Trying to find vegetables that start with V? It is a surprisingly short but interesting list. Some are everyday supermarket staples under a slightly different name, while others are specific varieties, heritage crops, leafy greens, herbs or vegetables used more commonly in other cuisines.

This guide keeps things practical for UK cooks. You will find what each V vegetable is, how to use it, how to store it and where it may help you save money in the kitchen.

Vegetables That Start With V: Quick List

Here is a handy list of vegetables beginning with V, including common names, varieties and culinary vegetables.

1. Vegetable Marrow

Vegetable marrow is one of the most recognisable V vegetables in the UK, especially if you grow your own. It is closely related to courgette, but it is usually harvested later, when it has become larger with a firmer skin and softer flesh.

Marrows can be bland on their own, which is not a bad thing. They soak up flavours beautifully and are cheap, filling and useful for bulk cooking.

How to use vegetable marrow

• Halve it, scoop out the middle and stuff with mince, lentils, rice or beans.
• Dice it into vegetable soup or curry.
• Roast chunks with garlic, paprika and oil.
• Grate into fritters with egg, flour and spring onion.
• Use in marrow chutney when you have a glut.

Money-saving tip

If you know someone with an allotment, late-summer marrows are often offered around for free. They are ideal for batch cooking because one large marrow can stretch several meals.

2. Vine Tomato

Vine tomatoes are tomatoes sold still attached to their vine. Botanically, tomatoes are fruit, but in the kitchen they are treated as vegetables, so they earn a place on this alphabet foods list.

They tend to have a good aroma and are useful in both raw and cooked dishes. You will find them in most UK supermarkets, often beside cherry tomatoes, salad tomatoes and plum tomatoes.

Best ways to eat vine tomatoes

• Slice into sandwiches with cheese, tuna or egg mayo.
• Roast with olive oil and garlic for pasta sauce.
• Add to salads with cucumber and red onion.
• Cook down into soup with leftover peppers and carrots.
• Use in a budget shakshuka-style dish with eggs.

Storage tip

Keep tomatoes at room temperature if you plan to eat them soon, as chilling can dull their flavour. If they are becoming overripe, cook them into sauce and freeze in portions.

3. Vidalia Onion

Vidalia onions are sweet onions grown in a specific region of Georgia in the United States. They are not as common in UK shops as standard brown onions, red onions or shallots, but you may spot them in specialist greengrocers or online.

Their mild sweetness makes them lovely raw, especially if you find ordinary onions too harsh.

How to use Vidalia onions

• Finely slice into burgers, wraps and salads.
• Caramelise slowly for hot dogs or cheese toasties.
• Make baked onions with butter, herbs and breadcrumbs.
• Use in salsa with tomatoes, lime and coriander.

Budget swap

If Vidalia onions are too pricey, use regular sweet onions, white onions or red onions. Soaking sliced onion in cold water for 10 minutes can mellow the flavour for salads.

4. Vitelotte Potato

Vitelotte potatoes, sometimes called Vitelotte noire, are small purple potatoes with striking violet flesh. They are a heritage variety and can be more expensive than standard potatoes, but they make a dish look special.

The flavour is slightly nutty, and the texture is often waxy enough for boiling or roasting.

Cooking ideas for Vitelotte potatoes

• Boil and serve in a potato salad.
• Roast whole with rosemary and sea salt.
• Mash with butter for a purple side dish.
• Use in a mixed tray bake with carrots and parsnips.

Food safety tip

As with all potatoes, avoid eating green parts or sprouted sections. Cut away small sprouts and green patches generously, or discard potatoes that are badly green, soft or spoiled.

5. Vivaldi Potato

Vivaldi potatoes are a popular potato variety known for a creamy texture. They are often sold as a versatile potato suitable for boiling, baking and roasting.

If you want one bag of potatoes that can cover several meals, Vivaldi is a useful choice when it is on offer.

Best uses for Vivaldi potatoes

• Jacket potatoes with beans, cheese or tuna.
• Homemade wedges with paprika.
• Simple mash for sausages or lentil stew.
• Boiled potatoes with parsley and butter.

6. Valor Potato

Valor is another potato variety, usually grown as a maincrop potato. It is not always labelled clearly in supermarkets, but it may appear through farm shops, seed potato suppliers or seasonal growers.

It is generally considered a good all-rounder, which means it can be useful for families who want dependable, filling meals without buying multiple types of potato.

7. Verona Radicchio

Verona radicchio, or Radicchio di Verona, is a red chicory from Italy. It has deep burgundy leaves and a bitter edge. That bitterness can be a shock if you are expecting lettuce, but it works beautifully with salty, sweet or rich ingredients.

How to serve Verona radicchio

• Shred into salads with orange, walnuts and cheese.
• Grill wedges and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
• Stir into risotto near the end of cooking.
• Use in warm salads with bacon or roasted squash.

Budget note

Radicchio can be expensive compared with cabbage or lettuce. To make it go further, mix it with cheaper leaves such as iceberg, little gem, spinach or shredded white cabbage.

8. Viroflay Spinach

Viroflay spinach, also known as Monstrueux de Viroflay, is a large-leaf spinach variety. It grows quickly and produces broad, tender leaves, making it popular with gardeners.

Spinach shrinks dramatically when cooked, so if you are buying it fresh, use it in dishes where a little goes a long way.

Cheap meal ideas with spinach

• Stir into lentil dhal just before serving.
• Add to pasta with garlic, cream cheese and black pepper.
• Use in omelettes or frittatas.
• Mix into soup for extra greens.
• Wilt into chickpea curry.

Storage tip

Keep spinach dry in the fridge and use it quickly. If it is starting to wilt but is still safe and fresh-smelling, cook it rather than serving it raw.

9. Vates Kale

Vates kale is a curly kale variety. Kale is hardy, nutritious and useful in winter cooking. It can have a firm texture, so it benefits from chopping finely or cooking until tender.

How to cook Vates kale

• Sauté with garlic and a splash of lemon juice.
• Add to minestrone, bean soup or sausage stew.
• Bake into kale crisps with oil and salt.
• Stir into bubble and squeak.
• Use in pesto with nuts, oil and hard cheese.

For softer raw kale salads, rub the chopped leaves with a little oil and lemon juice before adding the rest of your ingredients.

10. Vates Collards

Vates collards are a variety of collard greens. Collards are related to cabbage and kale, with large green leaves that stand up well to longer cooking.

They are not as common in UK supermarkets as spring greens, but spring greens make a good substitute. Collards are excellent in slow-cooked dishes with beans, smoked meat, chilli or garlic.

11. Violetta Artichoke

Violetta artichoke refers to purple artichoke varieties, including types such as Violetta di Chioggia. Artichokes are the edible flower buds of a thistle plant, usually steamed or boiled before eating.

How to eat artichokes

• Steam whole and dip the leaves in garlic butter or vinaigrette.
• Use jarred artichoke hearts in pasta and salads.
• Add to pizzas with olives and peppers.
• Blend into dips with lemon and cream cheese.

Fresh artichokes can be fiddly, so jarred or frozen artichoke hearts are often better value if you only need a small amount.

12. Violetta Aubergine

Violetta aubergine is a name used for purple aubergine varieties, including Italian types such as Violetta di Firenze. Aubergines are another botanical fruit used as a vegetable in everyday cooking.

They are brilliant for budget meals because their soft texture works well in meat-free dishes.

Easy aubergine ideas

• Roast cubes for pasta sauce.
• Make aubergine curry with tinned tomatoes and chickpeas.
• Layer into a vegetable bake.
• Grill slices for wraps and sandwiches.
• Use in ratatouille with courgettes and peppers.

13. Valerianella

Valerianella locusta is the botanical name for lamb’s lettuce, also known as corn salad. Although most people would not call it Valerianella in the supermarket, it is a genuine V entry.

The leaves are small, soft and mild. They are best eaten raw or added to warm dishes right at the end.

Ways to use lamb’s lettuce

• Add to cheese sandwiches.
• Serve with boiled eggs and new potatoes.
• Use as a base for leftover roast veg salad.
• Top soups just before serving.

14. Vigna Beans

Vigna is a plant genus that includes several edible beans and peas, such as cowpeas, mung beans, adzuki beans and yardlong beans. You may not see the word Vigna on a packet, but many of these are important vegetables and pulses around the world.

Examples of Vigna vegetables

• Cowpeas – often cooked in stews, curries and rice dishes.
• Yardlong beans – long green pods used in stir-fries.
• Mung beans – used whole, split, sprouted or in dals.
• Adzuki beans – small red beans used in savoury and sweet dishes.

Money-saving tip

Dried beans are usually cheaper per portion than tinned beans, though they take longer to prepare. Follow packet instructions for soaking and cooking. If using tinned beans, rinse and drain them to reduce excess salt from the liquid.

15. Vegetable Fern

Vegetable fern is an edible fern, often associated with South and South East Asian cooking. The young shoots are eaten as a green vegetable in stir-fries, soups and coconut-based dishes.

It is not a common UK supermarket vegetable, but it may appear in specialist Asian food shops or local markets. As with foraged or unfamiliar plants, only eat it if it has been sold as food by a reliable supplier.

16. Vine Leaves

Vine leaves are grape leaves used as a vegetable wrap, most famously for stuffed vine leaves. They are common in Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern and Balkan cooking.

You can buy them preserved in jars or vacuum packs. They are often stuffed with rice, herbs, onion, lemon and sometimes minced meat.

How to use vine leaves

• Make stuffed vine leaves with rice and herbs.
• Chop into grain salads for a tangy flavour.
• Use as a wrap for small parcels of leftovers.

If using preserved vine leaves, they can be salty, so rinse them before filling.

17. Vietnamese Coriander

Vietnamese coriander, also called Vietnamese mint or rau ram, is a leafy herb with a peppery, citrusy flavour. It is technically a herb, but like many leafy herbs, it is used generously in salads, soups and noodle bowls.

Good uses for Vietnamese coriander

• Scatter over noodle soups.
• Add to chicken or tofu salads.
• Use in rice paper rolls.
• Mix into chopped cucumber salads.

If you cannot find it, try coriander, mint or Thai basil, depending on the dish. The flavour will not be identical, but the meal will still be fresh and fragrant.

18. Victoria Rhubarb

Victoria rhubarb is an old and well-known rhubarb variety. Rhubarb is usually treated like fruit in crumbles and compotes, but the edible part is the stalk of a vegetable plant.

Its sharpness makes it useful in both sweet and savoury recipes. It pairs well with ginger, orange, apple, pork and oily fish.

Important safety note

Only eat rhubarb stalks. Rhubarb leaves should not be eaten.

Cheap rhubarb ideas

• Stew with a little sugar and serve with yoghurt or porridge.
• Make rhubarb crumble with oats in the topping.
• Cook into chutney for cheese sandwiches.
• Freeze chopped rhubarb for later baking.

19. Velvet Bean

Velvet bean, or Mucuna pruriens, is a tropical legume grown in parts of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. In some traditional cuisines, the beans are processed and cooked as food.

This is not a casual UK kitchen ingredient. Raw or incorrectly prepared velvet beans are not suitable to eat, and the plant has irritating hairs on the pods. Only use velvet bean as food if it comes from a trusted food supplier and you have clear preparation instructions for that specific product.

20. Vertus Cabbage

Vertus cabbage is an old European cabbage variety, sometimes associated with winter or savoy-type cabbages. You are more likely to see modern cabbages in UK shops, but gardeners and heritage seed suppliers may recognise the name.

Use it as you would other cabbages: shredded into soups, braised with onion, boiled briefly as a side, or added to stir-fries.

Best Budget Vegetables Beginning With V

Some V vegetables are specialist items, so they are not always the cheapest. If you are shopping on a budget, these are the most useful options to look for.

• Vegetable marrow – very cheap when in season, especially from gardens and allotments.
• Vine tomatoes – good value when reduced for quick sale; cook and freeze if soft.
• Vivaldi or Valor potatoes – filling, versatile and suitable for family meals.
• Viroflay spinach – best value if grown from seed or bought loose when seasonal.
• Vates kale – hardy, filling and useful in soups and stews.
• Vigna beans – dried beans and pulses can make very low-cost meals.
• Victoria rhubarb – excellent value if home-grown or bought during the UK season.

How to Save Money on V Vegetables

Buy seasonal where possible

Marrows, tomatoes, spinach, kale and rhubarb all tend to be better value when they are in season. Seasonal veg is often fresher, cheaper and more likely to appear in reduced sections.

Use the reduced shelf wisely

Soft tomatoes, slightly tired spinach and discounted potatoes can still be useful if they are not mouldy, slimy or spoiled. Cook them promptly. Tomatoes can become sauce, spinach can go into curry, and potatoes can be parboiled and frozen for roasties.

Grow the easy ones

If you have a garden, allotment or large pots, spinach, kale, tomatoes and rhubarb are realistic options. Marrows and courgettes need more space, but they can produce a lot of food from one plant.

Swap specialist varieties

You do not need Vitelotte potatoes or Vidalia onions for most recipes. Use ordinary potatoes, sweet onions, red onions, cabbage or spinach if that is what you already have. Alphabet cooking should be fun, not expensive.

FAQs About Vegetables That Start With V

What is a common vegetable that starts with V?

Vegetable marrow is one of the most common vegetables that starts with V in the UK. Vine tomatoes are also easy to find, although tomatoes are botanically fruit and used as vegetables in cooking.

Are there many vegetables beginning with V?

There are fewer vegetables beginning with V than with letters such as C, P or S. Many V entries are specific varieties, such as Vivaldi potatoes, Viroflay spinach, Vates kale and Violetta aubergine.

Is vine tomato a vegetable?

Botanically, a tomato is a fruit. In cooking, it is treated as a vegetable because it is used in savoury dishes, salads, sauces and soups.

What V vegetables are good for cheap meals?

Vegetable marrow, vine tomatoes, Vivaldi potatoes, kale, spinach and Vigna beans are all useful for budget cooking. They can be used in soups, stews, curries, pasta dishes and tray bakes.

What vegetable starting with V can I grow in the UK?

You can grow vegetable marrow, vine tomatoes, Viroflay spinach, Vates kale, Vates collards and Victoria rhubarb in the UK. Success depends on your space, soil, weather and the variety you choose.

Is rhubarb a vegetable?

Yes, rhubarb is a vegetable plant, although it is usually cooked like fruit. Only the stalks are eaten. The leaves should not be eaten.

What is the most unusual vegetable beginning with V?

Vegetable fern and velvet bean are among the more unusual V vegetables from a UK perspective. They are used in some traditional cuisines but are not everyday British supermarket ingredients.

Can I use normal vegetables instead of V varieties?

Yes. Most V vegetables have easy substitutes. Use ordinary potatoes instead of Vitelotte or Vivaldi, standard onions instead of Vidalia, regular spinach instead of Viroflay, and common cabbage instead of Vertus cabbage.