Several vegetables pack a surprising amount of protein, with edamame leading the pack at 18.4 grams per cup. Most vegetables contribute modest amounts, typically 2 to 8 grams per serving, but those grams add up across a day of meals. For context, the recommended daily protein intake is 46 grams for adult women and 56 grams for adult men, so a few smart vegetable choices can cover a meaningful share of your daily needs.
Edamame: The Clear Winner
Edamame, young soybeans harvested before they harden, stands far above every other vegetable in protein content. One cup of shelled, cooked edamame delivers 18.4 grams of protein. That’s roughly a third of the daily recommendation for most adults, from a single side dish.
Soy protein is also unusually high quality for a plant source. It scores at or near the top of the PDCAAS scale, which measures how well a protein supplies the essential amino acids your body can’t make on its own. Most plant proteins fall short in one or two amino acids, but soy is essentially complete. You can eat edamame steamed as a snack, tossed into grain bowls, or blended into stir-fries.
Green Peas and Lima Beans
Green peas are one of the most protein-dense common vegetables. A cup of raw green peas contains about 7.9 grams of protein. Cooked, the number stays in a similar range depending on how much water the peas absorb. They’re easy to keep frozen and throw into pasta, soups, rice dishes, or even smoothies without much prep.
Lima beans follow a similar pattern, delivering a solid protein punch along with a broad amino acid profile. They contain all the essential amino acids, including lysine, leucine, and tryptophan, making them a well-rounded choice. Lima beans work particularly well in stews, casseroles, and grain-based salads where they absorb surrounding flavors.
Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and Other Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli gets a lot of attention as a “high-protein vegetable,” though the numbers are more modest than the reputation suggests. A 100-gram serving of broccoli provides 2.8 grams of protein alongside just 34 calories. That protein-to-calorie ratio is genuinely impressive. You’re getting a meaningful amount of protein without many calories, which matters if you’re trying to increase protein intake without overeating.
Brussels sprouts land in a similar range, roughly 3 grams of protein per 100 grams. Kale and cauliflower contribute a bit less. None of these will replace a serving of beans or tofu on their own, but a large portion of roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts at dinner can easily contribute 5 to 8 grams to your daily total.
Spinach and Leafy Greens
Spinach has an exceptional protein-to-calorie ratio on paper. One cup of raw spinach has just 7 calories and 1 gram of protein. The catch is volume: a cup of raw spinach is barely a handful. You’d need to eat an enormous amount of raw spinach to get significant protein from it.
Cooking changes the math in your favor. Spinach wilts dramatically when heated, so a cup of cooked spinach represents several cups of raw leaves and delivers around 5 grams of protein. If you regularly sauté greens as a side dish or fold them into omelets, soups, and curries, spinach becomes a more practical protein contributor than the raw numbers suggest.
Potatoes and Corn
Starchy vegetables don’t come to mind when people think about protein, but they contribute more than most people realize. A medium russet potato (about 213 grams, skin included) provides 4 grams of protein. That’s not dramatic on its own, but potatoes are a staple food. If you eat two in a day, that’s 8 grams of protein from something you probably weren’t counting.
Sweet corn offers a comparable amount, around 4 to 5 grams per ear. Both potatoes and corn are higher in carbohydrates than other vegetables on this list, so their protein density per calorie is lower. Still, they’re worth acknowledging because they show up so frequently in everyday meals.
Mushrooms and Artichokes
White button mushrooms contain 3 grams of protein per 100 grams, which is notable for something so low in calories. Portobello and shiitake varieties fall in a similar range. Mushrooms also have a meaty texture that makes them popular in plant-based cooking, and their protein content is part of the reason they work well as a meat substitute in dishes like burgers, tacos, and stir-fries.
Artichokes are another underrated option. One medium cooked artichoke provides 3.5 grams of protein with just 64 calories. They’re not something most people eat daily, but when they do appear on your plate, they pull more nutritional weight than you might expect.
How to Get More Protein From Vegetables
No single vegetable (aside from edamame) will deliver a huge protein hit in one serving. The real strategy is layering. A bowl with green peas, broccoli, and edamame over rice could easily provide 25 to 30 grams of protein before you add any other protein source. A baked potato topped with sautéed spinach and mushrooms gets you close to 10 grams from vegetables alone.
Protein quality matters too. Most vegetables are low in one or more essential amino acids, with soy being the notable exception. Eating a variety of vegetables, grains, and legumes across the day covers those gaps naturally. You don’t need to combine specific foods at every meal. Your body pools amino acids throughout the day and assembles what it needs.
Cooking method also plays a role. Steaming and roasting concentrate nutrients by removing water, so a cup of cooked vegetables generally contains more protein than a cup of raw ones. If you’re actively trying to boost your vegetable protein intake, cooked preparations give you more per bite.