Purple Potato Soup

I love it when food is fun. What could be more fun than purple soup? The first time I cut into a purple potato I was surprised to find that they are purple all the way through. Not like red-skinned potatoes or Yukon Golds that are colorful on the outside but white on the inside. And, they’re good for you – these purple spuds pack a high concentration of a blood pressure-lowering chemical called chlorogenic acid. I adapted this recipe from one I found in the first vegan cookbook I ever bought (Appetite For Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz). From the moment I saw the recipe I couldn’t wait to try it out.

Since Isa said the potatoes lose a little of their color during the boiling process, I decided to roast my potatoes. Also, boiling vegetables can cause them to lose some of their nutrients. The only problem with this is that it’s really hard to put these roasted potatoes in the soup pot without eating a few. Or seven. While the potatoes are in the oven, I also throw in the jalapeños for 15 minutes, because slicing raw jalapeños makes my throat constrict. And while Matt may appreciate a break from the chatter, it makes it hard to sample this beautiful purple soup. If you don’t like your foods spicy, you might want to take it down a notch and just use one pepper.

Note: After making this a few times, I found that some brands of vegetable broth (Pacific) are more yellow/orange than others and make the soup look less purple. If purple is what you want, try using a  broth that has less color (Imagine brand) or adding a little grated beet to the pot before pureeing.