Purple fruits and vegetables get their vibrant color from anthocyanins — natural plant pigments that create deep purple, blue, and red hues (and powerful antioxidants).
This is a visual guide to the purple side of the produce world, from blue-purple potatoes to violet cauliflower and magenta kale.
It’s not a list of every purple fruit and veggie — just the ones I’ve photographed so far.
From purple potatoes, purple cauliflower, purple kale, purple Brussel sprouts, and purple chicories – there’s a whole wide purple veggie world out there.
| Anise Hyssop Asparagus Basil Beets Blueberry Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Carrot |
| Cauliflower Chines Long Beans Chive Flowers Dried Beans Edible Flowers Eggplant Fig Garlic Grape |
| Green Beans Huckleberries Kale Kohlrabi Microgreens Mulberries Onions Plum Potato Radicchio |
| Radishes Raspberries Shiso Leaves Snow Peas Spring Onions Sweet Potato Sweet Potato Leaves Turnips |
Anthocyanins are responsible for the red, purple, and blue tones found in fruits and vegetables like purple potatoes, purple cauliflower and purple kale.
There are nearly 2,000 known natural plant pigments, and about 640 of them are anthocyanins.
Because purple fruits and vegetables are rich in anthocyanins, they often contain higher levels of antioxidants than their non-purple counterparts. That stunning violet color brings both beauty and nutritional benefits.
More Colorful Produce Guides
If purple vegetables caught your eye, you’re not alone — colorful produce is kind of my love language.
Here are a few more vibrant fruits and vegetables to explore:
- Purple Kale – the glam, antioxidant-rich version of classic green kale. Learn what makes it purple, its origin story, and the best ways to cook with it.
- Purple Cauliflower - the vibrant, antioxidant-rich, sexier sibling of the classic white. Learn what makes it purple, its origin story, and how to cook it.
- Purple Potatoes – the antioxidant-rich members of the potato family. Learn what makes them purple, where they come from, and best ways to cook them.
- Red Okra – the sexier sibling of classic green okra. Learn where it comes from, what it tastes like, and the best ways to cook with it.
- Pink Apples - stunning pink-fleshed apples. Learn about the varieties and how to cook with them.
- Pink Lemons - the slightly sweeter, more delicate sibling of the classic yellow. Learn their origin story and best ways to use them in the kitchen.
- White Eggplant – the milder, creamier, older sibling of the classic purple variety. Learn its origin story and the best ways to cook with it.
- Pink Pineapple - the engineered lycopene-rich sibling of the classic beta-carotene yellow pineapple.
If you spot purple veggies, bring them home and play. And if you do, I’d love to see — tag me on Instagram @danielagerson, see your pretty purple-licious veggie creations.
There’s a whole wide world of colorful fruits and vegetables out there, and I hope this guide inspires you to bring a little more of that color into your kitchen.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen.
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