Step beyond the usual garden staples and explore a world of unique vegetables that bring exciting flavors, colors, and textures to your plate. Here are 20 unusual veggies to grow and enjoy!
Oca
With its tangy, lemony taste, oca offers a refreshing twist to your dishes. Originating from the Andes, this tuber comes in various colors, adding visual appeal. Plant them in well-drained soil and enjoy their low-maintenance nature. Harvesting is like unearthing hidden treasures, as they multiply beneath the soil. Pair them with herbs for delightful salads.
Cucamelon
Resembling miniature watermelons, cucamelons pack a cucumber flavor with a citrus twist. These grape-sized fruits thrive on trellises, making them space-efficient for small gardens. Easy to grow, they are perfect for snacking or pickling. Their vines provide lush greenery, turning your garden into a vibrant oasis.
Salsify
Known as the “oyster plant,” salsify boasts a subtle seafood flavor. Its long, slender roots are best grown in sandy loam soil. Patience pays off as they take several months to mature. Once ready, they offer a versatile addition to soups and stews, enriching your culinary creations with a unique taste.
Romanesco
This visually stunning vegetable captivates with its spiral pattern, resembling a piece of art. Romanesco is a delightful cross between broccoli and cauliflower, offering a nutty flavor. Its intricate design makes it a centerpiece in dishes, and it’s rich in nutrients. Cultivating it requires a bit of patience but rewards with a culinary masterpiece.
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi surprises with its crisp texture and mild, sweet flavor. Resembling a turnip, it’s versatile in slaws and stir-fries. This bulbous vegetable grows above ground, making it easy to monitor its progress. Thriving in cooler temperatures, kohlrabi is an excellent choice for extending the gardening season into fall.
Celeriac
Celeriac, or celery root, offers a nutty, celery-like flavor, perfect for mashes and soups. Despite its rough exterior, the inside is creamy and aromatic. Growing it requires patience, as it takes several months to mature. However, its ability to store for long periods makes it a valuable addition to your winter pantry.
Cardoon
A relative of the artichoke, cardoon showcases large, silvery leaves and edible stalks. Its slightly bitter taste adds depth to dishes. Growing cardoon demands space and sunlight, making it a statement plant in gardens. Blanching the stalks before harvest mellows the bitterness, revealing a tender, delicious vegetable.
Mizuna
Mizuna’s peppery kick enlivens salads and stir-fries. This Japanese mustard green is renowned for its frilly leaves and rapid growth. It’s a boon for gardeners seeking quick results. Plant it in succession for continuous harvests. Mizuna’s resilience to pests makes it a reliable choice for organic growers.
Skirret
Skirret offers sweetness akin to parsnips, but with a more delicate flavor. This perennial root vegetable can be a bit tricky to grow, requiring rich, loose soil for optimal development. Patience is vital, as it matures slowly over the growing season. Once harvested, skirret adds a unique sweetness to roasts and stews.
Walking Onion
Named for their unique propagation method, walking onions “walk” across the garden as bulbils form. These hardy plants are virtually maintenance-free once established. Their small onions, strong in flavor, are perfect for cooking. The quirky growth habit adds a whimsical touch, making them a conversation starter.
Tatsoi
Tatsoi, with its spoon-shaped leaves, offers a mild mustard flavor that’s a fresh addition to salads. Quick to grow, it’s a favorite for continuous harvests. This Asian green thrives in cooler temperatures, ensuring a supply of greens in the fall and winter. Its compact growth makes it ideal for small spaces.
Hamburg Parsley
Hamburg parsley provides a dual benefit: edible roots and flavorful leaves. Resembling parsnips, the roots add richness to soups and stews. They’re best harvested after frost for enhanced sweetness. The leafy tops, akin to regular parsley, make a fragrant garnish. This dual-purpose plant enriches both flavor and variety.
Purple Yam
Known for its vibrant hue, purple yam is a feast for the eyes and palate. Its sweet, nutty taste works beautifully in desserts and savory dishes alike. Growing it demands a warm climate, patience, and a bit of space for its sprawling vines. Harvesting these tubers is rewarding, providing a bounty of color and flavor.
Malabar Spinach
Malabar spinach defies the norm with its climbing habit and succulent leaves. It thrives in warm climates, offering a perennial alternative to regular spinach. The glossy, heart-shaped leaves are rich in vitamins and perfect for salads and stir-fries. Its vigorous growth provides abundant harvests throughout the season.
Crosne
With a crunch reminiscent of water chestnuts, crosne adds texture to dishes. Originating from Asia, these small tubers thrive in loose, well-drained soil. They’re a gardener’s delight due to minimal pest issues. Harvest them before the ground freezes for a crisp addition to winter meals, enhancing salads and sautés.
Sea Kale
Sea kale delivers a hint of the ocean with its salty undertones. This perennial thrives in coastal areas, withstanding wind and salt spray. Its blanched shoots are tender and sweet, similar to asparagus. Sea kale’s resilience and unique flavor profile make it a standout in gardens near the sea.
Chayote
Chayote’s mild flavor and versatility make it a kitchen staple in many cultures. This vigorous climber needs support but rewards with abundant harvests. Both the fruit and shoots are edible, offering a crisp texture akin to summer squash. Its adaptability to various climates makes it a worthwhile addition to gardens.
Mashua
Mashua, with its peppery taste, is a staple in Andean cuisine. This climbing plant thrives in cool, mountainous regions. Its vibrant tubers add both color and spice to dishes. Growing mashua is straightforward, requiring a trellis for support. Its flowers attract pollinators, enhancing garden biodiversity.
Yacon
Offering a sweet, juicy crunch, yacon is a delightful addition to fruit salads. This South American root looks like a sweet potato but tastes like an apple. Growing it requires ample sunlight and well-drained soil. Yacon’s tubers are harvested after frost, providing a refreshing treat that stores well for months.
Celtuce
Celtuce combines the crispness of lettuce with the nutty flavor of celery. Its stem is the highlight, adding crunch to salads and stir-fries. This unique vegetable grows quickly and thrives in cooler weather. Harvest the stems when they’re tender for the best taste. It’s a conversation starter, introducing diners to something new.