Which vegetable gives you the most protein?

November 6, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the USDA, a single cup of cooked edamame contains approximately 18 grams of protein, making it a powerful contender when considering which vegetable gives you the most protein. The answer, however, involves more than just a single food item, with several plant-based options offering significant nutritional benefits.

Quick Summary

This article explores the highest protein vegetables, focusing on legumes like edamame and lentils, as well as leafy greens and cruciferous options. It outlines protein content, nutritional value, and offers practical tips for incorporation into meals.

Key Points

Edamame is King: Cooked shelled edamame provides the most protein per cup among common vegetables, with over 18 grams, and is a complete protein source.
Legumes Dominate: Beyond edamame, other legumes like lentils, chickpeas, black beans, and lima beans are the most protein-rich vegetables, with a cup often yielding over 12 grams.
Cooking Concentrates Protein: Cooking leafy greens like spinach or kale and vegetables like broccoli reduces their water content, concentrating their protein and allowing you to consume more per serving.
Variety is Key for Complete Protein: Most plant-based proteins are incomplete, so consuming a diverse mix of vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds is important to get all nine essential amino acids.
Even Starchy Veggies Contribute: Vegetables like potatoes and corn, while often known for carbohydrates, still contribute meaningful amounts of protein to your daily intake.
Incorporate into Every Meal: Strategically adding high-protein vegetables to soups, salads, dips, and stir-fries is an effective way to boost your protein intake throughout the day.

Understanding Plant-Based Protein

While meat and dairy are traditional protein sources, the plant-based world offers a wealth of alternatives. Legumes—the seeds or fruits of plants in the pea family—are often the most protein-dense vegetables. However, other garden vegetables and leafy greens also contribute meaningfully to a healthy diet. The key for many plant-based eaters is to consume a variety of sources to ensure a complete amino acid profile, as some plant proteins are 'incomplete' on their own.

The Protein Powerhouses: Legumes

When it comes to sheer protein volume, the legume family dominates. These options are nutrient-dense, affordable, and incredibly versatile in cooking.

Edamame: The Top Contender

Edamame, or young green soybeans, consistently ranks as one of the highest-protein vegetables.

Protein Profile: A single cup of cooked, shelled edamame can provide over 18 grams of protein. Uniquely for a plant, edamame is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for the body.
Versatility: Edamame is a simple snack, a crunchy addition to salads, or a hearty element in stir-fries and grain bowls.

Lentils: The Affordable Staple

Lentils are another protein superstar, providing about 18 grams of protein per cooked cup, along with a significant amount of dietary fiber and iron.

Benefits: Their fibrous nature aids in digestion and helps regulate blood sugar.
Culinary Uses: Lentils are a staple in soups, stews, curries, and even meat-substitute burgers.

Chickpeas: The Hummus Hero

Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas deliver around 15 grams of protein per cooked cup.

Uses: They are the primary ingredient in hummus, but are also excellent in curries, salads, and roasted for a crispy snack.

Black Beans and Lima Beans

Other legumes, including black beans (about 15 grams per cooked cup) and lima beans (over 12 grams per cooked cup), provide excellent protein, fiber, and micronutrients like iron and potassium.

Comparison of High-Protein Vegetables


Vegetable	Protein (per 1 cup cooked)	Key Nutrients
Edamame (shelled)	~18.5 grams	Complete Protein, Fiber, Iron, Folate
Lentils	~17.9 grams	Fiber, Folate, Iron, Manganese
Chickpeas	~14.5 grams	Fiber, Manganese, Folate
Lima Beans	~12 grams	Fiber, Copper, Manganese
Green Peas	~8.6 grams	Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Cooked Spinach	~5.3 grams	Iron, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Corn	~5.1 grams	Fiber, B Vitamins, Antioxidants
Asparagus	~4.3 grams	Vitamins C and K, Folate, Antioxidants
Cooked Brussels Sprouts	~4 grams	Vitamins C and K, Fiber
Broccoli	~3.7 grams	Vitamins C and K, Fiber

Beyond Legumes: Other Notable Vegetables

While legumes are the most protein-dense, other vegetables can significantly boost your overall intake, especially when cooked to reduce water content.

Leafy Greens

Spinach: A cup of cooked spinach provides around 5 grams of protein, a substantial amount for a leafy green. It is also loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Kale: Another nutrient-dense leafy green, cooked kale offers over 3 grams of protein per cup, along with fiber and vitamins.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Broccoli: This popular vegetable provides about 3.7 grams of protein per cooked cup and is packed with fiber and vitamins C and K.
Brussels Sprouts: Cooked Brussels sprouts contain approximately 4 grams of protein per cup and are an excellent source of vitamin C and K.

Other Good Sources

Potatoes: A medium baked potato with the skin offers about 4 grams of protein and is a great source of potassium and Vitamin C.
Mushrooms: As a fungus, mushrooms provide a meaningful protein contribution, with cooked mushrooms offering around 3.9 grams per cup, along with a meaty texture.

Strategies for Boosting Protein from Vegetables

Getting enough protein from vegetables is all about creative combinations and smart meal planning. Here are a few ideas:

Make Hearty Soups and Stews: Use lentils, split peas, or chickpeas as the base for a filling, protein-packed meal.
Boost Salads and Bowls: Add a generous serving of edamame, roasted chickpeas, or black beans to your salads or grain bowls.
Create Plant-Based Dips: Hummus (chickpeas) and dips made from lentils or fava beans are delicious protein sources.
Experiment with Meat Alternatives: Tofu and tempeh, which are made from soybeans, are high in protein and versatile for many dishes.
Add Cooked Greens to Any Dish: Sautéed spinach can be added to eggs, pasta, or as a side dish to boost protein, iron, and fiber.

For additional resources on high-protein plant-based foods, you can visit Healthline.

Conclusion

While many people associate protein primarily with meat, a wide variety of vegetables, particularly legumes like edamame, lentils, and chickpeas, provide substantial amounts. The answer to 'which vegetable gives you the most protein?' is undeniably edamame, but a well-rounded intake of various plant foods is the best strategy. By combining different legumes, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables, you can easily meet your daily protein requirements and enjoy a diverse, nutrient-rich diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, edamame is one of the few plant-based foods considered a complete protein. This means it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.

Yes, all vegetables contain some amount of protein, although the quantity and density vary significantly. For example, legumes have a much higher protein concentration than lettuce.

Absolutely. By incorporating a variety of high-protein vegetables like legumes, combined with nuts, seeds, and grains, vegans can easily meet their daily protein needs and build muscle mass.

Cooking often reduces the water content of vegetables, which concentrates their protein. This means that a cup of cooked spinach, for instance, contains more protein than a cup of raw spinach.

Typically, a cup of cooked lentils provides slightly more protein than a cup of cooked chickpeas. A cup of lentils has around 18 grams, while a cup of chickpeas has about 15 grams.

Yes, cooked spinach is a notable source of protein among leafy greens, providing around 5 grams per cooked cup, alongside significant amounts of iron and vitamins.

While not the highest, a medium baked potato with the skin offers a respectable amount of protein (around 4 grams), along with potassium and vitamin C.

Adding legumes like lentils, split peas, or chickpeas is an excellent way to boost the protein and heartiness of any soup. You can also mix in leafy greens like spinach or kale.