Are you looking for names of vegetables that start with E? Well, this post is going to talk about all the vegetables we know of that start with the letter E
These are all very healthy and nutritious for us and provide tons of benefits when we eat these vegetables that start with E. Some are quite unusual and you may never have heard of them.
You can find a full list of Foods that Start with E – Healthy & Beneficial if you would like to see healthy foods that begin with E, beyond just vegetables that begin with E. You can also find the list of Fruits that Start With E.
You can also find them combined together at Fruits and Vegetables That Start With E.
So, let’s get into it!
Vegetables that Start with E
Just a quick note. Some people might think that an Eggplant should be on the list of vegetables that start with E. This is not the case. Eggplants are not vegetables, they are actually fruits! So, eggplant will be included in the list of fruits that start with E, but not in the list of vegetables beginning with E.
Endive
The first on the list of vegetables that start with E is the vegetable Endive.
Endive is a leafy green vegetable with a slightly bitter taste. It originated in Belgium and you see it a lot in salads. Interestingly enough, it’s grown under the soil in dark rooms like mushrooms, in order to preserve its flavor.
Benefits of Endive
- Rich in fiber and supports digestion
- High in several antioxidants including quercetin, myricetin and kaempferol. (All of which I don’t know how to pronounce)
- Rich in Vitamin K. Half a cup gives 72% of your vitamin K needs.
- It May help with bone strength. Vitamin K helps with bone strength.
- Animal studies show endive may protect liver function.
- Great for weight loss since it’s high in fiber and low in calories.
- Prevent cancer. The powerful flavonoid kaempferol has been shown to inhibit cancers. It creates cell death in tumors.
- High in potassium and folate, both of which help with heart health.
- Supports good vision by being high in Vitamin A.
- Supports healthy pregnancy with high folate levels.
How to Eat Endive
The most popular way is to slice it up and add it to salads. They can also be used to hold appetizers, or they can be used with dips. It can also be baked, braised, sautéed, or stir-fried.
Endive Recipe
Here’s an endive recipe for Lemony Seared Endives.
Escarole
Escarole is closely related to endive and is from the same family. That taste is slightly less bitter though. (To learn more about the difference between the two, see Escarole vs. Endive – What’s the Difference?)
Benefits of Escarole
- High in fiber
- High in vitamin A, C, calcium and iron
How to Eat Escarole
You would eat escarole just like endive. Most commonly it would be put into salads.
Enset (Ensete) or Ethiopian Banana
The enset, or ensete ventricosum, is not well known in the Western world. You may never even encounter the enset, unless you are in Ethiopia or another African country. The enset might even make the list of world superfoods in the coming years.
It is a crop that is a staple in the Ethiopian diet but is only found domesticated there. It does grow in other African countries, but it grows wild, only having been domesticated at this time in Ethiopia.
False Banana
It is sometimes called the ‘False Banana‘ since it resembles the banana tree very closely. Unlink the banana though, the fruit is not edible.
The enset is a root vegetable, and the fruit of the tree is actually not edible, since it is full of seeds. It is the starchy root part that is eaten as enset. It is known for being extremely durable against drought, and it also yields more than other cereal crops, acre for acre.
Enset is being called the “Tree against hunger” and DNA is being developed to make it a more domesticated crop. One reason enset is called this is because it can be harvested year-round. The enset is usually made into a porridge or bread to be eaten.
Enset Benefits
- High in potassium, calcium and iron
- High yield of the crop
- Durable against drought
Elephant Foot Yam
The Elephant Foot Yam probably has the most interesting name of all the vegetables that start with e. The Elephant Foot Yam is grown in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, as well as in Africa in Madagascar.
The Elephant Foot Yam is also called Suran or Ol and is found in Indian dishes.
The Elephant Foot Yam is a tuber or root vegetable and it is commonly mashed or fried and added to curries. It can also be fried to make chips.
Also, the Elephant Foot Yam stems and leaves are sometimes fried and eaten as well. In the Philippines, the Elephant Foot Yam is known as pongapong and the leaves and stems are eaten as well.
Elephant Foot Yams can be packed with nutrition. Let’s look at some of the Elephant Foot Yam benefits below.
Elephant Foot Yam Benefits
- Cheap source of carbohydrates. The Elephant Foot Yam is a staple in many cultures and provides a lot of nutrition and a plant-based food at a cheap cost. The Elephant Foot Yam also contains some protein.
- Contains vitamins and minerals
- Provides magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium, phosphorous and selenium
- Provides antioxidants
- High in fiber
- Helps with weight loss due to high fiber content
- Helps with digestive issues such as constipation and cramps. Sometimes Elephant Foot Yam is used in laxatives.
- Very sustainable and grows very easily, even in harsh conditions
- Reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) due to phytosterols and is a heart-healthy food
- Raises good cholesterol levels
- Helps with hormones in females. Boosts estrogen production and contains B6 to help with menopause.
- Reduces blood pressure and hypertension
- Helps blood flow by reducing vein blockage
- Anti-coagulant and may help prevent heart attacks and stroke
- Increases red blood cell production
- Improves the immune system
- Reduces inflammation
- Anti-aging
- Detoxifies the body including the liver, stomach and intestines.
- Used in India to treat tumors, arthritis, fatigue and more.
- Helps with memory
- High fiber content helps to prevent colon cancer
- Good for the skin. The antioxidants help to promote skin health.
- Used in the treatment of hemorrhoids due to helping with constipation.
- Anti-bacterial
- Elephant Foot Yam seeds can be crushed to relieve toothache.
It’s also great that these vegetables in India are also used as a meat substitute. This is great since a Plant-based diet is the healthiest way to eat.
You can find more about the Elephant Foot Yam in these related posts:
Earthnut Pea
On the list of vegetables that start with E is one that is very uncommon. The Earthnut Pea (Lathyrus tuberosus), also called the Tuberous Pea, was more popular as a tuber in ancient times.
It is not very common but is found today in Middle Europe. Also, it may be consumed still in Turkey as well. They are said to taste fantastic when boiled.
Earthnut Pea Benefits
- High in Vitamin C
- High in Calcium
Elephant Garlic
Elephant Garlic is a vegetable that starts with E, is in the onion family and is usually confused with regular garlic.
But the reason it’s called Elephant Garlic is it is much bigger than regular garlic. Also, Elephant Garlic does not have as strong of a flavor as regular garlic and is easier for most to eat raw.
It has a sweeter flavor that is more closely related to the onion, which is why it can be eaten raw.
Elephant Garlic contains allicin, which makes regular garlic so health beneficial. It also contains some sulfur compounds which are found in onions and leeks but are not found in regular garlic. Because of this, Elephant Garlic is actually more closely related to onions than to garlic.
Elephant Garlic Benefits
- It may have anticancer properties Study
- Contains vitamins A, B, C, and E
- Contains allicin which has antioxidant and antibacterial properties
- Contains flavonoids
- Has minerals
- Effective against colds, flu, Candida yeast and stomach viruses
- Allicin lowers blood pressure
- Also lowers triglycerides and insulin levels
- Protects against colon cancer
Vegetables Lists A-Z
- Vegetables List A-Z in Alphabetical Order
- Vegetables that Start with A
- Vegetables that Start with B
- Vegetables that Start with C
- Vegetables that Start with D
- Vegetables that Start with E
- Vegetables that Start with F
- Vegetables that Start with G
- Vegetables that Start with I
- Vegetables that Start with M
- Vegetables that Start with R
- Vegetables that Start with X
- Vegetables that Start with Y
- Vegetables that Start with Z
- Vegetables Lists A-Z
- 100 Vegetable Names (Most Common in the World)
Final Thoughts
We’ve listed six different vegetables that start with E, most of which you may never have heard of. Are there any more missing? Let us know!
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Lance has been passionate about the plant-based diet and we have been following a whole food plant-based diet for over 5 years. We focus on health, natural healing, weight management, animal rights, and the health of the planet and environment by focusing on whole plant-based foods and sustainable practices.
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