Legumes high in protein (per serving)
40 legumes ranked by protein per common serving, from USDA FoodData Central. Tempeh leads with 33.7 g per 1 cup (67% of the Daily Value), followed by Soybeans (31.3 g) and Tofu, raw (21.8 g).
Top 10 at a glance
Top 10 legumes highest in protein
- Tempeh1 cup (166 g) · 319 kcal33.7 g67% DV
- Soybeans, mature cooked (boiled, without salt)1 cup (172 g) · 296 kcal31.3 g63% DV
- Tofu, raw (firm, prepared with calcium sulfate)0.5 cup (126 g) · 181 kcal21.8 g44% DV
- Beans, navy (mature seeds, canned)1 cup (262 g) · 296 kcal19.7 g40% DV
- Beans, great northern (mature seeds, canned, low sodium)1 cup (262 g) · 299 kcal19.3 g39% DV
- Beans, white (mature seeds, canned)1 cup (262 g) · 299 kcal19 g38% DV
- Lentils, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (198 g) · 230 kcal17.9 g36% DV
- Tofu, soft (prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari))1 cup (1/2" cubes) (248 g) · 151 kcal17.8 g36% DV
- Beans, adzuki (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (230 g) · 294 kcal17.3 g35% DV
- Beans, cranberry (roman) (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (177 g) · 241 kcal16.5 g33% DV
All 40 legumes ranked
Sort any column. Serving sizes are USDA household measures (a cup, a medium fruit, 3 oz of cooked meat or fish, 1 oz of nuts or cheese). %DV is based on the FDA Daily Value of 50 g.
| # | Food | Serving | Protein (g) | % Daily Value | Per 100 g | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tempeh | 1 cup (166 g) | 33.7 | 20.3 | 319 | |
| 2 | Soybeans, mature cooked (boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (172 g) | 31.3 | 18.2 | 296 | |
| 3 | Tofu, raw (firm, prepared with calcium sulfate) | 0.5 cup (126 g) | 21.8 | 17.3 | 181 | |
| 4 | Beans, navy (mature seeds, canned) | 1 cup (262 g) | 19.7 | 7.5 | 296 | |
| 5 | Beans, great northern (mature seeds, canned, low sodium) | 1 cup (262 g) | 19.3 | 7.4 | 299 | |
| 6 | Beans, white (mature seeds, canned) | 1 cup (262 g) | 19 | 7.3 | 299 | |
| 7 | Lentils, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (198 g) | 17.9 | 9 | 230 | |
| 8 | Tofu, soft (prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) | 1 cup (1/2" cubes) (248 g) | 17.8 | 7.2 | 151 | |
| 9 | Beans, adzuki (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (230 g) | 17.3 | 7.5 | 294 | |
| 10 | Beans, cranberry (roman) (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (177 g) | 16.5 | 9.3 | 241 | |
| 11 | Peas, split (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (196 g) | 16.3 | 8.3 | 231 | |
| 12 | Beans, yellow (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (177 g) | 16.2 | 9.2 | 255 | |
| 13 | Lima beans, large (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (188 g) | 14.7 | 7.8 | 216 | |
| 14 | Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram) (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (164 g) | 14.5 | 8.9 | 269 | |
| 15 | Mung beans, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (202 g) | 14.2 | 7 | 212 | |
| 16 | Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds (canned) | 1 cup (256 g) | 14 | 5.5 | 182 | |
| 17 | Mungo beans, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (180 g) | 13.6 | 7.5 | 189 | |
| 18 | Cowpeas, common (blackeyes (crowder, southern), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (171 g) | 13.2 | 7.7 | 198 | |
| 19 | Tofu, firm (prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) | 0.5 cup (126 g) | 11.4 | 9 | 98 | |
| 20 | Pigeon peas (red gram), mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (168 g) | 11.4 | 6.8 | 203 | |
| 21 | Soymilk (all flavors), unsweetened (with added calcium, vitamins A and D) | 1 cup (243 g) | 8.6 | 3.5 | 80 | |
| 22 | Peanuts, all types (oil-roasted, without salt) | 1 oz shelled (32 nuts) (28 g) | 7.9 | 28 | 170 | |
| 23 | Peanuts, spanish (oil-roasted, without salt) | 1 oz (28 g) | 7.9 | 28 | 164 | |
| 24 | Peanut butter with omega-3, creamy | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 7.8 | 24.5 | 195 | |
| 25 | Vitasoy USA, Vitasoy Organic Classic Original Soymilk | 1 cup (243 g) | 7.8 | 3.2 | 114 | |
| 26 | Peanut butter, chunk style (without salt) | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 7.7 | 24.1 | 188 | |
| 27 | Peanut spread, reduced sugar | 2 tbsp (31 g) | 7.7 | 24.8 | 202 | |
| 28 | Peanut butter, reduced sodium | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 7.7 | 24 | 189 | |
| 29 | Peanuts, valencia (oil-roasted, without salt) | 1 oz (28 g) | 7.7 | 27 | 167 | |
| 30 | Peanuts, virginia (oil-roasted, without salt) | 1 oz (28 g) | 7.3 | 25.9 | 164 | |
| 31 | Peanut butter, smooth style (without salt) | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 7.1 | 22.2 | 191 | |
| 32 | Vitasoy USA, Vitasoy Organic Creamy Original Soymilk | 1 cup (243 g) | 7 | 2.9 | 107 | |
| 33 | Peanut Butter, smooth | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 7 | 21.9 | 188 | |
| 34 | Soymilk, original and vanilla (with added calcium, vitamins A and D) | 1 cup (243 g) | 6.3 | 2.6 | 104 | |
| 35 | Soymilk (all flavors), nonfat (with added calcium, vitamins A and D) | 1 cup (243 g) | 6 | 2.5 | 68 | |
| 36 | Okara | 1 cup (122 g) | 4.3 | 3.5 | 93 | |
| 37 | Vitasoy USA, Vitasoy Light Vanilla Soymilk | 1 cup (243 g) | 3.9 | 1.6 | 73 | |
| 38 | Hummus, commercial | 2 tbsp (30 g) | 2.2 | 7.3 | 71 | |
| 39 | Hummus, home prepared | 2 tbsp (30 g) | 1.5 | 4.9 | 53 | |
| 40 | Vermicelli, made from soy | 1 cup (140 g) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 463 |
Protein in specific foods
How this list is built. Values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, with Foundation Foods analytical updates where available). The pool is 1,677 whole foods: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, grains, fish, meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. Spices, herbs, baby foods, powders, flours, dried and freeze-dried items, juices, processed meats, organ meats other than liver and uncommon foods are excluded; meats, fish, grains and legumes are ranked cooked. Each food family appears once and no single animal or plant fills more than six places. Ranking is by amount per serving; the per-100 g column is shown for reference. A food that USDA has not analysed for protein is left out rather than counted as zero. Full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which food is highest in protein?
Among legumes in the USDA database, Tempeh has the most protein per serving: 33.7 g per 1 cup (67% of the Daily Value). Per 100 g it contains 20.3 g.
How much protein do I need per day?
The FDA Daily Value used on Nutrition Facts labels is 50 g of protein for adults and children aged 4 and over. Individual needs vary with age, sex, pregnancy and health conditions.
What counts as a food high in protein?
FDA labeling rules call a food a 'good source' when one serving provides 10 to 19% of the Daily Value and 'high' or 'excellent' at 20% or more. 20 of the 40 foods on this list reach 20% DV per serving.
Related rankings
- Foods high in fiber
- All foods high in protein
- Fruits high in protein
- Vegetables high in protein
- Nuts and seeds high in protein
- Grains high in protein
- Fish and seafood high in protein
- Meat and poultry high in protein
- Dairy and eggs high in protein
Nutrient values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018; Foundation Foods, April 2026) and shown per serving as described on each page. %DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. This is nutrition data for general information, not medical or dietary advice; talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs. How the numbers are calculated.