Legumes high in vitamin C (per serving)
19 legumes ranked by vitamin C per common serving, from USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black leads with 6.5 mg per 1 cup (7.2% of the Daily Value), followed by Cowpeas, common (blackeyes (6.5 mg) and Broadbeans (fava beans) (4.6 mg).
Top 10 at a glance
Top 10 legumes highest in vitamin C
- Beans, black (mature seeds, canned, low sodium)1 cup (240 g) · 218 kcal6.5 mg7.2% DV
- Cowpeas, common (blackeyes (crowder, southern), mature seeds, canned, plain)1 cup (240 g) · 185 kcal6.5 mg7.2% DV
- Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds (canned)1 cup (256 g) · 182 kcal4.6 mg5.1% DV
- Beans, great northern (mature seeds, canned, low sodium)1 cup (262 g) · 299 kcal3.4 mg3.8% DV
- Beans, yellow (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (177 g) · 255 kcal3.2 mg3.5% DV
- Lentils, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (198 g) · 230 kcal3 mg3.3% DV
- Soybeans, mature cooked (boiled, without salt)1 cup (172 g) · 296 kcal2.9 mg3.2% DV
- Hummus, home prepared2 tbsp (30 g) · 53 kcal2.4 mg2.6% DV
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram) (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (164 g) · 269 kcal2.1 mg2.4% DV
- Beans, french (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)1 cup (177 g) · 228 kcal2.1 mg2.4% DV
All 19 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 90 mg.
| # | Food | Serving | Vitamin C (mg) | % Daily Value | Per 100 g | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beans, black (mature seeds, canned, low sodium) | 1 cup (240 g) | 6.5 | 2.7 | 218 | |
| 2 | Cowpeas, common (blackeyes (crowder, southern), mature seeds, canned, plain) | 1 cup (240 g) | 6.5 | 2.7 | 185 | |
| 3 | Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds (canned) | 1 cup (256 g) | 4.6 | 1.8 | 182 | |
| 4 | Beans, great northern (mature seeds, canned, low sodium) | 1 cup (262 g) | 3.4 | 1.3 | 299 | |
| 5 | Beans, yellow (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (177 g) | 3.2 | 1.8 | 255 | |
| 6 | Lentils, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (198 g) | 3 | 1.5 | 230 | |
| 7 | Soybeans, mature cooked (boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (172 g) | 2.9 | 1.7 | 296 | |
| 8 | Hummus, home prepared | 2 tbsp (30 g) | 2.4 | 7.9 | 53 | |
| 9 | Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram) (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (164 g) | 2.1 | 1.3 | 269 | |
| 10 | Beans, french (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (177 g) | 2.1 | 1.2 | 228 | |
| 11 | Beans, cranberry (roman) (mature seeds, canned) | 1 cup (260 g) | 2.1 | 0.8 | 216 | |
| 12 | Mung beans, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (202 g) | 2 | 1 | 212 | |
| 13 | Beans, navy (mature seeds, canned) | 1 cup (262 g) | 1.8 | 0.7 | 296 | |
| 14 | Mungo beans, mature seeds (cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (180 g) | 1.8 | 1 | 189 | |
| 15 | Peas, split (mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) | 1 cup (196 g) | 0.8 | 0.4 | 231 | |
| 16 | Tofu, soft (prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) | 1 cup (1/2" cubes) (248 g) | 0.5 | 0.2 | 151 | |
| 17 | Tofu, raw (firm, prepared with calcium sulfate) | 0.5 cup (126 g) | 0.3 | 0.2 | 181 | |
| 18 | Tofu, firm (prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) | 0.5 cup (126 g) | 0.3 | 0.2 | 98 | |
| 19 | Peanuts, all types (oil-roasted, without salt) | 1 oz shelled (32 nuts) (28 g) | 0.2 | 0.8 | 170 |
Vitamin C 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 vitamin C is left out rather than counted as zero. Full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which food is highest in vitamin C?
Among legumes in the USDA database, Beans, black (mature seeds, canned, low sodium) has the most vitamin C per serving: 6.5 mg per 1 cup (7.2% of the Daily Value). Per 100 g it contains 2.7 mg.
How much vitamin C do I need per day?
The FDA Daily Value used on Nutrition Facts labels is 90 mg of vitamin C 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 vitamin C?
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. 0 of the 19 foods on this list reach 20% DV per serving.
Related rankings
- Foods high in Vitamin D
- Foods high in Vitamin B12
- Foods high in Vitamin A
- Foods high in Vitamin E
- Foods high in Vitamin K
- Foods high in Vitamin B6
- All foods high in vitamin C
- Fruits high in vitamin C
- Vegetables high in vitamin C
- Nuts and seeds high in vitamin C
- Fish and seafood high in vitamin C
- Meat and poultry high in vitamin C
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.