Seasonal fresh produce may be the champ of Earth-happy eating, but your cabinets are where meal-makers live. Stocking the right staples—including an array of protein sources and some flavor superstars—will help you confidently cook quick, balanced, and craveable meals any time of day.
Aside from the rice and pasta and olive oil you probably already have, many plant-forward recipes revolve around a core set of easy-to-find ingredients. Fill your cupboard, fridge, and freezer with this list of essentials—which we’ve recently refreshed with a couple newfound favorites—and you’ll have all the building blocks you need.
The Protein Pack
A well-rounded, plant-forward diet is naturally high in protein. In fact, many meatless staples—including quinoa, tofu, and tempeh—are actually complete proteins, meaning they contain the same nine amino acids animal products do.
Canned and dried beans (of course). These are essential for easy meals. You’ll get more beans for your buck if you can soak and cook dried ones, but canned varieties are excellent shortcuts with no nutritional difference.
Black beans. The most versatile legume in any cupboard is the GOAT for tacos, burritos, chilis, rice and beans, and burgers.
Cannellini beans. Marinate these white beans for the perfect picnic side—and pile leftovers on toast or toss them in pasta salad. You can even bake them into a sheet tray dinner, which makes them deliciously crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Cannellinis are also our fave legume to use in this pantry cleanout ribollita soup and the secret ingredient in our breakfast cookies.
Pinto beans. These off-white beauties are our No. 1 pick for homemade refried beans, which taste a million times better than store-bought.
Butter beans. These behemoths are incredibly creamy and add heft to curries and stews—a total meal in themselves. For a quick lunch or dinner, all you need is some brothy butter beans and a hunk of bread. When roasted, they become an addictive high-protein snack.
Canned chickpeas. The brine from a can of these (aka aquafaba) is super versatile. It can whip into a quick mayo, blitz into ranch dressing, or be used as a stand-in for egg white in desserts. Beyond that: Is there anything the garbanzo can’t do? Soups, hummus, pastas, “chicken” salad, crunchy snacks, burgers.
Tinned sardines or mussels. Surprise! You don’t have to swear off all animal products: Sardines and bivalves are some of the most sustainable proteins around. Keep a couple tins on hand for pantry pastas or quick lunches.
Lentils. There are dozens of varieties of these legumes, but three “musts:” Brown ones make a killer beefless bolognese, and red and yellow ones underpin hearty Indian recipes, like a cozy pot of dal. Pro tip: You can also swap half the meat for cooked lentils in your next batch of meatballs.
Quinoa. A weeknight lifesaver, this grain (technically a seed) is fast to cook and super filling. It’s a mainstay in salads and grain bowls, but you’ll also reach for it in burgers, for breakfast, or as a “beefy” taco filling.
Buckwheat. Buckwheat groats have an earthy flavor and are way less fussy to cook than rice. Plus, they are a complete protein! Reach for them instead of quinoa, rice or farro in a grain bowl or use them to make risotto. For breakfast, swap those oats for groats to make a hearty baked porridge.
Tofu. The OG plant-based protein absorbs the flavor of whatever it cooks with. We recommend keeping two varieties at the ready: Extra-firm tofu can be baked, fried, scrambled, or shredded up to swap in for ground meat, while the silken variety is great for blending into dressings, smoothies, and puddings.
Tempeh. This fermented soybean cake is firmer and funkier than tofu and holds up to any cooking method. It’s a satisfying stand-in for bacon in a sandwich or ground beef in a taco, but its meaty flavor really comes out when it’s deep-fried.
TVP (textured vegetable protein). Need a plant based swap for ground meat? This cheap, shelf-stable option is made from dehydrated soybean flour. Season and use the way you would use ground beef like in tacos or sloppy joes.
Soy curls. Talk about instant protein. This other form of dehydrated soybeans quickly hydrates in liquid and, when seasoned properly, make an uncanny substitute for chicken in soups, stir-frys and tacos.
Canned jackfruit. Green, unripe jackfruit doesn’t taste like much, but its texture makes it a great stand-in for meat. It tears apart easily and is an absolute flavor sponge, making it an ideal sub for shredded chicken or pulled pork.
The Dairy Replacers
These do-it-all ingredients will help you play with texture and flavor, but they’re also essential swaps for dairy.
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Nutritional yeast. The golden, umami-rich flakes provide a “cheesy” flavor anywhere you’d reach for grated fromage. One tablespoon has 4 grams of protein (that’s almost double what’s in Parm). It also adds heft to our favorite do-it-all special sauce.
Hemp seeds. These nutrient-dense seeds provide some texture when added to oatmeal, toast, or salads. They’re also ideal for making dairy-free milk that needs absolutely no straining.
Chia seeds. Beyond pudding, the absorbent and thickening qualities of chia seeds make them perfect for whipping up quick jam (without pectin).
Nuts. You’ll want something soft and fatty like cashews to make nut milk or a creamy mac ’n’ cheese, and something crunchy like almonds that toasts up well for granolas and salads.
Coconut milk. Reach for this wherever you’d use heavy cream: smoothies, curries, soups, braised greens, or even dreamy desserts.
The Flavor Superstars
Turn up the heat, zing, and umami in your dishes with these punchy ingredients that last almost forever in your fridge or pantry.
Chile paste. From spiced North African harissa to Korean fermented gochujang, there’s a whole world of chile pastes. Keep one or two around to throw into salad dressings, add to marinades for tofu or tempeh, or kick up a sheet tray dinner.
Kombu. There are tons of edible seaweed varieties, but we like to keep kombu on hand for infusing flavor into broths, beans, and stews. Think of it like the “bones” of veggie stock.
Miso. This fermented soybean paste is an umami-bomb in all kinds of dishes (dessert, too). We like the mellow sweet white kind for soups, glazes, and dressings, while longer-fermented red miso lends itself to heartier braised dishes.
Marmite. This British toast topper has a “love it or hate it” reputation, but we’re officially on Team Obsessed for the concentrated deep-and-savory flavor it lends to stews, sauces, and compound butters (like this one we slather on corn and biscuits). Reach for it anywhere you’d want the umami oomph from something like lardons or anchovies.
Dried chiles. When you’re short on aromatic vegetables and herbs, tossing one or two dried chiles like moritas or guajillos in a pot of soup, beans, or grains can add a sweet and smoky lift.
Dried mushrooms. Rehydrated in hot water, this veg can go anywhere you would use fresh ’shrooms—or blitz them for an easy one-ingredient seasoning.
Chipotles in adobo. A low-waste pantry MVP for flavoring anything from mayo to cornbread, these peppers (and the sauce they sit in) hit several flavor notes: sweet, tangy, smoky, and spicy.
Soy sauce or coconut aminos. Either of these sauces will add a savory depth to stir-fries, stews, and dressings. Coconut aminos are slightly sweeter and made from the sap of the coconut palm; with a pinch of salt, they can sub for fish sauce.
Sun-dried tomatoes. Concentrated ’maters add sweet/savory/tangy goodness to everything they touch. We love them for the base of a red pesto, flavoring a scramble, or tossing with pasta.
Whole-grain Dijon mustard. Our favorite mustard packs a pickle-y punch, and it adds texture and briny flavor to vinaigrettes, marinades, sandwiches, and more.
The Perishables
With more and more plant-based products hitting supermarket fridges, we expanded our shopping list to include some cold stuff like fermented goodies and frozen veggies.
Plant-based butter. There are several varieties of nondairy butter, but we love Miyoko’s Creamery because it melts and spreads like dairy butter and yields golden, brown results when baking.
Plant-based cream cheese. Beyond bagel shmear, a good vegan cream cheese is essential for dips, stuffed apps, and desserts like this icebox cake.
Frozen edamame and peas. These two freezer greens are packed with protein and taste just as delicious as their fresh counterparts. Our favorite way to eat them: Mashed into a quick toast topper, tossed in pasta or rice dishes, or blitzed into a pesto.
Kimchi. A spoonful of this Korean fermented cabbage a day has been shown to have myriad health benefits, but we keep it on hand for tossing into fried rice and spicy soups.
The Basics
Think of these foundational ingredients like they’re salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar: You should have them on hand no matter what.
Tahini. Aka sesame paste, this stuff can shine in baked goods, but it’s mostly a staple for adding depth to salad dressings, smoothies, hummus, and straight-up drizzling over roasted veggies.
Nut butters. Embrace nut butter’s savory side in everything from stir-fries and sauces to satays and stews. Classic peanut and cashew butter are good for a starter pack. The latter is creamier and slightly sweeter—perfect for puréeing into blender sauces or drizzling over oats.
Dried fruit. Cranberries, dates, and apricots add a delicious accent to savory rice dishes like biryani and salads, while golden raisins can add a sweet kick to a lentil picadillo and pantry pastas (and pair well with sardines!). We also love dried cherries for the sweet-tart flavor they add to baked goods, like these breakfast cookies.
Canned whole tomatoes. When fresh tomatoes are out of season, keep a stash of whole tomatoes around. Quarter, dice, or purée based on your needs.