This is a list of things I keep on hand at all times in order to be able to easily and quickly prepare a delicious, nutritious and cruelty free vegan meal any time I need to! Yes, there are many things listed here and you may feel like you don’t need this much variety or you may choose to leave some out (or add others) due to tastes or cultural habits, but I think this is a good place to start!
I bet you’re probably thinking, “Holy WHAT?! That’s a million things.” And I agree. I’m an artist at heart and my favorite medium is food. Shopping for ingredients is my idea of a good time and I love trying new things.
But guess what? For the most part, I keep all of this and more in my 200 sq. ft. tiny house. I have an outside freezer because I prefer to freeze my garden produce over canning it and I prefer to have a lot of prepared meals on hand. As someone with a diagnosis of mental illness, my motivation can vary greatly from day to day.
What do you think your pantry will look like once you’re a vegan pro? Will you have fewer or more ingredients? Will you collect rare vinegars or eat the same things every day? You get to choose!
Carbs/Starches:
Bread (whole grain)
Pasta/Noodles (some type of small Italian pasta like spaghetti or rotini, lasagna sheets, rice noodles, ramen)
Flatbreads: Pitas (Greek)/Naan (Indian)
Tortillas – corn and whole wheat flour (masa harina if you want to make tamales or tortillas from scratch)
Polenta/Grits/Stone Ground cornmeal
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Rice (brown, Arborio, basmati, wild, black)
Barley
Farro
Quinoa
Oats (steel cut and rolled)
Crackers (whole grain only)
Pizza dough – whole grain
The following items are occasional use for me. I don’t always keep these items stocked, but will buy or make them every so often for variety. What would you add to this list?
*Egg roll or wonton wrappers (usually not whole grain)
*Pancakes/Crepes
*Waffles
*Spaghetti squash
*Pie crust
* Biscuits
*Corn bread
* Couscous (regular and “pearl”)
* Rice paper
I also count “spiralized” vegetables like zucchini as a “carb” when planning meals.
Beans/Legumes:
Pinto beans
Black beans
Great northern beans
Cannellini beans
Kidney beans
Small red beans
Lima beans
Butter beans
Lentils (black, green, red)
Split peas (yellow or green)
Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
Misc. Pantry:
Vinegars (apple cider, rice wine, red wine, white wine, balsamic)
Hot Sauce (Sriracha, Tabasco)
Soy Sauce or Tamari
Worcestershire sauce (most are not vegan, check labels)
Coconut milk
Olives (black, green, kalamata)
Maple syrup
Sugar (can be coconut sugar, but I keep regular organic sugar on hand)
Brown Sugar
Cocoa powder
Baking powder
Baking soda
Panko bread crumbs
Yeast
Salt
Coconut oil – I don’t cook with oils on a daily basis, but I have some on hand for special occasions/recipes
Sesame oil
Olive oil
Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin)
Nuts (pecan, walnut, cashew, peanut, pistachio, macadamia, pine)
Peanut (or other nut) butter
Tahini
Granola
Popcorn
Canned tomatoes (diced, sauce, paste)
Chipotle peppers in adobo
Artichoke hearts
Canned or jarred green chilis
Pickled jalapenos
Sun dried tomatoes
veggie bouillon
Vital Wheat Gluten (for making seitan)
Chickpea flour
Whole wheat flour
Nutritional yeast
Herbs/Spices:
Cumin
Coriander
Thyme
Rosemary
Sage
Oregano
Basil
Chile powder
Cayenne pepper
Red pepper flakes
Turmeric
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika (smoked and regular)
Dill
Curry powder
Chipotle powder
Garam masala
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cardamom
Refrigerator staples:
Fresh cilantro and basil
Plant Milk
Non dairy Butter (not for daily use)
Mustard (yellow and dijon)
Tabasco
Sweet chili sauce
Chili garlic sauce
Gochuchang
ketchup
Tofu – I buy medium firm and extra firm, for different applications. Sometimes I get smoked tofu, it’s great in sushi
Seitan – I prefer homemade and will almost always have some in my fridge and freezer
Vegetable stock paste or cubes (also not chicken or not beef bouillon is handy to have)
Vegetables:
Garlic
Ginger
Onion
Carrots
Tomatoes
Lettuce for salads/sandwiches/wraps
Scallions
Greens (spinach, kale, mustard, collard, beet)
Cabbage
Bell pepper
Squash (zucchini, yellow, acorn, butternut, spaghetti)
Broccoli
Cilantro
Parsley
Potatoes
Other seasonal vegetables as available : asparagus, corn, green beans, eggplant, cauliflower, leeks, bok choy, parsnips, etc. Buy what’s in season and what’s on sale!
Fruit:
Bananas
Apples
Pineapple
Avocado
Lemons
Limes
Other seasonal fruits as available or use frozen fruit in smoothies and cooked preparations.
Frozen Staples:
Corn
Peas
Edamame
Spinach or other greens
Green beans
Okra
Bananas for smoothies
Fruits (mostly for use during fall/winter)
Vegetable Stock (can be boxed and in the pantry instead of the freezer)
Veggie Burgers – other mock meats too, I don’t use them very quickly so I keep them in the freezer
This list is what I call “flavor bombs”…items that you should always have on hand in order to take any meal to the next level.
Basil pesto
roasted garlic
citrus juices (lemon, lime, orange…can be frozen)
roasted red peppers
Capers
truffles
curry paste (red, green, yellow)
ginger/garlic paste
Harissa paste
Chimichurri
Sun dried tomatoes