21 Healthy Yellow Vegetables (With Photos!)

Are you looking to introduce a range of nutritious and mouthwatering options to your vegetable collection? Prepare yourself for an exploration of 21 yellow vegetables from all around the world!

You have probably heard the expression “eat the colors of the rainbow”. Yellow vegetables support this advice as they are a group of vegetables with great nutritional profiles!

The key ingredient in many yellow veggies is beta-carotene which gives vegetables a yellow or orange color. More importantly, your body uses beta-carotene to produce Vitamin A and as an antioxidant that protects your cells from damaging molecules known as free radicals.

Yellow Vegetable Varieties

Looking for a particular yellow vegetable? Click the link below to jump around this vegetable guide, or keep scrolling to explore the colorful world of yellow veggies!

1. Banana Peppers
2. Banana Squash 
3. Bell Peppers
4. Bintje Potatoes
5. Butternut Squash
6. Corn
7. Dickinson Pumpkin 
8. Frisee
9. German Butterball Potatoes
10. Gold Rush Squash
11. Japanese Sweet Potatoes
12. Kennebec Potatoes
13. Pattypan Squash
14. Yellow Tomatoes
15. Russian Banana Potatoes
16. Spaghetti Squash
17. Wax Beans
18. Yellow Onion
19. Yellow Summer Squash
20. Yukon Gold Potato
21. Zephyr Squash 

Banana Peppers

These are a sweet pepper that is always an option on sandwiches at Subway or Quiznos. While they aren’t really hot, they provide a mildly spicy alternative to bell peppers.

Banana Squash

Banana squash are very elongated and can grow up to 3 feet long. Their skins aren’t edible, so they are typically cut in half laterally and the flesh cut out. They are sometimes known as pink banana squash. 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.

Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers are as essential in my kitchen as my chef’s knife and fire extinguisher. They are also known as sweet or paprika peppers, and are most commonly green, yellow, orange, or red, but can also be found in purple, white, brown, and striped. They are the only pepper we know of with a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) score of 0 meaning they are not at all hot or spicy, but that just means you have to use other options to make your fajitas spicy.

Peppers are native to Mexico as well as Central & South America. Peppers were brought to Europe from the “New World” in 1493, but the bell pepper cultivar didn’t come around until the 1920s. The world’s largest producer of bell peppers today is China.

Bintje Potatoes

Bintjes are a waxy type of potato developed in Holland around 1905, but they quickly grew in popularity and are today the most heavily grown yellow potato in Europe. They are used in Europe to make Pommes Frites (French Fries), so that would be their super power despite being a waxy variety. Fries are normally made from starchy potato varieties. If that has you thinking about some homemade fries, breakout your air fryer and try these Easy Air Fryer Potatoes.

Butternut Squash

Butternut squash are shaped like a bulb and have a distinctive yellow-tan skin. They are great roasted with the skin on or cubed then roasted. You can use it as a substitute for sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or just about any starchy orange veggie. Oh, and they are pretty healthy as well. Look here for butternut squash cooking guide.

Corn

Corn is also known as maize, and was first cultivated in Mexico perhaps 10,000 years ago. Today, of course, it is a worldwide staple grown more than either wheat or rice. I am not sure we could feed the world without corn. It is the world’s primary animal feed, and generally makes up about 10% of our gasoline. Our hands down favorite use of sweet corn is in this Zucchini Corn Salad. Make up a big batch and take it to your next cookout. We guarantee you won’t bring home leftovers.

Dickinson Pumpkin 

The Dickinson pumpkin is an American heirloom winter squash grown mostly in Illinois though they appear to have originated in Kentucky in the early 19th Century. They typically grow to the 10 to 15 pound range, and are the pumpkin most commonly used to make canned pumpkin puree. Ya, that bright orange color when you open the can isn’t the real deal. If that is a troubling thought, make your own Homemade Pumpkin Puree. It is simple and a great use for those unwanted pumpkins sitting around after Halloween just begging to be used for Thanksgiving.

Frisee

Frisée is a type of endive also known as chicory. Like most leafy greens, these are very nutritious loaded with vitamins A & C, fiber, and a host of other micronutrients. Frisee is a bit bitter but makes a great salad component.

German Butterball Potatoes

Despite the name, the German Butterball Potato came out of Idaho in 1988. It is a medium to large round all-purpose potato with a yellow skin and waxy yellow flesh. As the name suggests, it is a tender buttery potato when baked, and is also good fried, mashed, or really in any form of preparation.

Gold Rush Squash

Gold Rush Squash are a variety of squash noted for their distinctive bright yellow skin which contrasts with their long green top. You can use this summer squash like you would other yellow squash. The bright yellow skin would go well with this Stuffed Zucchini Recipe as the bright skin makes a nice presentation. Though their tastes are slightly different, you can generally use zucchini and yellow squash interchangeably.

Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Japanese sweet potatoes are native to China, but came to Japan via the Island of Okinawa in the early 17th Century. These starchy spuds have a red skin and yellow flesh differentiating them from most American sweet potato varieties which are, of course, bright orange inside. They are quite starchy making them ideal for baking, mashing, and deep frying.

Kennebec Potatoes

Kennebec potatoes are large all-purpose potatoes with yellow-tan skins and white flesh. Pretty much the stereotypical spud which was the intent when they were developed by the Presque Isle Station in Maine in cooperation with the USDA in 1941. These potatoes are great fried into french fries, chips, hash browns, you name it. Kennebec potatoes are used in most of the US potato chip varieties as well as the french fries at In N Out Burger, though they haven’t pulled McDonalds away from the Russet potato.

Pattypan Squash

Pattypan Squash are the small yellow squash with scalloped edges you often see used decoratively in Fall table displays. They have a soft skin, so they can be eaten raw, but are more commonly roasted, grilled, or used in stir-fries. They’d be perfect to replace the zucchini in this Corn Succotash!

Yellow Tomatoes

We believe that the first cultivated tomatoes were actually yellow. There are scores of varieties, and they are generally a bit less acidic and sweeter than their red counterparts because they lack lycopene, the substance that gives other tomatoes their red color. Mix yellow cherry tomatoes with red in your garden salad for a nice color blend. If you want more information on tomatoes, check out our Types of Tomato guide.

Oh, and yes we know tomatoes are technically a fruit, but when was the last time you sliced up a tomato and put it on your cereal? We eat them like vegetables, so we included them here.

Russian Banana Potatoes

These are small fingerling potatoes that get their banana name from their curved shape and yellow flesh. The Russian part comes from their origin in the Baltics sometime around the 18th Century. These are a waxy potato variety with a sweet buttery flavor.  They are good for grilling, boiling, and roasting.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash is a miracle of nature. The flesh forms into stands which can be easily raked out with a fork to make a wonderful bright yellow “spaghetti”. There are so many ways to use spaghetti squash. You can bake, boil, roast, or microwave it, and even cook it in the crockpot.

Wax Beans

Yellow wax beans are largely the same as green beans and can be used interchangeably. The color of green beans comes from chlorophyll which was intentionally bred out of wax beans. So, if you want to try the traditional Green Bean Casserole with a twist at Thanksgiving go right ahead. For more on 29 Other Types of Beans give our guide a look.

Yellow Onion

Yellow onions are noted for being strong and pungent. But if I could only keep one onion in the pantry, this would be it. You can use them in almost any application. They are probably the most common onion used in chili, and the most often used onion on burgers by America’s restaurants. Slice them up and roast them with an assortment of other vegetables, or to make a great dip for your raw veggies with this French Onion Dip recipe. If you want more information on other popular onions, check out 23 Types of Onions and How to Use Them.

Yellow Summer Squash

Yellow Squash are typically the size of zucchini and normally found next to zucchini, often at the same price, in the grocery store. They have a dull to bright yellow skin that is perfectly edible, and you can easily substitute yellow squash for zucchini. They are great in stir-fries and sautéed vegetables. If you want to make the popular Zoodles (faux veggie noodles) without the green tint, just toss a few yellow squash on your spiralizer and crank away Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Avocado Pesto. Another healthy use for yellow squash is as a lasagna noodle substitute. This is commonly done with zucchini, but yellow squash will give it a look closer to traditional lasagna noodles. The Best Zucchini or Squash Lasagna Recipe. Also, like zucchini, they only have about 5 calories per ounce and have a health supporting nutrition profile.

Yukon Gold Potato

Yukon Gold is an all-purpose yellow potato used by many chefs and restaurants. They were developed in Canada in the 1960s, and entered commercial production in the 1980s. They make creamy mashed potatoes, and don’t need to be peeled before mashing. They are also widely used in potato salads. Yukon Gold’s are a great option to keep in your pantry to support a wide variety of recipes.

Zephyr Squash

The zephyr squash is a rather unique summer squash. It quite literally looks like a yellow squash in the top half but green zucchini on the bottom half making a unique presentation. Use it like you would other yellow squash or zucchini.