Got purple potatoes? These brilliant violet spuds always catch our eye at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Their lovely hue remains even when they’re cooked, making them a fun way to mix up the typical mashed potatoes or potato salad. While their flavor is similar white and yellow potatoes, they’ve got even more antioxidants and are better for blood sugar. What’s not to love? Here’s a bit more about purple potatoes and our favorite ways to use them (what’s better than a fluffy pile of purple mash?).
What are 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. Some common varieties of purple potatoes are Purple Peruvian, Purple Majesty, All Blue, Congo, Adirondack Blue, Purple Fiesta, and Vitelotte.
Despite their vibrant color, purple potatoes taste essentially the same as yellow or red potatoes: they have a delicate, earthy flavor. You can prepare them in the same way as any other potato: baked, roasted, mashed, fries, potato salad, and more.
Buying and storing purple potatoes
What to look for when you’re buying purple potatoes at the store? Here’s what to know:
- Choose purple potatoes that are firm and round, with no noticeable blemishes or bruises. They are available at most supermarkets and often at farmers markets.
- Keep the potatoes in a cool, dry, well ventilated place. It’s best to store potatoes in a dark area of your pantry or basement, ideally between 40 to 50°F. Stored properly, potatoes should last for 1 to 2 months.
- Don’t store potatoes under your sink! Potatoes thrive in dark, moist environments, so avoid storing them under the sink where they will quickly grow and sprout because of the moisture.
Purple potato nutrition
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):
- One 3.5 ounce serving of purple potatoes 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.
Purple potato recipes
What to make with purple potatoes? This root vegetable is extremely versatile, and works roasted, mashed, in potato salad, fried, and more!
These purple mashed potatoes are perfectly creamy and bursting with garlicky flavor! They're fast and easy to whip up with garlic, butter and chives.
Another perfect purple potato recipe: potato salad! Combine the bright purple root vegetable with the electric pink of peppery radishes and bright green onions to make for one seriously eye-catching salad. The simple dressing features sour cream, olive oil and lemon.
Try Roasted Mini Potatoes! These tiny spuds roast up beautifully. Each bite is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Season them with a little garlic powder and smoked paprika, and they’re bursting with delicious flavor!
Here’s a lovely side dish that’s simple and flavor-filled: Garlic Butter Steamed Purple Potatoes! These lovely potatoes have a rich, buttery texture when steamed. Throw them together with butter, garlic and parsley, and you’ve got a quick side dish that everyone will go crazy for.
Why not go for oven-roasted potato fries? The deep vibrant purple color make these a stand out and the crispy exterior with soft middle deliver on flavor. via Food Fidelity
These easy crispy smashed potatoes are roasted crunchy perfection with a creamy green goddess dressing to dip. They're great for brunch, as an appetizer, or as an easy dinner side dish. via The First Mess
Want to turn your purple potatoes into a meal? MIx up a breakfast skillet with crispy potatoes, green onion, and top with fried eggs! It works for breakfast or even as a simple dinner. via A Wicked Whisk
Purple potatoes are great in soup, and why not combine them with red cabbage for even more vibrant color? This tasty soup also features protein-packed quinoa. via The Vegan Atlas
Fry up your purple potatoes to make purple potato chips! These beautiful bright chips are crispy and salty, with a brilliant violet color. via Ciao Chow Bambina
Last up in these purple potato recipes, another salad! This salad mixes green and wax beans and chickpeas with purple potatoes for a seriously nutritious bowl meal. via Love and Lemons
10 Purple Potatoes Recipes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
Description
These purple mashed potatoes are full of savory, garlicky flavor! It’s the perfect recipe to highlight this brightly colored 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
- 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.
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Side dish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Purple potatoes, purple potatoes recipe
