Also called "enokitake" or "golden needle mushroom". Long thin white stems with tiny caps, common in Japanese and Korean cooking (hot pot, soups).
a long, thin, white edible mushroom used in East Asian cooking
She added enoki to the hot pot.
Japanese for "large root". Milder and larger than a typical Western radish; common in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine (e.g. in kimchi, pickles, soups).
a large, mild white radish common in East Asian cooking
She grated fresh daikon to serve alongside the tempura.
A national emblem of Wales. Related to onions and garlic but milder.
a long, cylindrical vegetable with a white base and green leaves, related to the onion
She sliced a leek for the potato soup.
Famous as Popeye's strength food, popularizing the myth that spinach is exceptionally high in iron.
a vegetable with large dark green leaves, eaten raw or cooked
He made a spinach and feta salad.
From Italian, plural of broccolo ("sprout").
a dark green vegetable with a thick stem and many small flower buds at the top, eaten as a vegetable
She steamed the broccoli for dinner.
Both come from the same plant, but broccoli refers to the mature vegetable (the thick stem and flower buds harvested after weeks of growth), while broccoli sprouts are the tiny seedlings harvested just days after germination.
"Cauliflower ear" = a deformed ear from repeated injury, common in boxing/wrestling.
a vegetable with a large white head of small, tightly packed flower buds surrounded by green leaves
He roasted the cauliflower with olive oil.
Also called "lady's fingers" (British) or "gumbo". Releases a thickening mucilage when cooked - the basis of Cajun/Creole gumbo.
the long green seed pods of a tropical plant, eaten as a vegetable, especially in Southern American, African, and Indian cuisine
Okra is the star ingredient in gumbo.
Common in American English; also called green onion.
a young onion with a long green stalk and mild flavor
Sprinkle chopped scallions over the noodles.
Common in British English; in some places it may mean a slightly more mature young onion.
a young onion eaten for its green stalk and mild bulb
The salad is topped with sliced spring onions.
Also called fava bean (especially in American English). A large flat green bean, popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking.
1a large flat edible bean with a thick green pod
Broad beans are delicious with a little olive oil and lemon.
The source of common bean sprouts in Asian cooking. Also ground into flour for glass noodles (cellophane noodles).
2a small round green bean, widely used in Asian cuisine, often sprouted
Mung bean sprouts are a staple in stir-fries.
Mainly American English. British English: (sweet) pepper or capsicum. Comes in red, yellow, green, and orange varieties.
a large, hollow, mild-tasting pepper used as a vegetable, shaped roughly like a bell
Slice the red bell pepper into thin strips for the salad.
American name; British and much of the rest of the English-speaking world say 'aubergine'. Named for pale, egg-shaped varieties, though the common purple type is much larger.
a vegetable with smooth, glossy skin, usually deep purple, and spongy white flesh
She sliced the eggplant and grilled it with olive oil.
Final syllable pronounced /-əs/, not /-juːs/. "Iceberg", "romaine", "butter", "red leaf": common varieties. Slang for paper money ("green").
a leafy green vegetable used in salads
He added lettuce to his sandwich.
a plant with crisp, long, pale green or whitish stalks, eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable
She chopped some celery for the soup.
American name; British: courgette. Originally from Italian.
a small, long, green vegetable, a variety of summer squash
She grated zucchini into the bread batter.
"Cool as a cucumber": a common idiom meaning calm and composed. Cucumbers are used as cooling eye treatments in spa contexts.
a long green vegetable with watery flesh
She added cucumber to her salad.
A single bulb is made up of individual 'cloves'. Long associated in folklore with warding off vampires.
a pungent bulb, made up of several cloves, used as a flavoring in cooking
He crushed two cloves of garlic into the sauce.
'Know your onions' = be knowledgeable. Cutting onions releases a gas that makes you cry.
a round vegetable with a strong smell and taste, made up of concentric layers
Fry the onions until they turn golden.
Irregular plural: 'potatoes' (not 'potatos'). "Couch potato" = a lazy person who watches a lot of TV. "Hot potato" = a controversial issue nobody wants to deal with.
a starchy root vegetable, usually with brown or red skin and white or yellow flesh
He mashed the potatoes with butter and milk.
a small, round, red-skinned root vegetable with a crisp, peppery taste, usually eaten raw in salads
She added thinly sliced radishes to the salad for a peppery crunch.
"Carrot and stick" - an incentive combined with a threat of punishment. The myth that carrots dramatically improve night vision originated as WWII British propaganda.
a long, tapering orange root vegetable
She peeled and sliced the carrots for the stew.
a vegetable with thick green or purple leaves growing in a tight ball
He shredded the cabbage for coleslaw.
American name from Cantonese; British English calls it "pak choi". Mandarin: baicai. Also spelled 'bok choi'.
a type of Chinese cabbage with smooth white stalks and dark green leaves
She stir-fried bok choy with garlic.
"Fava" is the American name (from Italian fava); British English uses "broad bean". Famously referenced in the movie "The Silence of the Lambs".
a large flat edible bean (also called broad bean) from a plant of the pea family
He served the lamb with fava beans and a nice chianti.
Different species from "yam" (a tropical tuber), though the names are often confused in American English.
the edible tuberous root of a tropical American plant, with reddish-brown skin and orange flesh
He served roasted sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.
Also called string beans or snap beans (American).
the long thin green pod of a bean plant, eaten as a vegetable
She blanched the green beans for the salad.
In American grocery stores, usually mung bean sprouts; in Asian cuisine, soybean sprouts are also common.
the young white shoot of a bean plant, especially the mung bean, eaten as a vegetable
Add bean sprouts at the end of cooking to keep them crisp.
Comes in many colors: red, green, brown, black ("beluga"). A staple in Indian and Mediterranean cuisine.
a small flat dried seed of a leguminous plant, used as food
She made a hearty lentil soup.
In Scotland and northern England, jack-o'-lanterns were traditionally carved from turnips before pumpkins became popular.
a round root vegetable with white or yellowish flesh, used as food
She added turnips to the stew.
"Summer squash" (zucchini, yellow), "winter squash" (butternut, acorn, pumpkin). "Squash" is also a racquet sport, popular in UK and Egypt.
a vegetable from the gourd family
She made a soup with butternut squash.
In US: maize. In UK: any grain (wheat, barley, etc.), the US "corn" is called "maize" in UK. "Corny" = cheesy/cliché.
(US) maize; (UK) any cereal crop
They grow corn in Iowa.
a sweet or hot vegetable of the capsicum family
He bought a red pepper for the salad.
"Two peas in a pod" = very similar people. "Pea-brained" = stupid. Mendel's pea experiments founded genetics.
a small round green seed eaten as a vegetable
He doesn't like peas with his dinner.
In US, "yam" often refers to sweet potato (though botanically different). True yams are a different species, common in African and Asian cuisines.
a starchy tuberous vegetable
She baked the yams for dinner.