Purple Cauliflower Dip
This Purple Cauliflower Dip is made from roasted purple cauliflower, garlic, feta, and a bit of olive oil and spices. It’s the perfect purple component in a spread of rainbow dips, for snack time, or even as a spread on sandwiches.
So read on for all the tips and tricks about purple cauliflower. Or just grab your paring knife to cut cauliflower florets, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a cauliflower dip!
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Ingredients
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable related to broccoli, kale, and cabbage. It’s known for its mild flavor and adaptability in a variety of dishes.
We often have roasted cauliflower as a side dish, or cauliflower serves as a meatless substitute in cauliflower tacos, cauliflower shawarma, and cauliflower burgers. Cooked cauliflower is also a great pasta substitute for pasta in my cavatappi mac and cheese or alfredo cauliflower.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe tips and tricks
I started off the recipe development for this purple dip wondering the best way to cook purple cauliflower. I knew that purple beans turn green when you cook them, and my purple sweet potato latkes and red velvet beet waffles lose their gorgeous color when cooked.
The photo below shows my initial tests of cooking purple cauliflower. From the bright pink purple color when it was raw (bottom left), it roasted to a deep royal purple (top). Steaming and blanching turned the cauliflower lavender (right).
To roast the purple cauliflower, chop the cauliflower into florets. You’ll puree them, so cutting florets the same size most helps ensure even cooking.
Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Roast until fork-tender and let cool. You can roast your garlic, wrapped in foil, at the same time if you prefer the mellower taste of roasted garlic.
Once cool, put your roasted cauliflower in a food processor or heavy duty blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blitz until smooth and taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice (if using). Be careful with lemon juice, as it may change the color of your purple dip!
What to serve with purple dip
Serve this dip with:
- a rainbow veggie tray or other fresh vegetables
- pita or waffle chips from store-bought or homemade pita or waffles
- in a rainbow charcuterie platter
- with other Mediterranean-inspired recipes like fawaffles or a grain bowl with spiced lamb meatballs.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. The flavors will meld and it doesn’t lose its color at all!
Anthocyanins are chemical compounds that create the purple in purple sweet potatoes, in ube crinkle cookies, and the butterfly pea flower powder in Empress gin. One fun science experiment you can do at home is with purple cabbage!
I love using feta on salad, but you can also use any extra feta in Mediterranean pumpkin couscous salad, Greek chicken meatballs, or even feta muffins!
Related dip recipes
Want more dip and other appetizer recipes?
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Purple Cauliflower Dip
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of purple cauliflower chopped roughly into florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more as desired
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more as desired
- ⅛ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic roasted if desired, see notes
- ½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta plus more as desired
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Chop your purple cauliflower roughly into florets and toss them in a roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. If roasting your garlic, drizzle the cloves with a bit of oil and wrap them in foil.1 medium head of purple cauliflower, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, 2 cloves garlic
- Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the cauliflower can be easily pierced with a fork and slightly caramelized, and the garlic is soft. Stir or shake the pan when you are halfway through cooking to ensure even roasting. Let cool.
- Blend the cauliflower dip In a food processor by combining the roasted purple cauliflower, peeled garlic, and crumbled feta cheese. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and blend until smooth. If you prefer a tangy flavor, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a little at a time, and blend again.½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta, 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the cauliflower dip to a serving bowl and drizzle with a bit more olive oil if desired.
- Store your purple dip in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Notes
Nutrition
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