Purple vegetables: our top 12

Bored of green vegetables? These twelve types of vegetables are not only real eye-catchers, they also taste as good as their "normal" colleagues.

You can eat with your eyes - this saying is also true for vegetables, even if they are often boring on the plate. Always the same green, yellow or white varieties land on our tables and are more a nice side dish than a real eye-catcher. With these twelve purple vegetables, the boring side dish suddenly becomes the highlight of the whole dish - and is still just as tasty and healthy as you know it.

12. aubergine

When you think of purple vegetables, those are probably the first to come aubergine before your eyes. No wonder, after all, the eggplant comes in all sorts of purple shades. In fact, there are even purple and white striped ones

Eggplant varietiesthat look like real exotic species in the garden. Unfortunately, the plant is not that noticeable on the plate: its flesh is only white.

11. potatoes

There are many varieties of vegetables that potato However, it clearly stands out with almost 5000 varieties. Of course, you will also find colorful variations among this multitude of varieties, ranging from delicate pink to purple-marbled to almost black. And the best: Purple potato- varieties like the 'Blue Swede‘Or the 'Bleu de la Manche' keep their color even when cooking and on the plate.

10. asparagus

Many people are also familiar with purple asparagus. But there is not only that white asparagus with the slightly purple heads that you often see at the weekly market. In fact, these are just white asparagus with their heads exposed to light. The purple asparagus, on the other hand, is colored purple through and through and has a taste similar to green asparagus. Unfortunately, the asparagus loses its beautiful purple color when cooked, but it is also ideal as a raw food.

9. Carrots

Carrots are they orange? In fact, the well-known roots also have representatives in white, yellow and, of course, purple. Especially older ones Varieties of carrots often have a wider range of colors than just orange. The colorful carrots are also becoming increasingly popular with new breeds, and purple carrots in particular are currently very popular.

8. Pointed cabbage

Cabbage is often accused of being boring and stale. There are purple ones Cabbage varieties again cabbage 'Kalibos' is anything but ordinary. Kalibos is a cross between red and pointed cabbage and combines the typical pointed shape with the purple color. Kalibos is a real eye-catcher, especially in mixed salads.

7. peas

In addition to all sorts of green varieties, the pea some purple variations on offer. Of the Pea 'Blauwschokkers' via crackling pea 'Sugar Magnolia' to Sugar pea 'Shiraz' is available in numerous purple varieties for every taste. The only drawback: Unfortunately, only the pods and the flowers of peas are colored purple-blue - the grains, on the other hand, remain green.

6. Kale

The name says it all: Kale! But that's not always true: the iconic winter vegetable now also has a purple brother. Kaleslocate like 'Roter Russischer' have purple ribs and the leaves can also take on a red-purple hue if there is sufficient sunlight. It can be grown and harvested like normal kale - and also brings a splash of color into winter.

5. broccoli

broccoli are not only available in green - you can actually buy the vegetables with yellow or purple-colored florets. The purple sprout broccoli variety is already well known in Italy, but the vegetable is still a rarity in Germany. Unfortunately, when cooked, the purple heads of the broccoli turn just as green as the rest of the plant - if you want to keep the color, it is better to enjoy the sprout broccoli as a raw vegetable.

Tip: Our Plantura vegetable growing kit contains seeds for five colorful vegetables that not only look great, but also taste really good.

4. Beans

Even Beans can be purple - purple beans (also called blue beans) are a rare variation of the green bean and are available in both runner and bush beans. The beans are characterized above all by a dark purple pod and are available under the brand names 'Purpel Teepee' or 'Purpiat'. Unfortunately, the beans are only a real eye-catcher in the garden: their color quickly changes from purple to green in boiling water.

3. paprika

There are those in green, yellow and red paprika yes already to buy. Now the classic bell pepper basket has been expanded to include another color: purple. Ranging from purple to almost black paprikaslocate like 'Macho', 'Lilac Bell' or 'Nocturne' to choose from. Especially in combination with other types of paprika, the purple varieties look particularly exotic and unusual.

2. Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is very popular as a raw food for in between meals. But did you know that there is a distinction between green and purple kohlrabi when it comes to varieties? The purple kohlrabi enchants with a brightly colored skin and is also much more intense in taste. Unfortunately, the inside of the vegetable is not quite as colorful and can hardly be distinguished from the green variant. In the garden, the kohlrabi is a nice, colorful change for the vegetable patch.

1. cauliflower

cauliflower are not only available in boring white: The vegetables can also be colorful and offer varieties that have yellow, orange and purple heads. The whole thing has nothing to do with genetic engineering - the colors come from the enrichment of ingredients in the florets - in the purple cauliflower from anthocyanins, which are also found in red cabbage. Unfortunately, the color of the brightly colored heads can fade a bit during cooking, but careful blanching or a dash of vinegar in the cooking water can prevent this.

tip: An important prerequisite for a rich vegetable harvest is the right substrate. It is best to use a high-quality organic soil such as our peat-free soil Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soilthat is optimally tailored to the needs of the vegetable plants.

Are you curious and do you want to grow one of these vegetables yourself? Then you will find our best here Tips for growing vegetables.