If you’ve decided to step up your game in the kitchen, then congratulations! Your reward? You and your family get delicious, satisfying meals every week. But it doesn’t happen all at once, and like any skill, you have to learn the basics first.
When you’re just getting started on your road to becoming a pro home cook, keeping all the right ingredients in stock and remembering which ones you need can be a hassle.
So, we’ve put together a convenient list of common cooking ingredients (other than salt and pepper) that are easy to find. We’ll also explain what dishes they’re perfect for, and why you should always have some on hand.
Garlic
Mmmm…garlic! You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t love the rich, savory, buttery flavor of cooked garlic. Used in all kinds of cuisines, this root vegetable is a global favorite.
Whether you like your cloves whole, minced, or crushed, garlic will give your dish an extra layer of umami flavor that will have everyone begging for seconds. And the best part is that it’s readily available everywhere!
Raw, unpeeled garlic will last around six months in a cool, dry place. You can even pickle the cloves and keep them in your fridge for around four months.
Butter
It doesn’t matter what kind of cuisine you eat most often; butter is sure to be part of the recipe in most cases, especially if you’re a fan of French food.
Besides adding flavor to your dishes, butter is used for greasing pans to keep food from sticking, adding some moisture to baked goods, and caramelizing or frying food. You’ll run out of butter fast, so don’t forget to stock up!
Vegan alternatives for butter: margarine, coconut oil, plant butter, olive oil
Eggs
Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, especially for vegetarians who can’t get their protein from meat. Easy to add to other recipes or fry up alone with a little dash of salt and pepper, they’re a perfect go-to for a quick breakfast.
They’re also used in thousands of recipes, like baked goods, fried foods, pasta, meatballs, and so much more.
Vegan alternatives for eggs: ground flax seeds, aquafaba, baking powder and oil, ground chia seeds, vegan egg substitute brands
All-Purpose Flour
When you think of flour, you may immediately think of cakes and other baked goods. However, flour has all kinds of other applications in cooking, including making a roux for bechamel (white sauce), thickening soups and sauces, and coating fried foods.
Gluten-free alternatives to flour: almond flour, sorghum flour. buckwheat flour, oat flour
Canned Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are a great ingredient to have ready for action, as they can be used in a wide variety of recipes for different cuisines, including Italian, Indian, Mexican, and Mediterranean. We like to use ours for homemade tomato sauce.
Shelf-stable, canned tomatoes can last in your pantry for a year and a half or more.
Canned Beans
Like canned tomatoes, canned beans are extremely versatile. Black beans, in particular, can be added to many recipes for an extra serving of vegan/vegetarian protein. One cup of black beans contains 15 grams of protein.
We add black beans to almost every Mexican and Tex-Mex recipe we make. Other canned beans can be the perfect addition to soup and chili.
Canned beans can also last up to 5 years on the shelf.
White or Red Onions
White and red onions are used in a surprising number of savory recipes.
Raw, they can add a bit of spice and crisp texture to a salad, burger, burrito bowl, etc. Cooked or—our favorite—caramelized, they impart a rich umami flavor to your food. You can even pickle red onions for a tangy topping.
Whole onions will last up to two months in the fridge, or up to six months in a cool, dry pantry.
Olive Oil
Like butter, olive oil is another cooking ingredient that’s bound to disappear fast, as it can be used in thousands of recipes.
Used in similar ways to butter as well, it’s useful for adding just a touch of subtle flavor and can be infused with herbs and spices to add complexity.
Olive oil is commonly used in bread dips, added to the pan to fry foods, and included in sauces to create a silkier texture. It’s also healthier than other oils such as canola or vegetable oil.
Basic Spices
The first thing any new cook needs to add to their kitchen is a spice rack full of all the most commonly used spices (no, salt and pepper won’t be enough).
Here’s a list of common spices we recommend making sure you have ready to go:
- Oregano
- Basil
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Red pepper flakes
- Turmeric
- Smoked paprika
Bouillon Cubes or Chicken/Vegetable Broth
If you’re a soup lover, then your pantry won’t be complete unless you have some bouillon cubes or chicken/vegetable broth ready to go.
Bouillon cubes are cubes of dehydrated broth that you can rehydrate to create a flavorful broth. They last longer on the shelf than cartons of broth, even for several years.
Whichever form you prefer, it will offer a quick base and make cooking soups a breeze. Broth is also a common ingredient in recipes other than soup, like risotto, chicken pot pie, and ratatouille.
Corn Starch
Corn starch has a few crucial applications for cooking that make it a great ingredient to have stocked up. It can be used to thicken sauces and stews and is often added to marinades to create a slurry to coat meat.
Heavy Whipping Cream
Heavy whipping cream is often used in recipes to add some silkiness to a soup or sauce, keep scrambled eggs or omelets fluffy, or create a luscious and decadent dessert like tiramisu and certain cakes. You can even use heavy whipping cream in your morning coffee!
Conclusion:
Making sure you and your family always have something delicious and nutritious around to make doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds—just keep these ingredients fresh and available.
And if you’re still running into some trouble in the realm of cooking and meal prep, that’s okay! Many of us have a hard time juggling cooking with all the other responsibilities we have on a daily basis.
You can always take a cooking class, consult a nutritionist, or hire a personal chef (even part time) to get you on the right track! Just take a look at our database of professional foodies for hire near you.
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