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These purple mashed potatoes are creamy and flavorful! Made with garlic and butter, they’re the ideal way to use this vibrant vegetable.
Got purple potatoes and need a recipe? Try these purple mashed potatoes, the ideal way to use this vibrant vegetable! This simple side dish makes the most of their brilliant violet color, mashing them into a creamy puree with garlic, butter, and chives.
They look beautiful on the plate, and the lovely shade has a certain novelty, but they taste just like regular garlic mashed potatoes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
My farmer’s market has some beautiful baskets of purple potatoes, and I can never resist nabbing a bundle. I’ve made roasted purple potatoes and purple potato salad, but my favorite lately has been mashed! It’s one of the best ways to enjoy their brilliant color, and it makes an easy side dish that goes with just about anything.
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Purple potatoes
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Milk
- Salt
- Chives (optional)
Can You Use Purple Sweet Potatoes?
This recipe uses purple potatoes, which are similar to a waxy white or yellow potato in texture and flavor. But you can substitute purple sweet potatoes if you have them, which are a type of sweet potato with a brilliant purple hue. The color is much brighter than a standard purple potato.
If using purple sweet potatoes, you may want to peel them for a more uniform texture, but you can also leave them unpeeled. The texture will be a bit looser than a traditional mashed potato since sweet potatoes have a different texture when mashed.
Tips for Making Purple Mashed Potatoes
These mashed purple potatoes are similar to a standard mashed potatoes recipe; I like mine flavored with garlic and butter for maximum savory flavor. Here are a few notes on the process:
- No need to peel the potatoes! I like the texture variation the skins add, which makes the recipe that much quicker. It also includes all the nutrients from the potato skins.
- Boil the potatoes until fork-tender. The timing may vary every time based on the thickness of the potato pieces. Typically, it takes between 8 and 10 minutes when the potatoes are chopped into 2-inch chunks.
- Add more milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. Start with ½ cup milk and add more as desired. For a richer flavor, use whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream.
Ways to Serve Them
These mashed purple potatoes work in a variety of meals! They’re the ideal easy side dish for summer, or anytime you can access this beautiful root vegetable. Here are a few ways to accessorize them:
- Add a fillet of fish on the side or on top, like Brown Sugar Salmon, Chilean Sea Bass, or Tilapia.
- Add shrimp, like Grilled Shrimp, Easy Garlic Shrimp, or Marinated Shrimp
- Serve with chicken, like Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Serve with vegetarian mains, like Eggplant Parmesan, Baked Tofu or Vegan Meatballs
More About Purple Potatoes
Purple potatoes are a type of potato that is purple in both raw and cooked form. There are about 4,000 varieties of potatoes worldwide. The purple type ranges in hue from bright violet to dark purple-black. Purple potatoes are a nutritious food, rich in nutrients in both the skin and the flesh. Here are a few of the notable nutrition facts (source):
- A 3.5-ounce serving 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, making them better for blood sugar control. The glycemic index (GI) measures how much a food raises your blood sugar, ranging from 0 to 100 (with 70 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 of white and yellow potatoes. Antioxidants can protect your cells from damage.
Dietary Notes
This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use vegan butter and non-dairy milk.
Purple Mashed Potatoes
These purple mashed potatoes are creamy and flavorful! Made with garlic and butter, they’re the ideal way to use this vibrant vegetable.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Side dish
- Diet: Vegetarian
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
- Wash and 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.
Notes
*You can also use purple sweet potatoes; you may want to peel them for a more uniform texture, but you can also leave them unpeeled. The texture will be a bit looser than a traditional mashed potato since sweet potatoes have a different texture when mashed.
