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This recipe for Rustic Purple Mashed Potatoes with Parsnip is creamy, buttery, savory and seriously delicious! With a pretty purple hue, slight sweetness from the addition of parsnips and earthy undertones of thyme, these unique mashed potatoes are a fun spin on the classic!

Rustic Purple Mashed Potatoes in a serving dish.

Update: This recipe was originally published in November 2014. I made updates to the article below to include more information about this recipe for rustic mashed potatoes.

Hi, friends! We are going to continue in our thinking outside of the Thanksgiving cornucopia (see Turkey Roulade or Garlic Lemon Roasted Chicken)… and take it a step further.

I really wanted to share a unique Thanksgiving side dish with you. Something you could proudly bring to your turkey table, but not anything too crazy…like maple bacon mashed potato doughnuts or something. Because I was aiming for ‘different,’ I needed the dish to be spectacular in the taste department, and it turned out to be just that.

About these purple mashed potatoes

Our tale all starts with finding the right potatoes. Not just any potatoes will do when it comes to making something different and unique for Thanksgiving. Celebration blend potatoes are the perfect ingredient for purple potato mash. They are dark and earthy in color and taste and bold in appearance and flavor. When mashed in this recipe, it’s a treat that even my pickiest of eaters couldn’t pass up.

Celebration potatoes can be found at most grocers. At times, they come in various colors, so you may have to pick out just the purple ones for this dish.

If you’re looking for more unique holiday recipes, be sure to try these recipes next: Chestnut Stuffing Recipe, Mashed Butternut Squash, and Leftover Stuffing Muffins.

Why you’ll love this recipe!

  • If you like things that are unique and not just the same-old-same-old, these are for you.
  • Purple potato mash is creamy with a side of creamy. Blended just right.
  • The thyme gives it an earthy goodness, while the parsnips and leeks provide a touch of sweetness.
  • Rustic mashed potatoes, prepped and ready in an hour
  • These will be the talk of the Thanksgiving dinner table!

Mashed purple potatoes in a serving dish.

Ingredients for rustic purple mashed potatoes

  • Celebration blend potatoes: These potatoes provide the color.
  • Garlic: provides a foundation of savory flavor.
  • Unsalted Butter: The true secret to creamy is the right amount of butter.  You can of course use salted butter, but I prefer to control the amount of salt to taste and remove it from the butter.
  • Leeks : Just use the white part of the leeks, and they will add a nice hint of sweetness to your purple potato mash.
  • Parsnips, Thyme, and Pepper: These together give the dish additional tones of sweet and savory. Together, they are Thanksgiving side dish magic!
  • Cream: You can’t do creamy without cream!  A heavy whipping cream is what I went for, but you could sub in half and half if you prefer.
  • Chicken Stock: This is for boiling the potatoes.  You can definitely boil them in lightly salted water.  When you use the stock it injects that subtle chicken flavor into the parsnip mashed potatoes and they come out even more tasty!
Closeup of purple mashed potatoes on a spoon.

How to make mashed purple potatoes

These are so easy to prep and can be completed in about an hour total.

  1. Roast the garlic: Cut the top off the garlic and wrap it in foil with olive oil and a bit of salt.  Roast it in the oven at 400 degrees to get that really savory garlic flavor.
  2. Combine the cream ingredients: Combine the cream, butter, thyme, and garlic together and simmer to allow the flavors to combine.
  3. Sauté the leeks: Melt the butter, and sauté the leeks until softened.
  4. Cook the potatoes: Leave the skins on the potatoes and bring the potatoes, parsnips, chicken stock, and more salt to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a nice simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
  5. Dry the potatoes: Once the potatoes are complete, put them back on the heat for a couple of minutes to let them dry.  This will ensure they are light and fluffy and not watery.
  6. Finish the purple mashed potatoes: remove the thyme sprigs and combine all the ingredients in the big pot.  Mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon until you get the perfect consistency.  Season to taste and serve!

Expert tips for the best success!

  1. Leaving the skins on the potatoes helps provide more of that amazing lavender color. It gives additional texture to the purple mash as well, which I prefer.
  2. Roasting the garlic gives an extra savory flavor. You can use canned garlic, but if you have the opportunity to roast fresh garlic, you will thank yourself!
  3. Boiling the potatoes in water is a no-brainer method, but if you use the chicken stock instead of water, your Thanksgiving potato side dish will be even richer.
Purple potato mash in a serving dish.

FAQs: frequently asked questions

Do purple mashed potatoes taste different?

Purple mashed potatoes are very similar in taste to any russet potato mash. They can have slightly stronger earthy tones, but generally the thing that makes them stand out is their color, not their flavor.

Are purple potatoes good for mashing?

Yes, purple potatoes are actually some of the best kinds of potatoes for mashing. They have a hearty meat center with a slightly thicker skin, which means they stay thick and fluffy when mashed.

Purple mashed potatoes and parsnips in a serving dish.

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More potato side dishes!

Purple Mashed Potatoes

5 from 1 vote
Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
0 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
This recipe for Rustic Purple Mashed Potatoes with Parsnips is creamy, savory and delicious! Oh and I did mention…they are uniquely purple!

Ingredients 

  • 1 Head Roasted Garlic – cloves removed from their skin
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter , room temperature, divided (plus more for serving)
  • 1 small leeks , white parts only – washed well, thinly sliced crosswise then finely diced
  • 1 pound parsnips – peeled, cut into ½ – 1’’ pieces
  • 1 pound celebration blend potatoes – cut into 1’’ pieces (can substitute red skin, fingerling or Yukon gold)
  • 4 Whole Sprigs Thyme – washed, plus more for garnish
  • 3/4 cup Heavy Cream (can substitute Half and Half)
  • 1 tbsp Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper , to taste
  • 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock *

Instructions

  • Simmer Cream with Roasted Garlic: To a small saucepan, add the Half and Half, 2 tablespoons butter, whole sprigs of thyme, and the roasted garlic cloves.
    Place the pan over medium heat and bring the contents to a simmer. Once simmering, immediately reduce heat to low and allow flavors to seep together, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, Saute Leeks: In a dutch oven or large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat
    . Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
    Remove the leeks from the pan and set the leeks aside.
  • Bring Parsnips and Potatoes to Boil: To the same dutch oven or large saucepan, add the parsnips, potatoes, chicken stock, and enough cold water to cover the vegetables by two inches.
    Next, generously season the water with enough salt to make the water as salty as the ocean.
    Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
  • Simmer Potatoes and Parsnips: Cook until parsnips and potatoes until they're very tender but still hold their shape, about 15 – 20 minutes.
  • Drain Potatoes and Parsnips: Drain the cooked potatoes and parsnips in a colander. Then return the vegetables to the pot.
    Place the pot over low heat to cook the potatoes, stirring gently, until they're dry and the moisture is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
  • Remove Thyme from Warm Cream: Use a slotted spoon to remove the sprigs of thyme from the warmed cream and discard the thyme. DO NOT discard the garlic cloves!
  • Flavor and Mash Potatoes and Parsnips: Add the leeks and milk mixture with the garlic cloves to the pot with the potatoes.
    Use a potato mashed or the back of a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients and mash the potatoes to the desired consistency.
    Taste the mashed purple potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve Mashed Purple Potatoes and Parsnips: Garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Serve immediately while still warm and enjoy.

Notes

  • Chicken stock adds a lot of flavor to the potatoes, but you can substitute all water if desired.
  • Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You’ll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
     
  • Got questions? I’ve got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification – please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 
     
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal    Carbohydrates: 32g    Protein: 5g    Fat: 21g    Saturated Fat: 12g    Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g    Monounsaturated Fat: 7g    Trans Fat: 0.3g    Cholesterol: 54mg    Sodium: 49mg    Potassium: 749mg    Fiber: 6g    Sugar: 6g    Vitamin A: 951IU    Vitamin C: 32mg    Calcium: 81mg    Iron: 2mg

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