There have been times in the past where I starred at my near-empty fridge and thought “there is nothing to eat!” but in reality, there was a meal lingering in my pantry. 

One of my go-to’s is HH’s 6-ingredient Black Bean Burgers, which I recently made with kidney beans because I was all out of black beans!

A well stocked (and organized) pantry makes cooking fun, and also ensures you have a meal to fall back on. (If all else fails make pancakes or oatmeal!).

Below is a list of things I never let run out in my pantry, and as long as you have these you can make almost any recipe in either of my cookbooks or from this website.

Canned Goods: beans, tomatoes, pumpkin, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and vegetables

Dry Goods & Grains: brown rice, quinoa, oats, lentils, split peas, and dry beans

Condiments & Sauces: balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, marinara sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, salsa, peanut butter, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, soy sauce, and steak sauce

Spices: nutritional yeast, grwww.tumblr.comr, www.tumbwww.tumblrwww.tumblr.comnd cumin, ground ginger, chili powder, ground coriander, oregano, thyme, garam masala, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, kelp, curry powder, paprika, pumpkin pie spice, red pepper flakes (or cayenne pepper), turmeric, and  rubbed sage

Baking Needs: baking soda, baking powder, brown & raw sugar, agave nectar or pure maple syrup, cornmeal, flour (white whole wheat, white whole wheat pastry, chickpea), unsweetened applesauce, unsweetened cocoa, and vanilla extract

Produce & Herbs: garlic, onion, ginger, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery, seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, bananas, lemons, limes, apples, and out-of-season frozen fruits and vegetables

Other: tofu, vegetable broth, non-dairy milk, and miso

I am extremely worried about running out of non-dairy milk, vegetable broth, and applesauce that I panic if I have less than 2-3 spare containers of each on hand! Some of my favorite pantry recipes are the Red Lentil Dal, Cinnamon Buns (p. 36, HHC) and Black Bean & Salsa Soup (p. 100, EHH).