While trying to put a meal together recently, I was looking for some inspiration, and I came up with the idea of putting together a list of staple ingredients that we try to maintain in our house and I was surprised at just how much variety there really was.
Seeing it in this form makes it easy to scan the list and come up with some ideas for meals, so I thought it would be useful to share.
What would you add to the list? What ingredients can’t you live without?
Building blocks
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Beans (our favourites: pinto, kidney, garbanzo, cannelini, black, refried)
- Greens (our favourites: spinach, kale, romaine lettuce)
- Seitan, tempeh, tofu
- Bread (our favourites: ciabatta, Ezekiel bread, Cuban/French bread, tortilla)
- Pasta
- Couscous
Protein
- Beans
- Quinoa
- Textured vegetable protein
- Tofu, seitan
- “Fake meat” (our favourites: Gardein, Field Roast Grain Meat Co., Tofurky, LightLife, Boca, Amy’s)
- Avocadoes
- Nut butters
- Lentils
- Hummus
- Flax seed
Flavour
- Stock/Bouillon
- Cilantro/coriander
- Lime, lemon
- Spices, fresh or dried (our favourites: cumin, basil, oregano, paprika, curry powder, turmeric, dill, crushed red pepper, sage thyme, rosemary)
- Soy sauce/tamari/Bragg’s
- Liquid smoke
- Nutritional yeast
- Sweet chili sauce
- Sesame oil
- Mustard
- Garlic, ginger, lemongrass
- Vanilla
- Hot sauce/sriracha
- Balsamic vinegar
- “Fake cheese” (our favourites: Daiya, Trader Joe’s Mozzarella)
- Onions, mushrooms
- Miso
- Tomatoes, fresh, paste, sauce, purée or sundried
- Chipotle peppers, adobo sauce
- Capers
- Wine
Crunch
- Croutons
- Wontons
- Nuts (our favourites: almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews)
- Carrots
- Water chestnuts
- Bell peppers
- Scallions/spring onions
- Apples
- Red cabbage
- Cucumber, celery
Sweetness
- Agave nectar
- Honey (not strictly vegan, but we don’t find issue with honey)
- Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Raisins
- Berries (our favourites: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries)
- Citrus (our favourites: oranges, tangerines, clementines, satsumas)
- Stone fruit (our favourites: nectarines, peaches, plums, cherries, pluots)
- Tropical fruit (our favourites: pineapple, mango, coconut)
- Other fruit (our favourites: grapes, bananas, apples)
- Corn
- Coconut milk
Others
- Almond milk
- Home-made “mayo”
- Apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar
- Himalayan salt
- Bisquick original mix
- Seaweed
- Crackers, chips
