✔ Updated · 108 vegetables, sorted by category
Vegetables that start with M include mushrooms, maize, mustard greens, mangetout, marrow, mizuna, Malabar spinach and mung beans.
M is one of the richest letters for vegetables, and this list gathers 108 of them, from everyday mache and Maris Piper potatoes to rare finds like mashua, mauka, molokhia and mozuku seaweed. They are sorted into groups such as leafy greens, roots, legumes and mushrooms, and each entry explains the taste, the texture and how it is cooked.
Vegetables that start with M, from everyday favorites to rare finds. The most popular:
Leafy Greens That Start With M
Salad leaves, cooking greens and wild greens that start with M.
Malabar Spinach
A heat-loving vine with thick, glossy leaves, a mild, peppery taste and slightly slippery texture, sautéed, added to curries or eaten raw.
Mallow
Soft, round leaves with a mild, nutty flavor and silky, slightly mucilaginous texture, eaten raw young or cooked into soups and stews.
Manoa Lettuce
A Hawaiian semi-heading lettuce with loose, tender leaves and a sweet, buttery flavor, eaten raw in salads and sandwiches.
Molokhia
Jute mallow leaves with an earthy, spinach-like flavor that turn silky and thick when cooked into the Egyptian soup of the same name.
Mizuna Greens
A Japanese mustard with feathery, jagged leaves, crisp white stems and a mild peppery bite, eaten raw in salads or added to hot pots.
Mache
Also called corn salad or lamb's lettuce, small rosettes with velvety, tender leaves and a mild, nutty flavor, eaten raw in salads.
Miner's Lettuce
A wild green with round, juicy, succulent leaves and a fresh, mild taste, eaten raw in spring salads or lightly wilted.
Mesclun
A French mix of young salad leaves such as lettuce, arugula and chervil, with tender textures and mixed sweet and peppery flavors, served raw.
Microgreens
Seedlings of vegetables and herbs harvested at a few inches tall, with a delicate crunch and intense flavor, used raw as garnishes and in salads.
Mountain Sorrel
A wild alpine green with round, juicy leaves and a tart, lemony taste, eaten raw in salads or cooked into sauces and soups.
Mountain Spinach
Another name for orach, with soft, slightly salty, spinach-like leaves in green, red or gold, eaten raw young or cooked like spinach.
Magenta Spreen
A lamb's quarters relative with magenta-tipped leaves, a soft texture and mild, spinach-like taste, eaten raw young or steamed.
Mignonette Lettuce
A loose, frilly butterhead in green or bronze with soft, delicate leaves and a mild, sweet taste, popular raw in Australian salads.
Magenta Lettuce
A summer crisp lettuce with red-tinged, glossy leaves, a juicy crunch and sweet, mild flavor, eaten raw in salads.
Merlot Lettuce
One of the darkest red loose-leaf lettuces, with crisp, frilly leaves and a mild, sweet taste, used raw for color in salads.
Muir Lettuce
A heat-tolerant Batavian lettuce with thick, crunchy, juicy leaves and a sweet, mild flavor, eaten raw in salads and wraps.
Matador Spinach
A smooth-leaved spinach with thick, dark green leaves and a mild, sweet, mineral flavor, eaten raw or quickly wilted.
Monstrueux de Viroflay Spinach
A French heirloom spinach with very large, tender leaves and a mild, sweet taste, sautéed, creamed or eaten raw.
Mustard Spinach
An English name for komatsuna, smooth, tender leaves with a mild cabbage-mustard taste, stir-fried, boiled or pickled.
Root Vegetables That Start With M
Roots, tubers, potatoes, carrots and radishes beginning with M.
Malanga
A shaggy tropical corm with crisp, starchy flesh that turns creamy and nutty when boiled, mashed or fried into Cuban fritters.
Mashua
An Andean tuber with a sharp, peppery, radish-like taste when raw that turns mild and soft once boiled or roasted.
Maca Root
An Andean root with a malty, nutty, butterscotch-like flavor, traditionally roasted or boiled and now often dried into powder.
Mooli
The South Asian and British name for daikon, a white radish with crisp, juicy flesh and a mild peppery bite, grated into paratha or curried.
Manioc
Another name for cassava, a starchy root with dense, chewy flesh and a mild, nutty taste, always peeled and cooked, boiled or fried.
Mauka
An Andean root with crisp, juicy flesh and a slightly sweet, starchy taste, sun-dried to sweeten, then boiled or fried.
Mexican Yam Bean
Another name for jicama, a round root with crisp, juicy white flesh and a sweet, nutty taste, eaten raw with lime and chili.
Mountain Yam
Japanese yamaimo, a long root with crisp, slimy flesh and a mild taste, grated raw over rice as tororo or fried in okonomiyaki.
Maris Piper Potato
The UK's favorite potato, with fluffy, floury flesh and a mild, earthy flavor, perfect for chips, roast potatoes and mash.
Maris Peer Potato
A British second-early potato with firm, waxy flesh and a buttery flavor, boiled whole as new potatoes or used in salads.
Marabel Potato
A yellow-fleshed salad potato with smooth, waxy texture and a sweet, buttery taste, boiled, roasted or sautéed.
Melody Potato
A Dutch yellow potato with smooth, creamy flesh and a mild, buttery taste, roasted, boiled, mashed or baked.
Magic Molly Potato
A purple fingerling with deep purple flesh, a moist texture and earthy, nutty flavor, roasted or boiled to keep its color.
Mountain Rose Potato
A red-skinned, red-fleshed potato with a moist, creamy texture and earthy flavor, roasted, mashed or made into colorful salads.
Mokum Carrot
A slender, early Nantes-type carrot with very crisp, juicy flesh and an extra-sweet flavor, eaten raw as a snack or lightly glazed.
Merida Carrot
An overwintering carrot with smooth, crunchy orange flesh and a sweet, earthy taste, roasted, steamed or eaten raw.
Mammoth Red Mangel
A huge heirloom beet grown for fodder, whose young roots and leaves have a sweet, earthy taste when boiled or roasted.
Misato Rose Radish
A watermelon radish with green-white skin and bright pink, crisp flesh with a mild, sweet bite, sliced raw or pickled.
Minowase Daikon
A long, white Japanese daikon with crisp, juicy flesh and a mild, sweet taste, grated raw, pickled or simmered in oden.
Munich Bier Radish
A large white German radish with crisp flesh and a peppery bite, sliced thin, salted and eaten with beer in Bavaria.
Alliums That Start With M
Onions, garlic and leeks that start with M.
Maui Onion
A sweet onion grown on the slopes of Haleakala in Hawaii, with juicy, crisp flesh and very mild flavor, eaten raw or grilled.
Music Garlic
A porcelain hardneck garlic with a few huge cloves and a hot, rich flavor that sweetens when roasted or slow-cooked.
Metechi Garlic
A purple-striped hardneck from the Republic of Georgia with fiery, robust cloves that turn sweet and nutty when roasted.
Musselburgh Leek
A hardy Scottish heirloom leek with thick white stems and a mild, sweet onion flavor, used in cock-a-leekie and potato soups.
Monstrueux de Carentan Leek
A French heirloom leek with short, very thick stems and tender, sweet flesh, braised, gratinéed or simmered in soup.
Brassicas That Start With M
Cabbages, mustards, broccoli and Asian greens.
Mustard Greens
Broad, frilly leaves with a hot, peppery, horseradish-like bite and tender texture, braised Southern-style, stir-fried or pickled.
Mibuna
A Japanese mustard with long, strap-like leaves, a tender texture and mild mustard flavor, eaten raw young or added to stir-fries.
Michihili Cabbage
A tall, cylindrical Chinese cabbage with crisp white ribs and a sweet, mild flavor, used in stir-fries, soups and kimchi.
Mei Qing Choi
A compact baby bok choy with green, spoon-shaped stems, a crisp, juicy texture and mild, sweet taste, steamed or stir-fried whole.
Morris Heading Collards
An heirloom collard that forms loose heads, with tender, sweet leaves, simmered slowly with smoked pork in Southern cooking.
Marathon Broccoli
A cold-hardy broccoli with dense, blue-green heads, firm stems and a sweet, fresh flavor, steamed, roasted or stir-fried.
Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage
A large red heirloom cabbage with crisp, deep purple leaves and a peppery, sweet flavor, shredded into slaw or braised with apples.
Squash & Gourds That Start With M
Marrows, pumpkins and squash that begin with M.
Marrow
A large, mature zucchini-type squash with mild, watery flesh that softens when stuffed with mince and baked or made into chutney.
Marina di Chioggia
A warty, blue-green Italian squash with dense, sweet, dry orange flesh, roasted or used to fill tortelli di zucca.
Mandan Squash
A Native American heirloom from North Dakota, cream with green stripes, with sweet, tender flesh, eaten young as summer squash or baked when mature.
Mexican Gray Squash
Calabacita, a pale green summer squash with tender, creamy flesh and a mild, sweet taste, sautéed with corn, tomato and onion.
Magda Squash
A pale green, Middle Eastern-type summer squash with thin skin and nutty, tender flesh, stuffed and baked or sautéed.
Musquee de Provence
A ribbed, tan-orange French pumpkin with thick, sweet, creamy flesh, roasted, puréed into soup or baked into pies.
Moqua
Fuzzy melon, a hairy green gourd with soft, juicy flesh and a mild, cucumber-like taste, peeled and stir-fried or simmered in soup.
Mouse Melon
Also called cucamelon or Mexican sour gherkin, grape-sized fruits with a crunchy texture and cucumber-and-lime taste, eaten raw or pickled.
Legumes & Pods That Start With M
Peas, beans, pods and lentils starting with M.
Mangetout
Snow peas, flat, tender pods with tiny peas, a crisp, juicy texture and sweet, fresh flavor, stir-fried or eaten raw.
Mung Beans
Small green beans with a sweet, nutty taste and soft, creamy texture when cooked, made into dal, soups and the familiar bean sprouts.
Moth Beans
Tiny brown beans from India with a nutty, earthy flavor and firm texture, sprouted and cooked into usal, misal and curries.
Mammoth Melting Sugar Pea
A tall heirloom snow pea with large, flat, tender pods and a sweet, fresh flavor, eaten raw or stir-fried.
Marrowfat Peas
Large, mature dried peas with a starchy, floury texture and earthy flavor, soaked and simmered into British mushy peas.
Masoor
Red lentils that cook quickly into a soft, creamy purée with a mild, earthy-sweet taste, the base of masoor dal and lentil soups.
Mayocoba Beans
Pale yellow Mexican beans with a buttery, mild flavor and creamy texture, cooked into refried beans, soups and stews.
Molasses Face Bean
An heirloom white bean with a dark brown splash, a creamy texture and rich, sweet flavor, baked with molasses or simmered.
Mogette
A white bean from the Vendée in France with thin skin, a creamy, melting texture and mild flavor, served with ham or on toast.
Mascotte Bean
A compact bush bean with slender, stringless pods, a crisp snap and sweet, fresh flavor, steamed or sautéed.
Fruiting Vegetables That Start With M
Corn, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers, all cooked as vegetables.
Maize
Corn, the world's most widely grown grain crop, with sweet, juicy kernels when fresh and a starchy, nutty taste when dried, boiled, grilled or ground.
Mandan Bride Corn
A multicolored Native American flour corn with soft kernels and a sweet, nutty flavor, ground for cornbread or eaten fresh.
Mirai Corn
A super-sweet sweet corn with tender, juicy kernels and a creamy, sugary flavor, boiled, grilled or eaten raw off the cob.
Mirasol Pepper
A Mexican chile that grows pointing upward, with a fruity, tangy flavor and medium heat, dried as the guajillo for salsas and stews.
Mulato Pepper
A dried, dark brown poblano with a sweet, chocolate-and-licorice flavor and mild heat, rehydrated for mole poblano.
Manzano Pepper
A round, apple-like chile with black seeds, thick, juicy flesh and a fruity, hot flavor, used fresh in salsas or stuffed.
Mad Hatter Pepper
A three-sided, bonnet-shaped pepper with crisp walls and a sweet, floral taste with only a hint of heat, eaten raw or pickled.
Marconi Pepper
A long Italian sweet pepper with thick, crisp walls and a smoky-sweet flavor, roasted, grilled or fried with sausages.
Melrose Pepper
A Chicago Italian heirloom frying pepper with thin, tender walls and a sweet, rich flavor, fried in olive oil.
Mini Sweet Peppers
Small red, orange and yellow peppers with crunchy, juicy flesh and a very sweet taste, eaten raw, stuffed or roasted whole.
Mortgage Lifter Tomato
A pink beefsteak heirloom from West Virginia with meaty, juicy flesh and a sweet, mild flavor, sliced for sandwiches.
Marmande Tomato
A ribbed French heirloom with juicy, fleshy texture and a rich, sweet-acid flavor, sliced raw or stuffed and baked as tomates farcies.
Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato
A tiny red currant-type tomato from Mexico with thin skin, juicy flesh and an intensely sweet flavor, eaten raw or roasted.
Moneymaker Tomato
A classic British red tomato with smooth, juicy flesh and a mild, balanced flavor, sliced into salads or cooked into sauces.
Mr. Stripey Tomato
A red-and-yellow striped beefsteak with soft, juicy flesh and a mild, sweet, low-acid flavor, sliced raw for salads.
Moneymaker Eggplant
An early, dark purple eggplant with tender skin and creamy, mild flesh, grilled, fried, roasted or cooked into moussaka.
Marketmore Cucumber
A dark green slicing cucumber with crisp, juicy flesh and a clean, mild taste, eaten raw in salads and sandwiches.
Muncher Cucumber
A burpless, thin-skinned cucumber with crunchy, juicy flesh and a sweet, never-bitter taste, eaten raw or pickled.
Stalks, Shoots & Flowers That Start With M
Spears, stalks and buds cooked as vegetables.
Mary Washington Asparagus
A classic American asparagus variety with thick green spears and a sweet, grassy flavor, roasted, grilled or steamed.
Monk's Beard
Barba di frate or agretti, thin, succulent strands with a crisp bite and salty, grassy taste, blanched and dressed with lemon and oil.
Myoga
Japanese ginger buds with a crisp, layered texture and a mild, gingery, floral flavor, sliced raw over tofu and noodles or pickled.
Sea Vegetables That Start With M
Seaweeds and coastal plants eaten as vegetables.
Mozuku
A thin, brown Okinawan seaweed with a slippery, slightly crunchy texture and mild, briny taste, served in a tangy vinegar dressing.
Mekabu
The frilly flowering part of the wakame seaweed, with a slimy, crunchy texture and savory, ocean flavor, eaten with soy and vinegar.
Matsumo
A Japanese brown seaweed with fine, branching fronds, a crisp texture and rich, briny flavor, toasted or added to soups.
Marsh Samphire
Glasswort, a coastal succulent with crunchy, juicy stems and a salty, fresh flavor, blanched briefly and served with butter and fish.
Mushrooms & Fungi That Start With M
Mushrooms are fungi rather than plants, but they are cooked as culinary vegetables. Only eat wild mushrooms identified by an expert.
Mushrooms
Button, cremini and portobello mushrooms have a meaty texture and savory, earthy flavor, sautéed, roasted, grilled or stuffed.
Get the recipe →Morels
Honeycomb-capped spring mushrooms with a nutty, earthy flavor and spongy, meaty texture, always cooked, classically in butter or cream.
Maitake
Hen of the woods, a frilly, clustered mushroom with a rich, woodsy flavor and tender-crisp edges when roasted or pan-seared.
Matsutake
A prized Japanese pine mushroom with a spicy, cinnamon-like aroma and firm, meaty texture, grilled or steamed with rice.
Meadow Mushroom
A wild cousin of the button mushroom with tender white caps and a rich, earthy taste, fried in butter or made into soup.
Mu Er
Chinese wood ear fungus with a crunchy, jelly-like texture and very mild taste, rehydrated for hot and sour soup and salads.
Monkey Head Mushroom
Another name for lion's mane, a shaggy white mushroom with a tender, crab-like texture and mild, sweet taste, seared in butter.
Herbs Used as Vegetables That Start With M
Aromatic leaves cooked by the bunch.
Methi
Fresh fenugreek leaves with a bitter, maple-like aroma and tender texture, cooked with potatoes as aloo methi or kneaded into thepla.
Mitsuba
Japanese wild parsley with long stems and three-part leaves, a crisp-tender texture and celery-like taste, added to soups and custards.
Mugwort
Young mugwort leaves, called ssuk in Korea and yomogi in Japan, with a bitter, sage-like aroma and soft texture, cooked into soup and rice cakes.
Moringa Leaves
Small, tender leaves of the moringa tree with a slightly bitter, peppery, spinach-like taste, cooked into dals, soups and stir-fries.
Rare & International Vegetables That Start With M
Less familiar vegetables from kitchens around the world.
Matoke
Green cooking bananas from Uganda with a starchy, potato-like texture and mild taste, steamed in banana leaves and mashed.
Morning Glory
Water spinach, hollow-stemmed greens with a crunchy texture and mild, sweet flavor, stir-fried fast with garlic and chili in Thailand.
Moranga
The Brazilian name for pumpkin, with dense, sweet orange flesh that softens when cooked, famously used to serve camarão na moranga.
Did You Know?
- Mushrooms are fungi, not plants, yet they are sold and cooked as vegetables; their cell walls contain chitin, the same material found in insect shells.
- Malabar spinach is not a true spinach but a tropical vine, Basella alba, that thrives in summer heat when real spinach bolts.
- Mangetout is French for eat-all, because the whole flat pod of the snow pea is eaten, not just the peas inside.
- Maca has been grown for at least 2,000 years in the high Andes of Peru, where it survives at altitudes above 13,000 feet.
Quick List: All 108 Vegetables That Start With M
Handy for alphabet games, quizzes and Scattergories. The full list, A to Z:
Maca Root, Mache, Mad Hatter Pepper, Magda Squash, Magenta Lettuce, Magenta Spreen, Magic Molly Potato, Maitake, Maize, Malabar Spinach, Malanga, Mallow, Mammoth Melting Sugar Pea, Mammoth Red Mangel, Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage, Mandan Bride Corn, Mandan Squash, Mangetout, Manioc, Manoa Lettuce, Manzano Pepper, Marabel Potato, Marathon Broccoli, Marconi Pepper, Marina di Chioggia, Maris Peer Potato, Maris Piper Potato, Marketmore Cucumber, Marmande Tomato, Marrow, Marrowfat Peas, Marsh Samphire, Mary Washington Asparagus, Mascotte Bean, Mashua, Masoor, Matador Spinach, Matoke, Matsumo, Matsutake, Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato, Maui Onion, Mauka, Mayocoba Beans, Meadow Mushroom, Mei Qing Choi, Mekabu, Melody Potato, Melrose Pepper, Merida Carrot, Merlot Lettuce, Mesclun, Metechi Garlic, Methi, Mexican Gray Squash, Mexican Yam Bean, Mibuna, Michihili Cabbage, Microgreens, Mignonette Lettuce, Miner's Lettuce, Mini Sweet Peppers, Minowase Daikon, Mirai Corn, Mirasol Pepper, Misato Rose Radish, Mitsuba, Mizuna Greens, Mogette, Mokum Carrot, Molasses Face Bean, Molokhia, Moneymaker Eggplant, Moneymaker Tomato, Monk's Beard, Monkey Head Mushroom, Monstrueux de Carentan Leek, Monstrueux de Viroflay Spinach, Mooli, Moqua, Moranga, Morels, Moringa Leaves, Morning Glory, Morris Heading Collards, Mortgage Lifter Tomato, Moth Beans, Mountain Rose Potato, Mountain Sorrel, Mountain Spinach, Mountain Yam, Mouse Melon, Mozuku, Mr. Stripey Tomato, Mu Er, Mugwort, Muir Lettuce, Mulato Pepper, Muncher Cucumber, Mung Beans, Munich Bier Radish, Mushrooms, Music Garlic, Musquee de Provence, Musselburgh Leek, Mustard Greens, Mustard Spinach, Myoga
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegetable starts with M?
Mushrooms are the most common vegetable that starts with M, although they are technically fungi. Maize, mustard greens, mangetout, marrow, mizuna, mache, Malabar spinach and mung beans are other popular M vegetables.
What green vegetables start with M?
Green vegetables that start with M include mustard greens, mizuna, mache, mangetout, Malabar spinach, miner's lettuce, mallow, molokhia, methi, moringa leaves, microgreens, marrow and Marketmore cucumbers.
Are mushrooms vegetables?
Botanically, mushrooms are fungi, not plants. In the kitchen and in nutrition guides they are treated as vegetables because they are savory and cooked like them, so they are included on this list in their own labelled group.
What is the difference between marrow and zucchini?
Marrow and zucchini are the same species. Zucchini, or courgettes, are picked young and tender, while marrows are left to grow large, with thicker skin and milder, more watery flesh that suits stuffing and baking.
What are some rare vegetables that start with M?
Rare vegetables that start with M include mashua, mauka and maca from the Andes, mozuku and mekabu seaweeds from Japan, myoga ginger buds, molokhia, mitsuba and matoke, the green cooking bananas of Uganda.
More vegetables by letter:
