Purple Cauliflower: Benefits, Buying, And Cooking!

What is purple cauliflower? And is it healthier than other colored cauliflower? Learn about its vibrant color, unique flavor, and nutritional benefits in this ultimate guide to purple cauliflower!

What is Purple Cauliflower (and Why is it Purple)?

You may have seen purple cauliflower in your local grocery. Your more upscale grocery stores will often carry purple, green (Romanesco), and orange (Cheddar) cauliflower in addition to the ubiquitous white cauliflower. All four colors are natural variations of cauliflower – they are not dyed or genetically modified, and there is a lot you can do with all four. The purple comes from the presence of the antioxidant anthocyanin which you will find in blueberries, red (purple) grapes, red cabbage, etc.

Purple cauliflower can be used interchangeably with white cauliflower. The color variation occurred naturally in the late 19th Century, but its nice color caught people’s eye, so growers began cultivating the aesthetic variation.

There are four varieties of purple cauliflower you may see at the market: 

• Sicilian Violet
• Violet Queen
• Rambo Purple
• Purple Cape

Purple Cauliflower Health Benefits

As we said, purple cauliflower gets its color from an antioxidant called anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is found in many purple and blue fruits and veggies. This is more than just a coloring compound, however, as the powerful antioxidant is shown to help prevent heart disease, reduce inflammation, control diabetes, and aid in cancer resistance.

Other than the presence of anthocyanin, white and purple cauliflower are basically the same nutritionally. A 100-gram (about 3.5 ounces) serving of raw cauliflower provides:

• 25 calories
• 2.0 grams of protein
• 2.5 grams of fiber
• 77% of the RDA of Vitamin C
• 9% of the RDA of Potassium

How To Buy Purple Cauliflower

Most higher-end grocery and health food stores – like Sprouts and Whole Foods – carry purple cauliflower. If your local grocery doesn’t, try farmers or international markets.

Choose purple cauliflower like you would any cauliflower. You want the head to seem heavy in your hand relative to its size. Look for heads with closed tightly fitting florets without brown spots. Ensure the leaves are still firm as they tend to wilt shortly before the florets begin to show spots.

Prepping Purple Cauliflower

This advice is appropriate for any of the four color varieties. Like all fruits and veggies, give them a thorough rinse before use. Trim away the leaves and any stems left by the grower. You can toss these in the compost bin or throw them in a smoothie.

While not strictly required, some people like to soak their cauliflower in a bowl of cold water for 20-30 minutes before using it. This does two things. It helps refresh the head that has been slowly drying out since it was picked. It also loosens up the dirt that you will often find in between the leaves and the florets and ensures a really clean head.

Storage

Store any cauliflower in the wrap it came in in your refrigerator crisper drawer until you need to cut it. It will last this way for 2-3 weeks, but keep an eye on it. If you start seeing little brown spots on the surface, that is nature’s way of telling you to use it. Just shave off the brown before using. You don’t need to throw it away just because it has some brown blemishes.

When you have leftover cauliflower, simply put it in an airtight bag and put it back in the fridge. For best freshness, plan to use it within a few days.

Uses For Purple Cauliflower

Different colored fruits and veggies contain different vitamins and minerals, so eat a variety! Purple cauliflower is a great way to get kids to eat veggies and for adults to adhere to the sound nutritional advice to “eat the colors of the rainbow.”

As we said earlier, you can use purple cauliflower as a substitute for white cauliflower. It is best used when you want to leverage the unique purple color. The color tends to fade to gray when cooked in water, so its best uses are raw, steamed, microwaved, or roasted.

Raw: Our favorite raw use is to use all four colors of cauliflower on a veggie tray. Purple cauliflower is also a great color addition to any garden salad since purple is an unusual color in salad. 

Riced: Purple Cauliflower also makes an intriguing “rice” your kids may be inclined to eat. Try it in this Chipotle Copycat Cauliflower Rice Recipe.

Roasted: You can also maintain the purple hue by roasting purple cauliflower like in this ultimate whole roasted cauliflower recipe or air fryer cauliflower.

Hidden: If you are looking for yet another way to sneak more veggies into yours or your kids’ diets, try purple cauliflower in a hidden cauliflower smoothie.

Other Colored Cauliflower Varieties

Green Cauliflower

Also known as Romanesco or Broccoflower, it has a unique appearance but a fairly similar taste to white cauliflower. It is a natural cross between broccoli and cauliflower that originated in the Netherlands and was introduced into the USA in 1989. After President Bush famously stated in 1990 that he didn’t like cauliflower, broccoflower was delivered to the White House, where it was promptly served. Broccoflower has a slightly different nutrition profile than white cauliflower.

The vitamin C content is almost double white cauliflower with 50% more protein as well. Broccoflower not only adds a unique appearance to your salads, veggie trays, or cooking but also gives them a nutritional boost.

Orange Cauliflower

Also known as Cheddar Cauliflower, you can use cheddar as you would white cauliflower in pretty much any recipe. Like broccoflower, cheddar is a recent cauliflower color variation. It was discovered as a natural mutation growing near Toronto, Canada, in 1970. In 1981 Cornell University began work on crossbreeding orange with white cauliflower to derive the cheddar cauliflower you get today at the grocery or farmer’s market.

The orange color comes from beta-carotene, which gives cheddar its color and a healthy dose of vitamin A. Otherwise, orange cauliflower has a similar nutrition profile to white cauliflower.

White Cauliflower

The original cauliflower dates back to the 12th Century in Asia. It was derived from ornamental cabbage and didn’t spread abroad until the 18th Century. The plant’s white color comes from its leaves, which protect the head from the sun. Without the sun, chlorophyll does not develop and turns the head green.