Have you noticed purple basil at the farmers market or grocery store? With its beautiful deep purple leaves and familiar basil aroma, this colorful variety is a fun way to bring something different to your summer cooking.
Purple basil has a flavor similar to green basil, but many varieties have a slightly stronger, spicier flavor with hints of clove or anise. Basil comes in many varieties, including both green and purple leaved types and is commonly used fresh in sauces, salads, vegetable dishes and pesto.
The beautiful purple color comes from natural plant pigments called anthocyanins, which are also found in many other deeply colored fruits and vegetables.
Want to try it in pesto? Use my Jimmy Pesto recipe as a guide, substituting fresh purple basil for the green basil and leaving out the sun-dried tomatoes. Keep in mind that purple basil may lose some of its vibrant color when chopped or blended, so enjoy it fresh for the most beautiful presentation.
Have you ever cooked with purple basil?
I started out over a decade ago watching Forks Over Knives, decided to “try out” the plant-based meal plan and had shockingly incredible results. I’ve never turned back. I have lost nearly 50 pounds, and that is just one side effect that me, my family, friends and clients have experienced after making the change.
Having been an incredible cook my entire adult life, I started my own personal chef service, NuYu Nourish, to extend my help to others. I interned under a celebrity chef, became a celebrity chef myself and have been expanding my reach and goals ever since! My plan follows strictly and simply those of Dr. Mcdougall, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn.
