How many times did your mom or dad tell you to eat your vegetables when you were growing up? As annoying as it was to hear as a kid, you know they were right! Vegetables are healthy for you, and because there are so many of them, there’s bound to be one (or more) on this list of vegetables that even the fussiest eater enjoys.
List of Common Vegetables
Let’s look at some of the most popular vegetables you know and may (or may not!) love. We’ll discover corn, mushroom, broccoli, cucumber, carrot, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, pumpkin, cabbage, potato, eggplant, sweet potato, turnip, zucchini, onion, lettuce, radish, peas, asparagus, celery, green pepper, French beans, spinach, and beets.
If you’re wondering where are tomatoes and peppers (green peppers, bell peppers, and other types of peppers), remember they are technically a fruit! Mushrooms are also a fungus.
1. Corn
Corn is a very versatile vegetable that is used in many of your favorite foods, both healthy and unhealthy kinds. This vegetable is grown in massive fields and must be removed from a thick green stalk and then de-husked before it is prepared for consumption.
2. Broccoli
Was broccoli your least favorite vegetable as a kid? For many kids, broccoli is the enemy. Its miniature bush-like appearance, stalk, and odd smell can be very off-putting, but they are a very healthy vegetable and very easy to cook.
3. Cucumber
Cucumbers are known for their long, green, tubular appearance. They contain large amounts of water (about 96%!) and are a popular summer addition to salads. If you want a healthy diet, eat cucumbers instead of chips because they’re low in calories!
4. Carrot
Another common vegetable that you’ve probably eaten before is carrots. Carrots are root vegetables, meaning they are grown in soil. While you might associate carrots with the color orange, did you know that there are carrots in red, yellow, and even white?
5. Brussels Sprouts
Like broccoli, brussels sprouts were probably high on your least favorite vegetable list as a kid. These tough, dense little balls of green and white leaves might remind you of a miniature cabbage. And like cabbage, you may still not like them due to the slightly stinky odor they make when cooking them.
6. Cauliflower
Most people think of broccoli as a close cousin to broccoli (more on that later). And that’s for a good reason, as cauliflower looks like a white version of broccoli. Despite how it looks, cauliflower, a flower vegetable, is rich in vitamins and other good nutrients. It just needs a lot of help to be made tasty!
7. Pumpkin
You have probably seen pumpkins before during Halloween. These big orange vegetables can be pretty heavy and have dense, tough skin. Inside is where the good stuff is, though! People love to eat roasted pumpkin, and as an artificial flavor, pumpkin is very popular in the Fall months!
8. Cabbage
Like a pale green version of lettuce, cabbage can also have a slightly pungent smell when cooked. It is a versatile and durable vegetable and is common worldwide.
9. Potato
While many vegetables on this list will not be high on peoples’ favorite foods list, the humble potato, a tuber vegetable, may be. You can put potatoes in almost any dish and make it better. They come in a variety of colors and are grown in soil. They are hearty vegetables, filling stomachs up and often tasting amazing, especially when fried!
10. Eggplant
Eggplants, or aubergines (if you live in Europe), are known for their deep, dark purple appearance. Their shape is bulbous with an elongated neck. You might be confused by their name because they look nothing like eggs or plants. Still, eggplants are usually roasted or baked in cooking and are perfect for absorbing other flavors.
11. Sweet Potato
Like regular potatoes, sweet potatoes are famous because they improve other dishes. They are orange in color, and while their texture is like potatoes, their taste is more like a mash-up between sweet pumpkin, carrots, and all the feels of Fall!
12. Turnip
Turnips, while not a vegetable you may be familiar with, are like a potato in many ways but with some elements of an onion. Turnips are usually roasted or added into soups because eating them raw is not recommended.
13. Zucchini
You may have confused zucchinis and cucumbers before; if you have, you are not alone. Both are green and long, but zucchinis will often be smaller and have a different texture on the outside. Many people love to grow their zucchinis in their backyard, which they often use as a healthier alternative to pasta.
14. Onion
Eating raw and whole onions is not recommended, but sauteeing sliced or minced onions can make your dishes more flavorful. Plus, onions are easy to grow, cheap to buy, and come in various colors and tastes. If you cry when cutting onions, you aren’t the only one! Onions release a chemical (syn-Propanethial-S-oxide) that stimulates our eyes’ lachrymal glands (a tear-shaped gland that produces our tears!)
15. Lettuce
When it comes to making a salad, the most common ingredient you will find in them is lettuce. While eating lettuce may not satisfy your hunger, it contains essential vitamins and nutrients.
16. Radish
These little pinkish, red balls with bright white insides are bulb-shaped and typically enjoyed sliced up in your salad. They often have a slightly earthy taste with a crisp, wet crunch.
17. Peas
You may have heard the phrase “like peas in a pod,” and that’s because peas are harvested in green pods that are opened and then emptied. Fresh peas taste sweet, and you can enjoy them in so many ways —just don’t flick them across the table at your little brother or sister!
18. Asparagus
These long green stalks with densely packed leaves at the top are often called asparagus spears. An asparagus on its own is not particularly tasty. You can enjoy them grilled or cooked with oil and other delicious add-ons like salt, pepper, and even parmesan cheese.
19. Celery
Like many vegetables, celery is a long green stalk with a leafy top. However, celery is grown in bunches that you pull apart for each stalk. You can eat celery raw, but dipping it in a tasty dip or smothering it in peanut butter makes it better! Celery is known to be very hydrating, and when consumed as a juice, you can experience many great health benefits for your stomach and skin.
20. French Beans
French beans are often called string beans and are long and green in color. They taste slightly earthy and sweet when eaten on their own. You may have eaten French beans in a green bean casserole at Thanksgiving.
21. Spinach
Spinach is another leafy green vegetable that you can prepare in different ways. It is known to be very high in antioxidants, which your body needs to fight free radicals!
22. Beets / Beetroot
The favorite vegetable of Dwight Schrute in The Office, beets are a vegetable that is very good for you too. They are bright reddish-purple and are pulled out of the soil by their thick stems. They are very dense and tough to eat, but when cooked, they add a tart flavor many people enjoy.
23. Garlic
Last on our list is garlic, which is categorized under bulb vegetables. This vegetable doesn’t only make dishes tastier (or make your breath smell), but it is associated with many health benefits, like lowering cholesterol levels and boosting the immune system.
List of Vegetables by Type
With any list of vegetables, it is also essential you know the different groupings or types of vegetables. There are root vegetables, leafy green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, allium vegetables, legumes, and squash and gourds.
Root Vegetables
These are vegetables that are grown under the ground, in soil. In most cases, the section in the soil is what you would eat. Farmers know when root vegetables are ready to be plucked by the colors of their stalks or leaves.
- Carrot
- Potato
- Sweet Potato
- Beetroot
- Rutabaga
- Turnip
- Parsnip
- Radish
- Celeriac
- Jicama
- Yam
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Daikon Radish
Leafy Green Vegetables
As the name suggests, this type of vegetable is known for having large green leaves. As mentioned earlier, leafy vegetables are popular in salads and don’t have much of a taste on their own, but they are good for your health!
- Spinach
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Swiss Chard
- Arugula
- Collard Greens
- Bok Choy
- Romaine Lettuce
- Watercress
- Mustard Greens
- Turnip Greens
- Mizuna
- Beet Greens
- Dandelion Greens
- Escarole
- Endive
- Cabbage
- Sorrel
- Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)
- Purslane
Cruciferous Vegetables
These are similar to leafy greens in terms of health benefits, but they come in different colors and aren’t as leafy. Often, the leaves in cruciferous vegetables protect the part of the vegetable you eat. This edible part is usually densely packed.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Brussels Sprouts
- Kale
- Bok Choy
- Collard Greens
- Radishes
- Turnips
- Rutabaga
- Watercress
- Arugula
- Mustard Greens
- Kohlrabi
Allium Vegetables
These small vegetables are usually grown in soil, too, and they pack a punch taste-wise if you eat them raw. They are better used as additions to your favorite foods. Allium vegetables are usually in the shape of small, tough bulbs or green, thick stems.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Leek
- Shallot
- Chives
- Scallion (Green Onion)
Legumes
For most people, legumes simply refer to beans or any type of vegetable that is small and grown in a pod. The part we consume from many legume plants is called a pulse.
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
- Lentils
- Black beans
- Kidney beans
- Peas
- Soybeans
- Fava beans
- Pinto beans
- Edamame
- Mung beans
Squash and Gourds
Squash and gourds may not have an appetizing appearance, but, like others in our list of vegetables, they contain nutrients that can do wonders for your body!
- Zucchini
- Butternut Squash
- Acorn Squash
- Spaghetti Squash
- Pumpkin
- Hubbard Squash
- Delicata Squash
- Kabocha Squash
- Cushaw Gourd
- Luffa Gourd
Full List of Vegetables
- Leeks
- Yam
- Okra
- Rhubarb
- Radicchio
- Carrots
- Brussel Sprouts
- Endive
- Shallots
- Fennel
- Watercress
- Green beans
- Red Cabbage
- Green Onion
- Taro
- Bitter Gourd
- Chickpeas
- Spring Onions
- Broad Beans
- Lentils
- White Radish
- Swede
- Ivy Gourd
- Cassava
- Yuca
- Beet Greens
- Jerusalem artichoke
- Artichoke
- Corn
- Red onion
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
- Tomato
- Asparagus
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chayote
- Bamboo shoots
- Bean sprouts
- Lettuce
- Onion
- Parsnip
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Pepper
- Potato
- Pumpkin
- Radish
- Bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cactus pear
- Collard greens
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Escarole
- Garlic
- Pea
- Red cabbage
- Red chili pepper
- Yellow squash
- Zucchini
- Kale
- Butternut Squash
- Celeriac
- Jicama
- Chard
- Rutabaga
- Snow Peas
- Turnip Greens
- Cabbage Palm (Heart of Palm)
- Sorrel
- Crimini Mushroom
- Water Chestnut
- Sweet Corn
- Shiitake Mushroom
- Daikon
- Parsley
- Kohlrabi
- Cabbage (Savoy)
- Kohlrabi
- Collard Greens
- Chicory
- Turnip
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Ramps (Wild Leeks)
- Salsify
- Arrowroot
- Parsley Root
- Cardoon
- Celeriac
- Yucca
- Malanga
- Chicory
- Fiddlehead Ferns
- Romanesco
- Hakurei Turnip
- Tatsoi
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Romaine Lettuce
- Butterhead Lettuce
