This Color Changing Purple Cabbage Soup recipe is sweet, sour, super delicious and fun to make. It’s loaded with purple cabbage, corn, and potatoes and some everyday pantry staples. It’s a hearty vegetable soup that’s packed with flavor, nutrients and color! Serve it a vibrant blue, magenta pink or both! It goes perfectly along side my Vegan Cheesy Beer Bread.
The Science of this Soup
The purple color in red cabbage comes from a class of pigment molecules called anthocyanins.Purple (red) cabbage contains a water-soluble anthocyanin that changes color when it is mixed with an acid or a base. The pigment reversibly turns red in acidic environments with a pH less than 7 and the pigment turns bluish-green in alkaline (basic) environments with a pH greater than 7. Cooking the cabbage in water or a light broth creates the blue effect. Adding an acid like lemon juice or vinegar creates the beautiful magenta hue.
It turns out that anthocyanins are found in flower petals, leaves (it makes them turn red in the fall!) and some fruits such as blueberries. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me!
Health Benefits of Purple Cabbage
This purple soup is so nutritious because the more colourful the produce is, the more nutrient-dense it usually is. The gorgeous, vibrant colour of purple (or red) cabbage indicates the abundance of antioxidants, flavonoids, and vitamins A and C in the crunchy cruciferous cabbage. Bonus: purple cabbage has twice the amount of vitamin C as green cabbage.
Kids Love This Color Changing Purple Cabbage Soup
This soup is so fun for kids and a great way to get picky eaters to try new veggies! Watch their curiosity grow and their eyes shine as they add lemon juice or vinegar to their bowl of soup to change it’s hue. When I give this soup to my daughter Carrington, I throw in some beans or tofu for extra protein.
This Purple Cabbage Soup Is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
- Nutritious
- So DELICOUS
- Low Sodium (if using water)
- Low calories (196 per serving)
- Easy to make
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Fun for kids
- Perfect for meal prep
More Purple Cabbage Recipes
If you are looking for more ways to incorporate purple cabbage into your diet try my recipes for:
–Vegan Chilli Lime Cauliflower Tacos
–Sweet & Spicy Tofu Sushi Bowl
More Soup Recipes To Try
If you enjoyed this Color Changing Purple Cabbage Soup you will want to try my other soup recipes:
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Susan xox
PrintColor Changing Purple Cabbage Corn and Potato Soup
This Color Changing Purple Cabbage Soup recipe is loaded with purple cabbage, corn, and potatoes and some everyday pantry staples. It’s a hearty vegetable soup that’s packed with flavor, nutrients and color! Serve it violet blue, magenta pink or both!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup, Lunch, Dinner, Recipe for Kids
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or vegetable stock for oil free)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic (or to taste)
- 1 small head purple cabbage* roughly chopped
- 6–8 cups light vegetable stock or water
- 2–3 medium sized potatoes, peeled cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 230 g fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add oil then onion. Sauté for 4-5 mins or until translucent. Add garlic*, purple cabbage, potatoes, corn, vegetable stock or water and thyme.
- Turn heat to high cover and bring to boil. Lower the heat and bring to simmer. Cook for 15-20 mins or until potatoes are fork tender.
- If alkaline the soup will be violet blue. To turn magenta pink add 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar.
- Serve warm with Cheesy Vegan Beer Bread. Store leftover refrigerated for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*Ensure to remove the tough core from the centre of the cabbage.
*Add garlic at the end of cooking for a more intense flavor.
