✔ Updated · 25 vegetables, with photos of the most common
Vegetables that start with D include daikon, dandelion greens, dill, delicata squash, dasheen, daylily, drumstick pods and dabberlocks seaweed.
D vegetables are a varied bunch of herbs, roots, algae, leaves, beans and squash, and this list gathers the 25 worth knowing, from everyday daikon and dinosaur kale to rare finds like doraji. Each entry explains the taste, the texture and how the vegetable is cooked, and a quick A-to-Z list at the end is handy for games and quizzes.
Vegetables that start with D, from everyday favorites to rare finds. The most popular:
The 8 Most Common Vegetables That Start With D
These are the D vegetables you are most likely to find in a store, a garden or a recipe.
Daikon
A large white radish with crisp, juicy flesh and a mild, slightly sweet and peppery taste, grated raw, pickled, braised or simmered in soups.
Dandelion
Jagged leaves with a sharp, bitter taste and tender bite when young, eaten raw in salads or sautéed like spinach; the flowers make fritters.
Delicata Squash
A cream-and-green striped winter squash with thin, edible skin and sweet, tender flesh that tastes like sweet potato, roasted in rings.
Drumstick
The long, ridged pods of the moringa tree with soft, jelly-like inner flesh and a sweet, asparagus-like taste, simmered in sambar and curries.
Dasheen
A type of taro with purple-flecked corms that cook up soft and starchy with a sweet, nutty flavor, boiled, roasted or added to soups.
Daylily
Buds, flowers and young shoots with a sweet, slightly tangy, green-bean-like flavor and crisp texture, stir-fried, added to soups or dried as golden needles.
Dill
Feathery leaves with a sweet, grassy, slightly anise flavor and soft texture, stirred into potatoes, salmon, pickles and yogurt sauces.
Dabberlocks
Also called winged kelp, a brown seaweed with a mild, sea-salty flavor and silky texture, eaten raw in salads or cooked in soups.
17 More Vegetables That Start With D
Greens, roots, beans and squash that begin with D, from farmers market finds to staples of Asian and Indian cooking.
Dinosaur Kale
Also called lacinato or cavolo nero, dark, bumpy leaves with a deep, earthy, slightly sweet flavor and firm texture, for soups, sautés and chips.
Dandelion Chicory
Also called catalogna, long, toothed chicory leaves with crunchy ribs and a bold bitterness, braised with garlic and olive oil.
Dock Greens
Young leaves of curly or patience dock with a lemony, sorrel-like sourness and soft texture, cooked like spinach or into soups.
Deer Tongue Lettuce
A loose-leaf heirloom with pointed, tongue-shaped leaves, a crisp-tender bite and mild, nutty flavor, served raw in salads.
Duck Potato
Also called wapato, the tuber of Sagittaria, with a potato-and-chestnut flavor and firm texture, roasted or boiled by Native Americans.
Doraji
Korean bellflower root with a crunchy, fibrous texture and bitter, earthy taste, salted to soften it, then seasoned as namul or pickled.
Dutch Red Shallot
A small, red-brown shallot with fine, crisp layers and a sweet, gentle onion bite, minced raw into dressings or roasted whole.
Dai Gai Choy
Chinese big mustard greens with thick, juicy stems and a sharp, bitter, peppery taste, simmered in soups or pickled as suan cai.
Doodhi
The Indian name for bottle gourd, a pale green gourd with soft, juicy, mild flesh, cooked into curries, dal, kofta and halwa.
Dumpling Squash
Sweet dumpling is a small, round, cream-and-green squash with tender, sweet, chestnut-like flesh, halved and roasted or stuffed.
Dragon Tongue Bean
A Dutch heirloom flat bean with cream pods streaked purple, a juicy, crisp texture and sweet flavor, eaten raw or lightly sautéed.
Dolichos Bean
Also called hyacinth or lablab bean, flat pods with a nutty, slightly bitter flavor and firm bite, always cooked, usually in curries.
Dou Miao
Chinese pea shoots, tender tendrils and leaves with a sweet, fresh pea flavor and delicate crunch, stir-fried quickly with garlic.
Desi Chickpeas
Small, dark brown chickpeas with a firm, nutty texture and earthy flavor, cooked into Indian curries or split to make chana dal.
Datil Pepper
A small, yellow-orange chile from St. Augustine, Florida, with fierce heat and a sweet, fruity flavor, used in hot sauces and relishes.
Dent Corn
Field corn with a dimple in each kernel, starchy and mildly sweet, dried and ground for cornmeal, grits and masa for tortillas.
Dulse
A red seaweed, called dillisk in Ireland, with a salty, smoky flavor and chewy texture, eaten dried as a snack, pan-fried or in soups.
Did You Know?
- A single daikon radish can grow longer than 2 feet, and the giant Sakurajima variety from Japan can weigh over 40 pounds.
- Dried daylily buds are sold in Chinese markets as golden needles and are a classic ingredient in hot and sour soup.
- Delicata squash skin is thin enough to eat, so it can be sliced and roasted without peeling, unlike most winter squash.
- Dulse, called dillisk in Ireland, has been gathered from Atlantic shores for more than a thousand years and is still eaten dried as a salty snack.
Quick List: All 25 Vegetables That Start With D
Handy for alphabet games, quizzes and Scattergories. The full list, A to Z:
Dabberlocks, Dai Gai Choy, Daikon, Dandelion, Dandelion Chicory, Dasheen, Datil Pepper, Daylily, Deer Tongue Lettuce, Delicata Squash, Dent Corn, Desi Chickpeas, Dill, Dinosaur Kale, Dock Greens, Dolichos Bean, Doodhi, Doraji, Dou Miao, Dragon Tongue Bean, Drumstick, Duck Potato, Dulse, Dumpling Squash, Dutch Red Shallot
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegetable starts with D?
Daikon, a large white radish, is the most common vegetable that starts with D. Dandelion greens, dill, delicata squash, dinosaur kale, dasheen, daylily, drumstick pods and dulse seaweed also begin with D.
What is a green vegetable that starts with D?
Green vegetables that start with D include dandelion greens, dinosaur kale, dill, dock greens, Diamond zucchini, Dragon's Tongue arugula, Dou Miao pea shoots and drumstick pods from the moringa tree.
What root vegetables start with D?
Root vegetables that start with D include daikon radish, dasheen (a type of taro), doraji and deodeok from Korea, duck potato, dahlia tubers, Danvers carrots, Detroit Dark Red beets and Desiree potatoes.
Can you eat daylilies?
Yes, the common orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) is a traditional vegetable in East Asia. Its buds, flowers and young shoots are stir-fried or added to soups, and dried buds are sold as golden needles. Eat only a little at first, and never confuse daylilies with true lilies.
What is drumstick vegetable?
Drumstick is the long, ridged seed pod of the moringa tree, popular in South India and Southeast Asia. The pods are cut into pieces and simmered in sambar or curries, and the soft inner flesh is scooped out with the teeth.
More vegetables by letter:
