I love farmers’ markets and the produce section in a supermarket. I know they are not the same thing, but I somehow feel more peaceful between tons of vegetables. Funny, huh? :)) You can laugh as much as you want, but hear me out. I was out there at the produce section just exploring my options (as you know, I am not exactly the biggest vegetable fan in the world) when I stumbled upon a new, interesting, never-seen-before treat|: purple asparagus. Of course, I had to get it! When I arrived home I realized I have absolutely zero purple asparagus recipes in my mind. What should a girl do? Of course, I searched the Internet left to right for delicious ways of cooking this new, beautiful, healthy asparagus I had just found. Lucky you, I made a list! I checked it twice! And now I am sharing it with you!
What is purple asparagus?
If you are like me, this is the first time you heard such a thing exists. Apparently, it is a vegetable that is native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. It can grow up to 60 cm tall (2 feet) and gets its purple color from a compound called anthocyanin. This compound is also found in other purple natural fruits and veggies, such as berries.
Lucky for us, anthocyanin does not only give out a great, purple coloring, but it is also great for our health. Beauty and brains! Apparently, the pigment is a great anti-inflammatory molecule, it improves cardio-circulatory health and can aid in cancer prevention.
Nutritional value
Believe it or not, purple asparagus is even more nutritious than green asparagus. Besides anthocyanin, it provides lots of fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. Another “medicine” from nature’s closet, if I can say.
What is the difference between purple asparagus and green asparagus?
There are 3 main differences between the two types of asparagus, but in the end you will notice that colouring is the most striking one.
- purple asparagus is less fibrous, thus being more tender than the green version;
- purple asparagus is 20% sweeter;
- there is a slight difference in flavor between the two of them;
These differences are so subtle, you will be just fine trying to cook a green asparagus recipe using a purple batch. Go for it!
Purple asparagus recipes
- Simply roasted with minimal ingredients
2. Purple asparagus salad
3. Purple asparagus recipe with lime and shallots
4. Purple asparagus with lemon chive vinaigratte
5. Barbeque grilled asparagus
6. Purple asparagus with garlic herb butter
7. Coconut black rice bowls with tofu and purple asparagus
8. Lemony purple asparagus pancetta pasta
9. Shaved purple asparagus salad with walnuts
10. Grilled sesame asparagus
11. Shaved purple asparagus and Asian vegetable soba noodle
12. Purple Asparagus and Quinoa Salad with Peas and Pea Shoots
13. Asparagus salad with with blue cheese and goji berries
14. Albenga Purple Asparagus salad
15. Purple asparagus fritatta
16. Purple Grill
17. Asparagus and avocado tartines
18. Roasted lemon and dill salmon with purple asparagus
Even if you don’t normally like asparagus, I am sure you can find a recipe here to at least provoque you to try it. Who knows, maybe the problem was not the asparagus, but the way it was cooked. I admit it, I had no idea there were so many ways to use this amazing vegetable. From now on, I will cook it more often. Let me know if you have other ideas and I will include them all here!