Looking for a list of vegetables that start with R? This short and accurate list includes only true vegetables—no herbs, fruits, or other botanical sneak-ins. Whether you’re making flashcards for kids, playing trivia games, or exploring new ingredients, this list is a great place to start.
Each vegetable below is packed with health benefits, flavor variety, and a ton of SEO-rich goodness.
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Vegetables That Start with R
1. Radicchio
A red-purple leaf vegetable with a bold, bitter flavor and slightly peppery taste. Common in Italian cuisine, it adds color and crunch to salads.
2. Radish
A spicy, crunchy root vegetable that comes in a variety of shapes and colors. Radishes are common in Asian cuisine and add a spicy flavor to salads.
3. Radish Greens (Radish Leaves)
Radish greens are often tossed out, but they’re actually edible! These leafy greens are a source of fiber and add a peppery flavor to stir-fries and soups.
4. Rainbow Carrot
A colorful salad favorite, these carrots come in purple, red, yellow, and orange. Their sweet flavor and crisp texture make them perfect raw or roasted.
5. Rainbow Chard
A vibrant leafy green with stems in red, yellow, and pink. Offers a slightly earthy flavor and is a good source of vitamin C and fiber.
6. Rakkyo (Japanese Scallion or Chinese Onion)
A type of small allium vegetable used in Asian cuisines. The flavor of rakkyo is a cross between onion and garlic. One popular preparation of rakkyo is pickling in vinegar and sugar or salt.
7. Ramp (Allium tricoccum)
Also called wild leeks, ramps are native to North America and part of the onion family. They offer a mix of garlic and onion flavor and have health advantages including antioxidant power.
8. Ramsons
Another wild leafy plant in the onion family, ramsons grow in well-drained, fertile soil and bring a spicy taste to soups and pestos.
9. Rapini (Broccoli Rabe)
A cruciferous vegetable related to broccoli, but with more bite. Known for its bitter taste and leafy green texture, rapini is often served in Mediterranean cuisine.
10. Red Bean
A true edible bean and source of protein, often used in baked pasta dishes or soups. Great for heart health and gut-friendly dietary fiber.
11. Red Bliss Potato
A popular potato variety with red skin and white flesh. Known for its tender texture and balanced flavor, it’s perfect for boiling or roasting.
12. Red Cabbage
This leafy vegetable from the cabbage family has purple leaves, a slightly bitter flavor, and loads of antioxidants and other health benefits.
13. Red Gold Potato
A yellow-fleshed potato with red skin. Its creamy and starchy texture makes it ideal for roasting and mashing.
14. Red Kuri Squash
A teardrop-shaped winter squash with sweet flesh and a nutty, earthy flavor. A favorite in soups and baked vegetable dishes.
15. Red Leaf Lettuce
A tender, leafy vegetable with green leaves tinged with red or purple. Known for its mild flavor and health benefits, often found in grocery store salad mixes.
16. Red Orach
A lesser-known leaf vegetable with purple leaves and a slightly salty, spinach-like flavor. It’s an appetizing vegetable rich in essential vitamins.
17. Red Russian Kale
A flat-leafed variety of kale with a peppery taste and green leaves tinted purple. Excellent sautéed or tossed into soups for an antioxidant boost.
18. Red Sorrel
A leafy plant with a tangy, sour taste and red-veined leaves. Adds brightness to salads and contains antioxidant plant chemicals.
19. Red Warty Thing Squash
A large, bumpy winter squash with orange-red skin. It has a sweet flavor and firm texture, making it a quirky but tasty addition to baked dishes.
20. Red Wing Onion
A red-skinned bulb vegetable with white flesh and a mild flavor. A favorite in both raw and cooked dishes, with links to heart health and antioxidants.
21. Rhubarb (Rhubarb Plant)
A leafy vegetable with tart, juicy flesh, often used like fruit. While the stalk is safe to eat and is commonly used in fruit salad and pies, the leaves are not edible.
22. Romanesco
A visually striking cruciferous vegetable with a spiral shape and chartreuse color. Combines the bitterness of broccoli with the nutty flavor of cauliflower.
23. Roselle Leaves
From the hibiscus family, these leafy greens are tangy and common in Asian cuisines. They’re rich in vitamin C and often used in teas and stews.
24. Rosette Bok Choy
A compact version of bok choy with spoon-shaped leaves. This Asian vegetable has a mild flavor and is a good source of fiber.
25. Russian Banana Potato
A fingerling-style potato variety with yellow skin and buttery flavor. Great roasted or used in potato salad.
26. Russian Blue Potato
A blue-purple baking potato with earthy flavor and plenty of starch content. Makes colorful baked potatoes or potato chips.
27. Rutabaga
A starchy root vegetable with white flesh and a slightly sweet flavor. Common in Appalachian cuisine and cold-weather soups.
There you have it—a solid list of vegetables that start with R. From root vegetables like rutabaga and radish to leafy greens like Red Russian kale and Rosette Bok Choy, this roundup offers a variety of flavors, textures, and health benefits.
If you’re looking for other vegetable and fruit “Starts with” lists, we’ve got those, too! Check out our Ultimate A-Z Index of Vegetarian-Friendly Lists.
