13 Best Vegetables That Start With L

Lettuce is a widely cultivated leafy vegetable of Mediterranean origin. Most varieties showcase a rosette of leaves growing from a central stem.

The color and shape of the leaves vary depending on the variety, ranging from light green to deep red and from smooth to frilly edges. Some common varieties include iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, butterhead lettuce, and loose-leaf lettuce.

Texture-wise, iceberg lettuce is crunchy and holds up well in salads, while romaine lettuce has a more substantial bite. Butterhead lettuce boasts a soft and velvety texture, and loose-leaf lettuce offers a delicate and tender mouthfeel.

Lettuce has a mild and refreshing flavor that is often described as slightly grassy and subtly bitter. Its neutral taste serves as an ideal canvas for various dressings, sauces, and toppings.

In Western cuisine, lettuce forms the foundation of salads. Iceberg lettuce is a classic choice for Caesar salads, while romaine lettuce shines in Greek salads.

Many Asian dishes use lettuce leaves as wrappers for ingredients in various dishes. In Mediterranean cooking, lettuce is used in sandwiches, wraps, and as a topping for pizzas.

Leek is a versatile vegetable with edible leaf sheaths. It features long, cylindrical stems that resemble oversized green onions.

The edible parts of leeks extend from the white base to the light green and dark green parts. The white base is tender when cooked, while the light green portion is slightly tougher.

Leeks boast a milder flavor than common onions, with a subtle sweetness that becomes more pronounced upon cooking. This vegetable is a common ingredient for many classic European soups and broths.

Asian cuisines use leeks in stir-fries and noodle dishes. Mediterranean countries add leeks to frittatas, pies, and various savory tarts.

Interestingly, leeks are one of the national emblems of Wales and are extensively used in the country’s national dish: the Welsh cawl.

Legume encompasses various types of edible seeds inside the pods of many plants in the pea family, including chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, soybeans, peanuts, and more.

Legumes are packed with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and minerals like copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Almost all cooking techniques are applicable to legumes, which are also an excellent meat substitute for vegans and vegetarians.

Lentil is a legume with a small size and a flat, disc-like shape. Popular lentil colors include brown, green, black, red, and yellow.

Some types of lentils remain firm and slightly chewy after being cooked, while others become soft and creamy. Most lentil varieties boast a mild, earthy flavor with nutty undertones.

In the Mediterranean and the Middle East, which is the birthplace of lentils, this legume appears in various soups, stews, salads, and spreads.

Indian cuisine relies heavily on lentils, especially in making stews to serve with flatbread. Generally, lentils are an ideal meat and wheat starch substitute for making burgers, patties, and even pasta.

Lady’s finger, also known as okra or bhindi, is a green vegetable that has its origins in Africa. Though technically a fruit, it is often utilized as a vegetable.

A typical lady’s finger has a slender and elongated shape like the fingers of a lady, hence the name. The outer surface is slightly ridged and vibrant green, while the interior is filled with tiny white seeds.

Cooked ladies’ fingers are distinctively slimy, so using proper cooking techniques is necessary. Their flavor is mild and slightly grassy, with a subtle hint of bitterness.

Ladies’ fingers are widely used in Indian cuisines, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean stews, and African (especially West African) soups and stews.

In Caribbean and Southern US cuisine, ladies’ fingers appear in many dishes thanks to their thickening and flavoring properties.

Lima bean is a legume that originated in the Americas. Its alternative names are butter bean, sieva bean, Madagascar bean, and double bean.

Lima beans are characterized by their kidney-shaped seeds that are pale green or cream. Baby lima beans are smaller and more tender, while larger lima beans have a denser texture.

The outer pod of lima beans is discarded to reveal the edible seeds inside, which are mildly sweet, nutty, and buttery.

Many countries around the world, from Southern America to West Africa, use lima beans in their cooking. Popular ways of cooking lima beans are stewing, baking, simmering, cooking in curries, and boiling to add to salads.

Lotus root is a unique and versatile vegetable that has long been a staple in Asian cuisines. It comes from the rhizome (underground plant stem) of the lotus plant that grows in muddy environments.

A normal lotus root has a cylindrical shape and a series of holes that run through its cross-section, giving a honeycomb-like appearance.

Texture-wise, lotus roots are as crunchy as celery stems and slightly starchy. Their taste is mild and slightly sweet, with a hint of earthiness.

In many parts of Asia, people use lotus roots in both sweet and savory dishes, such as stir-fries, soups, hot pots, and stews. Japanese cuisine even includes this vegetable in crispy tempura.

Meanwhile, Indians use lotus root in curries and vegetable dishes, where its mild flavor absorbs the spices and seasonings of the dish.

Lotus roots are gaining popularity in Western culinary scenes, where they appear in salads, chips, and even in innovative dishes like lotus root purees.

Lemongrass is a fragrant and aromatic herb of Southeast Asian countries. It is particularly famous in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

Lemongrass goes by many other names in English, such as citronella grass, barbed wire grass, fever grass, and silky heads. The vegetable’s common name suggests its bright and citrusy aroma, with lemony and herbal notes.

The pale green stalks of lemongrass are long, fibrous, and taper towards the bottom. Their tough outer layers need to be removed before use, while the inner part is more tender and flavorful.

People use lemongrass to infuse dishes with flavors rather than eat it directly. Its culinary uses include stews, curries, noodle soups, salads, grilled dishes, marinades, and pastes.

Lemongrass has also found its way into global cuisines. For instance, in Caribbean and Latin American cuisines, lemongrass is featured in marinades and sauces for grilled meats and seafood.

Lupini bean, or lupin bean, is a small, oval-shaped legume that ranges in color from yellow to white. Originating from the Middle East, it has been enjoyed in various cuisines for centuries.

There are two main categories of lupini beans: bitter and sweet varieties. The former has a higher alkaloid content and requires soaking and boiling to remove its bitterness.

The exterior of lupini beans is thick and may have a slightly wrinkled texture. Cooked lupini beans are tender yet still offer a satisfying bite and a sweet, nutty taste.

In several Mediterranean and Latin American countries, lupini beans are often soaked, brined, and seasoned to serve as a popular snack or appetizer. This dish is popular in bars and restaurants.

But the main culinary application of lupini beans is to add them to salads, stews, and soups.

Lakota squash is a versatile vegetable that traces its origin to the indigenous peoples of North America. It belongs to the fruit vegetable category.

With a shape reminiscent of a squat pear, lakota squash exhibits deep reddish-orange skin with dark green streaks extending from the bottom. The interior flesh is dense and vibrant orange.

Lakota squash has a fine-grained texture, which becomes silky and tender when cooked. The flavor profile of lakota squash is subtly sweet with nutty undertones.

In North American and European cooking, lakota squash is often roasted to bring out its natural sweetness and used as a side dish or a base for hearty soups. Many people also use the squash in purees and sauces.

Many Asian curries, stir-fries, soups, sauces, and even desserts feature the smooth consistency of cooked lakota squash.

Leaf celery, also known as cutting celery or Chinese celery, is an aromatic leafy vegetable that hails from East Asia. It showcases green leaves that resemble flat-leaf parsley but are darker.

The leaves of this aromatic vegetable are crisp and tender. Their flavors are intensely earthy and grassy, with strong celery notes and a hint of parsley-like freshness.

Chinese people usually stir-fry leaf celery, while Mediterranean cooking uses this aromatic vegetable in various soups, stews, and sauces.

In Middle Eastern and North African cuisines, leaf celery is a staple in salads, herb blends, and marinades. Many European dishes employ leaf celery as an essential component in stocks, broths, and seasoning mixes.

Luffa gourd, also known as sponge gourd or rag gourd, is a fruit vegetable hailing from the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia.

Depending on the variety, luffa gourd varies from a few inches to over a foot in length. Its skin is either smooth or ridged and is green when young yet turns yellow or brown in later stages.

Inside, the luffa gourd contains a spongy, fibrous texture that results in its alternative names. Young luffa gourds are mild and slightly sweet yet become more fibrous and less palatable.

In Chinese, Indian, and Southeast Asian cooking traditions, luffa gourds form the base of many stir-fries, curries, soups, and stews. The young gourds are sliced and added to the broth.

Beyond culinary uses, many people use the fibrous inside of luffa gourds as a natural scrubbing sponge for bathing and cleaning.

Lamb’s quarters is a leafy vegetable that originated in North America. Its alternative names are lambsquarters, goosefoot, and pigweed.

Despite its reputation to some as a weed, lamb’s quarters is actually a tasty leafy green. Its earthy flavor is reminiscent of spinach and can be enhanced through both cooking and raw consumption.

Lamb’s quarters falls within the broadleaf category and shares a family with quinoa and amaranth.