Though recipes are the gourmand’s ’safe bet’ in an uncertain world, wouldn’t it be nice if we could simply cook a vegetable based on its color, knowing how to craft culinary morsels with only a swift and assured glance? Trouble yourself no more. By the end of this guide, you will be armed to the teeth with enough knowledge to please any discerning palate.
All vegetables have pigments. Pigments are an indicator of how the vegetable should be cooked or eaten. The golden rule is to preserve a vegetable’s natural color to ensure that its nutritional content stays intact.
Vegetables may be grouped into four color categories (with examples):
White: potatoes, turnips, celery, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, cucumbers
Yellow or Orange: carrots, yams, squashes/pumpkins, sweet potatoes
Red: beets, red cabbage, red beans
Green: beans, broccoli, peas, spinach, parsley, asparagus, artichokes, okra