Awhile back, Alicia Silverstone did a post about her top 20 ingredients she couldn't live without. Soon after, Cadry shared her list and Bobbie shared hers. Because list-making is one of my most favorite things in the world, I couldn't pass this opportunity up to make a list of things my vegan kitchen is never without.
MY TOP 25 VEGAN KITCHEN STAPLES
Legumes- Whether they are canned, dry, or cooked and stored in the fridge/freezer, I am never without my beans. Occasionally I'll get some more exotic varieties of beans, but I always have chickpeas, black beans, great northern white beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, and green peas in my kitchen. They are probably my most favorite source of protein and are great for making dips, stews, sloppy-joes, desserts, my favorite quick-fix dinner, and so much more.
Maple-Glazed Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas
Rolled Oats- Oatmeal is definitely one of my standard breakfasts. I also always have oats on hand because I never know when I'm going to want to whip up some granola or cookies. They're also great to have around for blending into oat flour.
Whole Grains- At any given time, I have at least five different grains in my pantry, usually more. Rice, quinoa, millet, farro, and couscous are always on stand-by, and in most cases, so are wheat berries, buckwheat groats, and polenta. Like legumes, they're perfect for whipping up a quick dinner or even a more fancy one.
Flours- I love to bake, so flour tends to be necessary for those things. I don't adhere to a gluten-free lifestyle, but I do find that I feel better when I don't consume a lot of it. Because of that, I have a variety of gluten-free flours, such as buckwheat, brown rice and sorghum, in addition to my regular flours, like whole wheat pastry, spelt, and '00' bread flour.
Chickpea Flour- I use chickpea flour for such a myraid of different things, I thought it deserved it's own separate category from the other flours. It has a somewhat eggy taste which makes it the perfect substitute to egg-based dishes like omelets or french toast. It's high in protein and wonderful for thickening gravies, baking, pancakes, waffles, and for coating cauliflower to make buffalo cauliflower wings.
Chana Masala Waffles with Samosa Potatoes and Cilantro Mint Chutney
Seeds- My kitchen is stocked with at least 6 different seeds at any given time: Flax, Hemp, Chia, Sesame, Sunflower, and Pepitas. They are extremely nutrient dense and pretty filling, giving you a lot of bang for your buck. I love adding a tablespoon or two to my daily smoothie.
Nuts- I eat nuts every single day. I make my own nut butters from a variety of different nuts and they're a great way to add a little flavor, texture, healthy fat and protein to your meal. And they're a great way to tide myself over in between meals or if I need a snack on the go.
Cashews- I'm including cashews as a separate item from nuts because they are so amazingly versatile and I use them for so many things. I always have a bulk stash cashews to use in nut butters, sauces, ricotta, cheese, desserts, cream, and so much more. These little guys are my kitchen's secret weapon.
Carrot Cashew Pâté Cucumber Canapé
Nutritional Yeast- I have been moved to almost crying and/or cursing and swearing upon finding that I am out of nooch. I use it so often, in so many things, that I take for granted that it's always there. There's nothing like being in the middle of making a cheesy recipe or roasting vegetables only to find out that you forgot to pick up more nooch at the store.
Unbleached Sea Salt- A little pinch of salt goes in almost all of my recipes. I also tend to have kala namuk (black salt), smoked salt, and a citrus herb sea salt on hand.
Bragg Liquid Aminos- In my early vegan days, I didn't want to be "that vegan" who uses weird ingredients like Bragg Liquid Aminos or nutritional yeast. Fast forward to now when my Bragg's is one of my most cherished ingredients. It tastes similar to soy sauce or tamari, but is packed with nutrients, such as B vitamins. It's such a great ingredient for adding a bit of umami to a dish.
Apple Cider Vinegar- This healthy staple is one of my favorites for making salad dressings and when mixed with a non-dairy milk and allowed to rest, it makes an amazing substitute for buttermilk.
Coconut Oil- A much more nutrient dense oil to keep in your kitchen. When I have time to make my own butter, I use coconut oil. It's also a must for baking.
Chewy Apricot Almond Oatmeal Cookies
Olive Oil- I know there is a lot of controversy about how good olive oil is for you, but I am in the pro-oil camp. I only use high-quality olive oil though- it's worth the investment. Years ago, I never cooked with olive oil. I never even had it in the house! Then after my first trip to Europe (where I got to taste some of the world's best olive oils), I came home and bought a bottle and fell in love with how a little bit added so much richness to my meals. As with most high calorie/fat ingredients, however, it should be used in moderation.
Maple Syrup- one of my most favorite sweeteners. It's wonderful in baked goods, granola, and of course as a topping for pancakes and waffles. It's also a must for my favorite way to prepare broccoli.
Blackstrap Molasses- This stuff is not only delicious, but is a source for mega amounts of iron. It has more iron per ounce than beef! I also use blackstrap molasses in baking and when I make granola, but my favorite use is just a spoonful in my morning oatmeal.
Sriracha- The king of hot sauces and coincidently, the only hot sauce that doesn't upset my stomach (thank goodness!).
Falafel Tacos with Sriracha Tahini Sauce
Onions & Garlic- These are two very inexpensive, highly flavorful ingredients. They can be added to so many recipes to add a lot of oomph without draining your pocket book.
Lemons- A splash of lemon juice can brighten up almost any dish. I drink warm lemon water first thing every morning and it has done wonders for my health- increased energy, more balanced appetite, less bloating, more regularity, clearer skin, and the list goes on. I also love lemon flavored foods like hummus, pancakes, or cookies.
Avocados- Healthy fat, super versatile, and crazy delicious. Need I say more?
Cilantro Avocado Chickpea Salad Tacos
Mushrooms- I've never met a mushroom I didn't like. I love their versatility, texture, taste, and their ability to take on whatever flavor you choose. If I could, I would add them to almost everything- pizza, burgers, tacos, farrotto, stuffing, gravy, frittatas, seitan- you name it, I've done it!
Baby Carrots- These guys are the perfect healthy snack- handy, no-fuss, and tasty. A few of these and some hummus makes up one of mine and Chris's favorite snacks.
Greens- Thanks to my CSA, I always have a full stock of greens. Kale, chard, collards, and spinach are nutrient powerhouses and at least one or two can be found in my refrigerator's crisper drawer at any given time. I tend to save the greens from my beets, turnips, and other root vegetables and bok choy, mizuna, arugula, and romaine can also be found there on occasion. I use greens in everything including salads, soups, stews, smoothies, side dishes, pesto, tofu scrambles, or just incorporated into a main dish.
Mizuna Pesto Farrotto
Almond Milk- Almond milk is my favorite of the non-dairy milks. It goes in everything- our cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, waffles & pancakes, baked goods and my stepdaughter even drinks it straight-up! Needless to say, we never let ourselves run low on this stuff.
Tofu- Tofu is pretty much my favorite go-to for when I don't know what to make for dinner. I can scramble it up, fry it, bake it, and it always produces a tasty and filling meal. It can replace eggs in some baked goods, giving a super-moist final product. It's also great for making creamy sauces, dressings, sour cream, and my favorite tofu chèvre.
Roasted Beet, Blood Orange & Fennel Pizza with Tofu Chèvre
What are your favorite kitchen staples?
Abby
I have to agree with a majority of your staples, minus any soy-based products (I have an intolerance) and not quite as many seeds (it's a cost thing.) But the items I ALWAYS have on hand and eat almost every day include asparagus, broccoli, shrooms, farro or rice, oatmeal, shredded wheat, chickpea flour, almond milk, Kukicha tea, Earth Balance, chickpeas, almonds, sunflower seed butter, Ezekiel bread, bananas, avocados, garlic, tahini, Bumble Bars, spinach and sometimes Amy's California burgers/roasted veggie pizza and Daiya.
Those are the staples!
keepinitkind
Almond milk was on my original list, along with tomato paste, tahini, and miso, but my obsessive compulsive side needed the list to be exactly 25. 😉
Veronica @ Veggie V's Vegan Adventuree
Pretty much the same things 😉
keepinitkind
Thanks for stopping by, Veronica! 🙂
Kim @ Cooking in the City
I love reading about other people's kitchens! My staples are pretty similar- a variety of nuts/ seeds/ grains/ oils, greens, bananas and frozen fruits/ veggies are my must-haves.
keepinitkind
Yes! Frozen fruits! That's definitely a staple over here as well! 🙂
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
I totally agree with all of these, nutritional yeast has become a new favorite!
keepinitkind
Once you go nooch, you never go back. 🙂
Andrea
I think you'd be right at home in my kitchen — all your favorites are here. 🙂
keepinitkind
I think I would then! I'm sure the company would be pretty awesome to. 🙂
Nicole
I love how my kitchen has almost everything on this list! I will definitely be sharing this everywhere. Thank you!!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Nicole! 🙂
Maria Tadic
I loved this post. I always like knowing what other people use the most and how they use it. Thanks for posting all the recipes too - can't wait to try a lot of them!!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Maria! I am so glad you find it useful! 🙂
Willow Loney
I was just wondering what brand of coconut oil do you use?
keepinitkind
Trader Joe's has an organic virgin coconut oil I like, mostly because it's in my price range. 🙂
Maria De La Torre
That's one thing that I worry about eating helathy it can get pretty expensive I have a family of 5
Andrew
This is a cool idea! It's always fun to get insights into other vegan cooks' kitchens.
I basically use everything you mentioned, minus the Sriracha (I need to get some!) and the chickpea flour (I've never cooked with that.). And I might add brown rice syrup instead of molasses and whole-wheat pasta.
It's funny, I can totally related to not wanting to be "that vegan" with stuff like Braggs... but over time you get more confident until you realize you've fallen off the deep end of veganism :p
keepinitkind
Thanks, Andrew!
You totally nailed it- you always go in thinking that you're going to keep it simple, but soon you realize you've become that crunchy hippie vegan using weird ingredients and sprouting everything. 🙂
P.S. You totally need to start cooking with chickpea flour- it's amazing!
Richa
Ooh. I have to do this too.. i think mine will be these lentils those lentils
these beans, those peas :), these spices, those spices and more spices:)
keepinitkind
Hahahaha! I didn't even include spices because there were just too many. I think I'll save that for another post. 🙂
Dani
I have nearly all those things. I also need canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, canned artichoke hearts, an olives.
keepinitkind
Yes- canned tomatoes and olives could also go on my list! 🙂
Somer
Great list babe! I have most of those things as pantry staples too. I just need to get on the farrotto and black salt band wagon to hang with the hip kids 😉 All your recipe photos are making me HUNGRY! p.s. I tried to be a No oil girl for a while, I find I'm much happier, when like you, I'm an oil in moderation girl!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Somer! Trust me- once you try farrotto, you will be hooked! I make it at least once a month, if not more. And the black salt will change our tofu scrambles. And the pudlas! It's a nice little investment. 🙂
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete}
I love this Kristy! I was the same way with not wanting to be "that vegan". Now a year after switching to veganism, I am definitely that "weird crunchy hippy granola vegan" He he he.
I would be OCD about a list myself and have to have a number like 25 or 30.
keepinitkind
THanks, Anna! I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only "weird crunchy hippy granola vegan" with a touch of OCD out there. 😉
Donna
Yes, almost 3 years ago, I went on a trip with a Vegan friend... thought she was really weird, now I am as well, and well I am !
Gabby @ the veggie nook
I've actually been cooking up a similar post myself and we have so many similar staples! Oh sriracha, where would we be without you??
keepinitkind
I know- I've actually been toying with the idea of keeping a bottle in my purse. Yes, so I can be "that lady." 😉
heather
How did I miss this list! Our pantries are identical - seriously you could come over to my house and just about check off everything on this list..... I do always tend to have tempeh, liquid smoke, sales and tortillas on hand plus coconut flour - great pantries think alike!! Xo
keepinitkind
Awesome! And Liquid smoke! Always have that too. And usually tempeh, but sometimes our tempeh inventory gets low. 🙂
Courtney @ The Fig Tree
Excellent list! I adore making lists too. And budgeting. *haha*
keepinitkind
Thanks, Courtney! And I'm a budget machine- literally. Budgeting takes up a huge part of my job. 🙂
Allison
Hi! I'm new to the vegan world and just found (and love) your blog. Do you have any advice on how to start building up a pantry? Every time I read one of these lists I get so overwhelmed. Let's say I have $75 to spend. what would be the absolute musts to get me going? Also do you have advice about organization and storing? Right now my small closet pantry is a pile of bulk bin brown bags.
keepinitkind
Thank you, Allison! And welcome to the vegan world! 🙂
I completely understand the overwhelming feeling. When I first became vegan, I was terribly overwhelmed by all the changes I had to make. I think doing them gradually is always the easiest. Fruits and vegetables and things like non-dairy milk, tofu and/or tempeh (if you eat soy) will probably be in your normal grocery budget. If you wanted to spend a little extra to stock up, I would focus on these: dry beans (that you can cook in bulk and freeze so that you always have cooked beans on hand), a few different grains (rice, farro, couscous, or millet. Quinoa is good, but can be a little more pricey), nutritional yeast (which can often be bought in bulk bins too), cashews (and maybe one other type of nut that you like), apple cider vinegar, chickpea flour (also can be found in some bulk bins), and a few spices that you love. Then you can build from there- other flours (if you like to bake), oats, more nuts and seeds, and specialty items like Liquid Smoke and Bragg Liquid Aminos.
I store most of my dry goods in glass jars. I save jars from every jarred good I buy and get my larger jars at places like TJ Maxx/Home Goods. I write the name of the jar contents on a piece of painter's tape and stick it to the bottom of the jar. I keep the jars lined up on my kitchen counter because a.) our tile is really ugly and b.) our pantry is extremely small and doesn't have room for all of them. This not only keeps them organized, but it helps me keep in mind what I have. When I'm trying to figure out what to make, I just look at all the jars to take stock of my options.
I hope that helps, Allison! Don't hesitate to ask me any other questions you may have! 🙂
Allison
Thanks Kristy! This helps a lot. I've been vegan for two weeks today. It's been so much easier than I anticipated, but it's also resulted in a lot more grocery runs than I normally make. Your advice will definitely help. One more question on the pantry stuff. How easy is it to substitute one grain for another or one flour for another in recipes? Will it just be a small taste/texture change or are somethings best kept true to the recipe?
I also have a non-pantry question that I haven't had much luck finding an answer to on my own. I see that you have dog as do I. I've heard some really horrible things about what is in dog food (like the ground up boy chicks). I've heard that Ellen DeGeneres was trying to create a vegan dog food, but it was met with a TON of criticism about dogs requiring meat. Do you do anything special for your dog food? I hate the idea that I'm participating let alone making something as horrible as grinding up baby chicks profitable to the companies that do it.
keepinitkind
Well, congrats! It will only get easier and easier. 🙂
As for substituting grains and flours. It's really a case by case basis. A lot of times, you can interchange quinoa, rice, farro, millet couscous, or other various grains in recipes unless the recipe is specifically geared towards that grain. Baking can be a little more tricky. Different flours can definitely change the texture, sometimes the taste. What I've found, though, is that some flours absorb more liquid than others (this is not scientifically speaking). Sometimes, you will have to use less or more of a type of flour if your subbing it for another. The best advise I can give is to play around with it. That's how I learned and how I'm still learning!
I'm so happy you asked about the dog food. Switching Sam to a plant-based diet changed her life. She is like a puppy again and her coat is constantly shiny. Dogs are not obligate carnivores. They are scavengers and can live off of anything they find. Cats, on the other hand, are obligate carnivores as they need taurine from animal protein to survive. This is a pretty controversial subject, but I can honestly say that Sam thrives on a vegan diet. I know there are some people who cook for their dogs or prepare their meals for them. I don't because a.) I don't have that kind of time, b.) Sam is a picky eater, and c.) I don't' trust myself to consistently provide her with meals that are nutrient dense and balanced. We use Natural Balance's vegan formula because I can pick it up at Whole Foods whenever I need it. There is an all-vegan dog food company, V-Dog, which Sam tried a sample of once and liked, but she didn't go crazy for it the way she does for Natural Balance. She did, however, LOVE their breath bones. 🙂
I hope that helps! Let me know if there are any other questions you have. 🙂 Have a good weekend!
Amy
I wish I had seen a list like this when I was vegan! I only kept about a quarter of the pantry ingredients you listed in my home. I loved to bake, so I always had a big box of Ener-G on hand. I also really liked keeping seitan in the fridge, more than tempeh or tofu!
keepinitkind
I've got that big box of Ener-G too, and my husband loves seitan so I try to make some for him every now and again. 🙂
Graham
I like to keep celery for mirepoix and spreading some tasty alternate nut butter on
Lorea
Thank you so much! I started vegan today after watching "Get Vegucated" on Netflix. Seeing your staples has eased my mind almost 100%! Thanks! Everything is mostly affordable 🙂
keepinitkind
Wow! Thank you! And good luck! 🙂
Becky
I love cocoanut milk/cocoanut cream and love to keep a can of Thai Kitchen cocoanut milk (full fat) in the fridge for those times I really crave whipped cream - it's an awesome substitute. I also must admit that, while I have a jar of blackstrap molasses, I haven't ever used them or figured out how to use them!
Leslie
Wonderful to find your list of staples! Some other things on my staples list : veggie broth, diced tomatoes, applesauce, herbs and spices, soy pieces, dried fruit, a variety of vinegars (rice, red wine, ume plum, and balsamic). Be sure to use a grater or micro planer to save the lemon zest from the outside of your lemons- store the zest In a jar in the freezer to keep fresh!
Jennifer
Thank you so much for posting all this! I need to go vegan for my health and really didn't know where to start. You have given me a great place to start! I have all your staples saved in my memos in my phone for next time I go grocery shopping.
Serenity
I have been a vegetarian a little over a year and am interested in becoming a vegan! Thank you for sharing!
Becca
I love your blog! I recently decided to decrease my consumption of animal products. I went vegetarian about a month ago, but I still want to cut out more animal products, because I want to eat a more environmentally friendly diet. Your blog is so encouraging! Thank you!
Joshua Howard
Hi! Thank you for the share! I am a vegan and I also have my staples. They are fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, cashews and almonds, extra virgin olive oil, hemp and chia seeds, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup.