19 Pink Vegetables (With Photos!)

Whether you need some ideas for colorful vegetables to eat or are just curious, this post will cover everything you need to know about pink vegetables.

Types Of Pink Vegetables

From the more common finds like pink onions and rhubarb to the lesser-known ones like pink radicchio and pink Hopi corn, you’re sure to find something that fits your needs.

Banana Squash (Pink Variety)

Origin: The Banana squash, also known as pink squash or scientifically Cucurbita maxima, is believed to have originated in Central and South America. We don’t often list a food’s scientific name, but if the name includes “maxima,” well, you have to give it a nod. It is a type of winter squash that belongs to the gourd family. 

Description: Banana squash gets its name from its elongated, banana-like shape. The skin can range from pale yellow to pale pink or even deep orange, and its flesh is sweet and smooth-textured. Banana squash are extremely elongated and grow up to 3 feet long. Their skins are not edible, so they are typically cut in half lengthwise and the flesh cut out. This is an odd squash in that It can be grown as a summer squash simply by harvesting it during the summer, but you can also wait (letting it grow larger) and pick it as a winter squash.

Best Uses for Banana Squash: You can pretty much use this in place of butternut squash, as their flesh is very similar. It is often roasted, baked, or steamed. Its sweet flavor makes it a great addition to desserts, soups, and casseroles. It can be mashed and used as a side dish or pureed for soups and sauces. The seeds can also be roasted and eaten as a snack. Like most winter squash, the banana squash stores fairly well in your pantry for weeks or even months. Give it a try in either of these well-tested recipes: butternut squash orzo and butternut squash soup.

Beets

Origin: Beets have a long history of cultivation, with their origins traced back to the Mediterranean region. They were initially grown for their leafy greens, and it wasn’t until Roman times that the bulbous root became the culinary focus.

Description: Beets are known for their earthy flavor and vibrant color. The root can be red, golden, or even striped, and the leaves are edible and have a taste similar to spinach. 

Best Uses of Beets: There are a lot of ways to cook beets. They can be roasted, boiled, steamed, or eaten raw. They are often used in salads, pickled for a tangy flavor, or blended into a pink beet smoothie. The earthiness of beets pairs well with goat cheese, walnuts, and citrus flavors. Additionally, beetroot is a common ingredient in borscht, a traditional Eastern European soup.

Borlotti Beans

Origin: Borlotti beans, also known as cranberry beans, originated in South America and were later introduced to Europe by explorers. They are now widely cultivated in various regions around the world.

Description: Borlotti beans are medium-sized beans with a creamy texture and a nutty, mild flavor. When fresh, the beans have a vibrant pinkish-red color with specks, but they turn beige when dried. The pods are inedible, and the beans are typically shelled before cooking.

Best Uses of Borlotti Beans: They are commonly found in Italian cuisine and used in soups, stews, and pasta dishes. When cooked, they have a smooth and creamy texture, making them suitable for purees and spreads. You can substitute these for most other beans in soups, vegetarian chili, or even a bean salad to fully display their unique appearance. Beet juice is sometimes used as a natural food coloring. If you are looking for some other type of bean, check out our guide.

Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Origin: Japanese sweet potatoes originated in China, but came to Japan through the Island of Okinawa in the early 17th Century. It has since become a staple in Japanese cuisine.

Description:  These starchy potatoes have reddish to pink skin and yellow flesh, which differentiates them from most American types of sweet potatoes. They are known for their distinctively sweet taste and dry, starchy texture. The flavor is less sugary than the typical orange sweet potato found in Western countries.

Best Uses of Japanese Sweet Potatoes: They are starchy spuds, which make them ideal for baking, mashing, and deep frying. Sweet potato fries are a great use as the Japanese sweet potato crisps up when fried but stays soft in the middle. They are popular in Japan, where they are made into snacks sold by street vendors. These are perhaps the sweetest of sweet potato varieties and are great in Thanksgiving dessert recipes, though their yellow flesh doesn’t give the traditional bright orange sweet potato casserole look. Give them a try in sweet potato smashers! Or, check out our other ways to use sweet potatoes.

Ornamental Cabbage

Origin: Ornamental cabbage originated in the region around the Mediterranean Sea. While it shares its lineage with edible cabbage varieties, ornamental cabbage has been selectively bred for its vibrant colors and frilly foliage, making it a preferred choice for decorative gardens vs green salads.

Description: Ornamental cabbage has large, loose heads with deeply lobed and colorful leaves. The foliage ranges from pink to purple and green, and really creates a striking look.

Best Uses for Ornamental Cabbage: The best use is certainly not eating. The primary purpose of ornamental cabbage is decorative. It adds a unique touch to flower beds, borders, and containers. The vivid hues and interesting leaf shapes make it a standout choice for fall and winter landscaping, providing a nice burst of color when many other plants are dormant. You can eat it but expect most varieties to be quite bitter.

Pink Bell Peppers

Origin: Peppers originated in Central and South America. Bell peppers, however, came on the scene much later. They were bred in Europe in the early 19th Century and came to the USA in the 1920s. 

Description: Pink bell peppers are just red bell peppers that aren’t quite ripe yet. They have a crisp texture and a mildly fruity flavor.

Best Uses for Pink Bell Peppers: They are great in fajitas, salads, and in an abundance of bell pepper recipes. Pink bell peppers contain more antioxidants than their green counterparts, making them not only visually appealing but also a nutritious choice.  

Pink Chicory (Treviso Precoce)

Origin: Pink chicory originally comes from Italy. It is a variety of radicchio and a member of the chicory family. 

Description: It has elongated heads with tightly packed, wine-red leaves. The outer leaves have a variegated pattern as you can see in the photo. The flavor is a bit on the bitter side. 

Best Uses for Pink Chicory: It is used in salads, where its color and slightly bitter taste contrasts with other ingredients, but is easily masked. Additionally, it is good grilled, roasted, or sautéed to mellow the bitterness.

Pink Eggplant

Origin: Eggplants come to us originally from India. Over the centuries, they spread around the world, and worked their way irrevocably into Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisines.

Description: Pink eggplants are also called Rosa Bianca, and are small to medium-sized fruits with a round or oval shape. They have distinctive rosy-pink skins with a creamy, white interior. Unlike some larger eggplant varieties, Rosa Bianca is known for its tender flesh and mild, sweet flavor.

Best Uses for Eggplant: They can be sliced and grilled, turned into roasted eggplant, sauteed eggplant, or even stuffed eggplant. Their pleasant flavor makes them suitable for a variety of dishes, including casseroles, stir-fries, and pasta.

Pink Hopi Corn

Origin: Pink Hopi Corn is named after the Native American Hopi tribe of Arizona that grew it for centuries.

Description: Pink Hopi Corn is a heritage variety with distinctive pink kernels. Heritage just means that it is an old cultivar, not a recent hybrid developed by farmers or nature. The ears are small to medium-sized compared to other varieties, and the pink color intensifies as the corn matures. 

Best Uses for Pink Hopi Corn: Its sweet, nutty flavor makes it good in corn dishes like grits, polenta, or as a colorful addition to salads. The vibrant pink color also makes it an attractive choice for decorative purposes. Its color can be used to enhance the appearance of a lot of recipes like this Mexican street corn salad.

Pink Onion

Origin: Pink Onions are also called Rosé Onions, and came from the selective breeding of other onion varieties. 

Description: They have a nice rosy color, and are smaller than regular yellow or white onions. They have a crisp texture and a mildly sweet taste.

Best Uses for Pink Onions: They are great in salads, salsas, or as a garnish. They can also be pickled which will enhance their sweet and tangy flavor. Try them in our vegetarian tacos, vegetarian sandwiches, vegetarian salads, and veggie soups. 

Pink Oyster Mushroom

Origin: Pink Oyster Mushrooms were developed as a hybrid from other oyster mushrooms. The location of their development isn’t really clear besides the broad region of Asia. 

Description: Pink Oyster Mushrooms have a distinctive pink to salmon color and a delicate, velvety texture. The cap of the mushroom is broad and fan-shaped, while the stem is short and often curved. When cooked, these mushrooms maintain their vibrant color and develop a tender, succulent texture, and mild, anise-like flavor. For more on oyster mushrooms in general check out our guide.

Best Uses: They can be used in stir-fries, risotto, and pasta dishes. The vibrant color makes them an attractive choice for both home cooks and professional chefs looking to elevate the visual appeal of their cooking. For a unique sandwich, try them in a vegetarian Philly cheesesteak.

Pink Potatoes “Tera Rosa” Potatoes

Origin: The tera rosa potato is a recently developed spud grown by the Northwest Potato Variety Development Program. It was released by Oregon State University in 2012. 

Description: The pink hue is due to the presence of anthocyanins, natural pigments with antioxidant properties. These potatoes are known for their unique appearance and distinct flavor, making them a visually appealing and tasty addition to potato recipes.

Best Uses of Pink Potatoes: They are considered an all-purpose spud. This means they can be baked (even microwave baked potatoes), roasted, mashed, boiled, turned into air-fried potatoes, or fried. The vibrant color adds an eye-catching element to salads, side dishes, and even main courses. Their creamy texture and mildly sweet flavor make them great for a variety of culinary uses, providing a colorful twist to traditional potato dishes. Try them in rosemary roasted potatoes.

Pink Tomato

Origin: Tomatoes came from South America, but many of the tomato varieties we eat today were developed more recently. This includes some of the pink tomato varieties.  

Description: Pink tomatoes have rosy-colored skins and flesh and come in different sizes and shapes. They all share a sweet and mild flavor. Some popular varieties include the “Brandywine” and “Rose de Berne.” 

Best Uses for Pink Tomatoes: The pink brandywine is a beefsteak variety that was developed by Amish farmers decades ago. The Rose de Berne is a globe style tomato excellent for slicing. They are great for fresh eating, slicing onto sandwiches, or incorporating into salads. The juiciness and sweetness of pink tomatoes make them a good choice for sauces and salsas. 

Pink Turnips

Origin: Turnips are originally from Europe appearing about 2000-2300 years ago. The pink varieties came about due to selective breeding. 

Description: Pink turnips have an aesthetic pinkish-purple skin and crisp white flesh. They are sweet and slightly peppery. The pink color is due to the presence of anthocyanin, a healthy antioxidant, and pigment similar to those found in pink potatoes.

Best Uses for Pink Turnips: They add a burst of color to salads when sliced thinly, and can be roasted, boiled, or mashed as a side dish. The anthocyanins in pink turnips not only gives them their appealing color, but also provides potential health benefits. Turnips, in general, are low in calories and rich in nutrients.

Radish

Origin: Radishes have been with us for millennia. They were cultivated in ancient Egypt before spreading to Greece and Rome. Radishes have since become popular worldwide and are now grown in quite a few different varieties.

Description: You can find radishes in a range of colors, including red, white, pink, purple, and even black. They have a crisp texture and peppery flavor. The root is the part most of us eat, but the greens are also edible and nutritious. 

Best Uses for Radishes: Sliced radishes add a crunchy texture to salads. They can also be pickled to add a zesty flavor to your cooking.

Rainbow Carrot

Origin: Carrots came originally from Central Asia and were purple or yellow. The orange carrots we eat today were actually the result of selective breeding in Holland (where the national color is orange). Rainbow carrots are a more recent innovation developed specifically for their vibrant colors.

Description: Rainbow carrots come in a variety of colors, including purple, yellow, orange, red to pink, and white. They have a sweet earthy flavor, similar to orange carrots. 

Best Uses for Rainbow Carrots: Rainbow carrots can be used in any recipe that calls for carrots. They add a nice color variety to veggie trays, salads, stir-fries, and roasted vegetables. They can also be eaten on their own as a crunchy and flavorful snack. Try air-fried carrot fries or slow cooker carrots.

The pigments responsible for the various colors in rainbow carrots also contribute to their nutritional value. For example, purple carrots contain anthocyanins, which have antioxidant properties.

Rainbow Swiss Chard

Origin: Swiss chard originated from the Mediterranean region and has been cultivated for centuries for its leaves and stems. Rainbow Swiss chard, however, is a much more recent variation developed through selective breeding.

Description: Rainbow Swiss chard features vibrant stems in a range of colors. They can be pink, yellow, orange, and red. The large, dark green leaves are tender and have a slightly bitter taste. The plant’s pink parts are its stems and veins.

Best Uses for Rainbow Chard: Swiss chard is used in sautés, stir-fries, quiches, chard wraps, and salads. The colorful stems add visual appeal to your cooking. The leaves and stems are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like magnesium and potassium.

Rhubarb

Origin: Rhubarb is an ancient plant that began in China, but spread to northern regions around the world. 

Description: Rhubarb is a perennial plant with large, celery-like stalks that can range in color from green to vivid pink or red, depending on the variety and ripeness. While the stalks are the edible part of the plant, the leaves are toxic and should be discarded if you grow your own. Grocery stores know this and only sell the stalks. The flavor of rhubarb is tart, requiring sweetening in most recipes.

Best Uses for Rhubarb: Rhubarb is widely used in desserts, particularly in pies, crisps, and compotes. It can also be used in jams, sauces, and beverages. Some adventurous chefs incorporate rhubarb into savory dishes to add a unique twist. In our test kitchen, we think rhubarb is ideally paired with strawberries. Start by making a simple rhubarb compote. From there, you can make a whole host of rhubarb desserts like our favorite strawberry rhubarb crisp.

Pink Radicchio (Rosa del Veneto)

Origin: Pink radicchio came from the Veneto region of Italy. It is a relatively modern variety of radicchio. It was developed for both its attractive pink color and mild bitterness, and worked its way into Italian cuisine.

Description: It has vibrant pink and white speckled leaves that form into tight heads. The leaves are crisp and slightly bitter, but have a milder flavor than other varieties of radicchio. It’s lovely color adds a touch of elegance to salads and some entrees, making it popular in gourmet cooking.

Best Uses for Pink Radicchio: Pink radicchio is used in salads, adding both texture and color. Its slight bitterness doesn’t overpower other flavors. It can also be grilled, roasted, or sautéed to reduce bitterness.

This concludes our discussion of different types of pink vegetables. We hope you found it helpful, and as always, happy cooking!