Used by cooks for their subtle combination of savoury and sweet tastes, onions have trounced all-comers in a poll of 2,000 consumers.
The onion's triumph is partly a sign of more sophisticated dietary tastes, according to nutritionists. The survey also suggests that long-standing links with French onion-sellers have disguised a "sleeping native tradition" shown in dishes such as onion gravy.
Onions took 55% of the votes cast, with the runner-up - sweetcorn - trailing behind with only 18%. Carrots came third (11%) followed by peppers (7%), which just beat brussels sprouts (6%), once derided as the ultimate victim of the traditional British approach to boiling green vegetables to oblivion.
"Onions are an incredibly versatile food," said Juliette Kellow, a nutritionist at Dolmio Foods, which ran the survey.
Ms Kellow said it was predictable that men preferred peas while women voted for carrots. "Most men want a quick fix and peas are the ultimate convenience vegetable - they simply need to be thrown into a pan of boiling water," she said.
"Carrots need to be peeled and chopped and many men can't be bothered to spend time doing this. Women don't seem to mind."
Men also tend to boil vegetables, according to the survey, while women use steaming, which retains more of the nutrients. Younger people are meanwhile noticeably keen on greens for health reasons, but conservative in their tastes. Only 14% of 16-24-year-olds in the poll were interested in trying a new vegetable, compared with 51% of those from 45-54.
Top 10
1 Onion
2 Sweetcorn
3 Carrot
4 Pepper
5 Brussels sprout
6 Garlic
7 Pea
8 Spinach
9 Bean
10 Courgette
