This is the basic way I keep my pantry stocked

Keeping your pantry stocked is a helpful way to always have your basic items on hand and you can avoid a lot of last-minute trips to the grocery store. Most of these items are so inexpensive so you can buy them in bulk to build up your pantry stock. Here is a list of what I think everyone needs to keep in their pantry.

Dry Spices

While fresh are always best when available, dry can work just as well. Whether it’s to make a rub, add to chili, stews or even soups. I always have a lot of different spices in my cabinet because I really like a lot of different flavors and ethnicities of food so this will really depend on your own cooking style. I do personally think it’s a must to at least start with these because they can be used in a lot of different dishes.

1. Salt- I guess this is obvious but I’ll list just in case. I like course Kosher salt best
2. Black pepper- also obvious? Fresh cracked or a course Pepper is best
3. Garlic Power
4. Onion Powder
5. Cinnamon
6. Chili Powder
7. Basil
8. Parsley
9. Thyme (I do like the ground thyme and with ground, a little goes a long way)
10. Rosemary
11. Paprika
12. Red chili flakes
13. Dill weed
14. Vanilla (pure is best but imitation works just fine too for a budget friendly option)

Starches and Grain

I always have some pasta or rice in my pantry for a quick and lazy meal option. I’ll keep flour on hand too because you can always whip up a batch of pancakes or even use to thicken a soup or stew. Quinoa is also great option because it’s packed with protein and works as a side dish, in a salad or as a standalone meal. I always keep dried lentils and peas so make a nice soup on a Sunday afternoon and keep for the week. Breadcrumbs are a must for me too, panko or regular. These are the current items I always have stocked

1. Rice- good for side dishes or full meals like chicken fried rice
2. Pasta- any type of your choice
3. Breadcrumbs, regular or panko (I do keep both, but you don’t have to)
4. Flour
5. quinoa
6. dried lentils and peas (great for lentil or pea soup)

Canned Goods are great pantry items

While I’d always recommend fresh veggies, no one really has that kind of time when it comes to making fresh beans. You could definitely buy them dried and go thru the whole soaking and cooking process but that takes a very long time and once they’re made, they won’t keep for longer than your leftovers would. Same with tomato sauce, you could make a quick sauce with some fresh tomatoes, but they are not keeping for more than a week. So, to always have some options on hand, these canned options are best. Beans are great in soups and chilis, so I always keep red, black and white beans depending on what I’m cooking. I use white or cannellini beans for this spinach and beans dish. And also keep a ton of chickpeas in stock too because they work in so many different recipes. And when I’m feeling lazy, I’ll throw together this quinoa and chickpea salad and call it a day.

1. Beans- black, red, cannellini or white
2. Olives- black and green (great salad fillers or for tapenade)
3. Canned tomatoes (whole, crushed or puree) great for Sunday sauces or chilis
4. Canned beets – I love fresh but not always time to roast so these are great for salads or a side
5. Canned corn- good to keep on hand for a chili, quick corn bread or salad add in

Liquids

Oil and vinegar are a very important part of the pantry, the obvious works for your very basic salad dressing but there are many times you will need to use olive oil outside of your salad and I couldn’t cook without it. You can use this when sautéing and roasting vegetables or marinating your meats. Check out this link to learn a little more about the different types of olive oils and their uses. I usually just buy the Extra Virgin and use it for everything. There are also many vinegar options out there. I’ll always keep basic white vinegar, a nice balsamic and rice wine vinegar on hand too. Some specialty stores have entire sections dedicated to vinegar and some even let you taste them. Soy Sauce is another very important liquid I always have on hand. I tend to stick with the light version for less sodium, but the dark is good to have as well. Soy sauce adds delicious flavor to many dishes and marinades.

1. Olive oil
2. white vinegar
3. balsamic vinegar
4. Rice wine vinegar (not mandatory but a good option to keep on hand)
5. soy sauce (light or dark works)

Baking and Other pantry items

I personally need sugar, feel free to skip if you disagree but I use it in my coffee, baking, sometimes I use brown sugar in my actual cooking so it’s an important staple in my pantry. And although I don’t use baking soda or powder super often, it is still a good option to have in your cabinet because it’s inexpensive and keeps pretty long. And, if you are a baker, you will definitely need these two items. Baking powder is even good to make pancakes from scratch.

1. White sugar
2. Brown sugar (great for rubs and marinades – pairs well with soy sauce)
3. Confectioner/Powdered sugar
4. Baking Powder (look for aluminum free)
5. Baking Soda

You can find the shopping list version here with all items (and a few others in one spot). You can also see a bit more of how I use each of these items in my daily cooking.