Although broccoli is the first fruit that comes to mind, there are 27 vegetables that begin with the letter B, some of which are uncommon and difficult to find in the United States.
Continue reading if you’ve ever questioned if broccolini was a real vegetable or if you’d like to learn more about brinjal or banana squash.
You might find some new favorite vegetables on this list!
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1. Beets
The beet has a thin skin that protects a rich and succulent flesh, and its color ranges from pinkish to violet, or orange to reddish and brown. Furthermore, the texture of the beet can be hard or mushy. The pulp is typically a deep crimson color with occasional white ringlets. Despite the fact that it is a root vegetable, the flavor is unexpectedly sweet and earthy. It can be paired with flavors that are bright, sweet, and fresh.
2. Broccoli
Broccoli has large flower heads that are normally a dark green color. These flower heads form a tree-like structure and branch out from a tall stalk that is usually a lighter green tint. Its head shape is similar to that of a cauliflower, but its head is actually made up of many little flower buds. Broccoli has a flavor that is both herbaceous and earthy. Broccoli florets may be blanched, grated, diced, or sliced before being used in recipes.
3. Bok Choy
Bok choy, often known as white Chinese cabbage, is a leafy vegetable in the pak choi family. Cooking softens the slightly bitter, mustardy flavor that is kind of “cabbagey” with hints of celery. It’s also really textural. The leaves are delicate, and the stalks are crisp and nearly juicy, holding up well during cooking. Bok choy has sturdy, crisp stalks that can be green or white, and its leaves can be light to dark green in hue.
4. Baby Lima Beans
These beans are flat and roughly half an inch long, with a faint pattern of seashells spreading out from the inner seam. Due to their thin skin, baby limas cook quickly and add a sweet, rich flavor and creamy texture to recipes. Lima beans have a buttery, nutty flavor and a creamy, starchy texture. Lima beans are an excellent source of iron. Baby limas are widely accessible at supermarkets. One cup of lima beans has about a quarter of the amount of iron that you should eat every day.
5. Belgian Endive
Belgian endive lettuce comes in compact heads that are cylindrical in shape and have pale yellow leaves that are densely packed and have slightly curled edges. It has a medium level of astringency. Endives are a versatile vegetable that can be consumed either raw or cooked. Endives have a distinct flavor and texture when raw, making them a wonderful salad ingredient. After cooking, the harsh taste of endive is converted into a sweet, nutty flavor.
6. Bamboo Shoots
Bamboo shoots, or bamboo sprouts, are the immature shoots of several types of bamboo that can be eaten. Bamboo shoots are opaque, cone-shaped pieces of the bamboo plant with a soft yet crisp texture.
Bamboo shoots have a slightly sweet and earthy flavor, but what makes them truly distinctive is that they retain their characteristic crunchiness even after cooking. To make them edible, they must go through a tremendous amount of processing. Bamboo shoots are a popular element in many Asian cuisines.
7. Broccoli Rabe
The broccoli rabe plant features long light green stems that give way to spiky dark green leaves. These leaves wrap little broccoli-like buds and, sometimes, yellow flowers. Broccoli has a slightly bittersweet flavor, and its stems and leaves are thick and meaty. Broccolini features strong, crisp stems and green florets, and it is milder and sweeter than broccoli. The plant’s stalks, leaves, and blooms are all edible; however, the base of the stem should be removed before consumption.
8. Black Radish
Black radishes, a root vegetable related to turnips and horseradish, have a sooty, matte black skin that conceals a white, crisp interior flesh with a peppery hot flavor. Black radishes have a strong, peppery flavor that works well both fresh and cooked. To ensure that the flavors complement each other, thinly slice, chop, or shred fresh flesh before combining it with sour and sweet ingredients.
9. Bell Peppers
This plant’s bell peppers are huge, crisp, bell-shaped fruits that are often green, yellow, or red. A type of sweet pepper that is frequently grown for its tasty fruit. The tropical American pepper, which is big, sweet, and bell-shaped, is used as a vegetable. Green and purple bell peppers taste a little grassy and bitter, while orange, red, and yellow bell peppers taste sweeter and more fruity, with red being the sweetest.
10. Broccolini
Broccolini, often known as baby broccoli, is a type of green vegetable similar to broccoli but with fewer florets and longer, thinner stalks. Broccolini is a milder and sweeter kind of broccoli, with firm and crisp stems and green florets. All parts of the plant can be eaten, including the stems, leaves, and florets. You can also steam your broccolini and serve it as a side dish to round off a delicious and nutritious supper. Broccolini is high in fiber, protein, and minerals, including potassium and iron.
11. Banana Squash
The banana squash is a variety of winter squash named for its elongated shape, which resembles an enlarged banana. The flavor is earthy and sweet, reminiscent of bananas, and the rind is smooth and thick. The rind color varies by cultivar and can be light pink, yellow, orange, green, or light blue. They are usually prepared in the same way as vegetables are. They are low in fat, cholesterol, salt, and saturated fat; they are also high in vitamin C and a wonderful source of vitamin A.
12. Betel Nut
It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial plant with heart-shaped glossy leaves and white catkins. The flavor of betel leaf is bitter and peppery, similar to rocket but considerably harsher and stronger. The betel plant grows only in Southeast Asia. Its leaves are often used to add flavor to areca nuts when they are chewed.
13. Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are tasty, tiny, leafy green buds that look like little cabbages. Long, smooth, leathery leaves ranging in color from green to purple are placed alternately on the stalk. Brussels sprouts have a beautiful nutty flavor that is also somewhat smokey, sweet, and slightly bitter when cooked correctly. They smell more earthy rather than cabbage-like. The Brussels sprout has been popular in Brussels, Belgium, for a long time. That’s where it got its name.
14. Bitter Greens
Bitter greens are often dark green in hue, though this is not always the case. The taste is nutty, bitter, and spicy all at the same time. Bitter greens are low in calories and high in fiber. Collard greens are high in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, iron, fiber, and antioxidants. Bitter greens are low in fat and salt as well. Furthermore, they are one of the best sources of calcium found in plants, which is fantastic news for vegans.
15. Burdock Root
Raw burdock root has a crunchy and crisp texture akin to radish. Burdock’s deep roots are very lengthy and range in color from beige to brown to practically black on the outside. It has a taste that is similar to the sweetness of lotus root. Burdock root can be eaten raw or cooked, such as by sautéing or stir-frying it. Once softened by the cooking process, it takes on an earthy and nutty flavor. This flavor pairs well with pork, chicken, rice, or potatoes. Furthermore, it is occasionally incorporated as a dried powder in supplements.
16. Bean Sprouts
Bean sprouts are tiny, long, and slender shoots that emerge from beans. They have a flavor that is extremely similar to onions. They are commonly used in Chinese cuisine. The sprouts mostly give a crisp, juicy touch to the soup. Bean sprouts can also help your metabolism, keep your eyesight healthy, keep your cholesterol levels in check, and act as an antioxidant.
17. Black Salsify
Although the roots of black salsify are lengthy and brownish-black in color, the plant’s leaves can also be eaten fresh and used in salads. When compared to conventional salsify roots, black salsify roots are longer, smoother, less fibrous, and of a more delicate quality. Young salsify roots can be eaten raw if finely sliced or grated, but both types of salsify are most typically boiled, steamed, fried, baked, or blended into soups. The delicate oyster flavor of black salsify makes it ideal for chowder or fake oyster soup. Young salsify roots, cut thinly or grated, can be eaten uncooked.
18. Beet Greens
Beet greens are the scarlet stalks and green leaves that grow from them. They are entirely edible and have a sweeter flavor than Swiss chard (and many other dark greens). Beet tops, often known as “bull’s blood,” are the leafy tops of beets. According to both Mathis and Rodriguez, beet greens have a slight sweet flavor.
19. Butternut Squash
The buttercup squash is spherical and dark green, whereas the butternut squash, the most popular of the winter squashes, has the shape of a tan bowling pin. Butternut squash skin is a dull tan color, while the flesh is vivid orange in color, with a dense, moist texture and a buttery, nutty, sweet flavor. It has a sweet and nutty flavor that is similar to pumpkin. It has a tan-yellow peel and a meaty orange pulp, with a seed compartment at the blossom end. According to some, the flavor of butternut squash is similar to that of sweet potatoes or butterscotch. It tastes sweet, juicy, and nutty. Although the rind is edible (after cooked), most people remove it before eating.
20. Brinjal
They are shaped like eggs, which is why they are called “eggplants.” The flavor of eggplant is similar to that of summer squash or zucchini; it is soft, mellow, and sweet, with a slight bitterness from the plant’s vegetative components. The flavor of anything else cooked with the eggplant will be absorbed by it. When raw, it has a hard and spongy feel, but when cooked, it is meltingly tender (especially fried, smoked, or braised).
21. Broccoflower
The term “broccoflower” derives from a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Both varieties can be cooked or eaten raw, and they have a little sweeter and less bitter flavor than conventional cauliflower or broccoli. The end result is a head that resembles cauliflower in both appearance and flavor. The texture is excellent and pretty firm.
22. Bush Beans
Though technically classified as a different food group, beans are really similar to veggies because of their high fiber, vitamin, and mineral content. Bush beans are green in color and feature pods that are 6 to 8 inches long, stringless, and have a thick, soft feel. They also have a sweet and buttery flavor. These bush beans keep their crisp texture and juicy flavor when eaten raw. Bush beans are further classified into three types: snap beans, green shelling beans, and dry beans. Snap beans are eaten whole, whereas green shelling beans are eaten whole. Before being ingested, dry beans are first dried and then rehydrated.
23. Butter Beans
Beans and peas are classified as a subgroup of the vegetable group by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Butter beans are a white bean cultivar with a buttery, silky texture and a mild, buttery flavor. Fresh butter beans have a grassier, more vegetal flavor than cooked or dried beans. The beans are very well liked in the American South.
24. Black Turtle Beans
Beans grow on plants and some consider them vegetables because of this. However, beans are technically classified as legumes. The black turtle bean is a small, shiny variant of the common bean with a slightly sweet, mushroom-like flavor. Black turtle beans are delicious in refried beans, black bean soup, and Mexican cuisine like burritos and enchiladas. Black turtle beans have no cholesterol and a low fat content.
25. Black-eyed Peas
Black-eyed pea pods are elongated and slender, ranging in length from 7 to 15 cm on average, and they contain anywhere from 6 to 13 oval, slightly curved seeds. Black-eyed peas have a dense and solid texture that softens slightly when cooked, developing neutral, nutty, earthy, and savory flavors. The fibrous pods are often green in color and are firmly wrapped around the seeds, giving them a rough look. Black-eyed peas have an earthy, white bean flavor and a dense, creamy texture.
26. Broad-Leafed Arrowhead
Broad-leaved arrowhead is a plant that produces a tuber with a flavor similar to potatoes and chestnuts. It bears white flowers with three rounded petals and produces achene fruits. Broad-leaved arrowheads can be consumed raw, boiled, fried, dried, baked, roasted, mashed, ground into flour, or turned into potato chips. The simplest way to make arrowheads is to boil tubers until tender, then thinly slice them and serve with butter or sesame oil.
27. Broad Beans
Botanically, beans are fruits, but they can be considered both a fruit and a vegetable. Broad beans (also known as fava beans) have a creamy texture, an earthy flavor, a nutty flavor, a slightly sweet flavor, and a bitter flavor. White blooms with purple patterns Some people have observed that they have a cheese-like flavor.