Stocking a Gluten-Free and Vegan Pantry
A love letter to my favorite ingredients plus a guide to upgrading your pantry for complex, but effortless, meals.
If there’s one thing that makes or breaks a meal, it’s the quality of ingredients you use. Obviously right? Not so fast. Spices aren’t spices, and vegetables aren’t vegetables.
A few short years ago I met the founder of Diaspora Co. at a Women in Food event in Portland, OR. At the time, turmeric was their sole focus, importing the golden root from single farms in India all while paying 6x the commodity price, cutting out the middleman, supporting regenerative agriculture, and providing healthcare to their farmers. After trying their turmeric and 30 other spices, I truly realized how vastly different single-origin spices that were recently harvested were from the stale jars purchased at the supermarket. The difference is unimaginable until you’ve tried it, side by side.
In 2011, after watching a documentary on agricultural practices, I decided to start purchasing mostly organic food. This hasn’t changed in the eleven years since but the at-home impromptu taste test was another wake-up call that slapping an organic label onto something doesn’t automatically equal the best quality. I see this in the wilted vegetables and bruised fruit that even my bougie neighborhood grocery in a large metropolitan city has compared to the quality at our weekly Farmer’s Market. I recognized it when tasting Diaspora’s cumin right next to the Simply Organic cumin that I plucked off the shelves at Whole Foods, the difference a literal mile apart in complexity and richness.
This concept bubbles over into many different ingredients: spices, oils, vinegar, flours, etc. and even other purchases - my latest find, a closed-loop clothing company named For Days that makes awesome organic cotton clothing and recycles it when you’re done with it, providing you with a credit for future items.
I recently had a spark of inspiration for a completely closed-loop government-funded recycling system. Bear with me for a moment here. It was after seeing this home recycling solution in an Instagram ad that I had a flash of the future when I imagined every home is equipped with a recycling unit that breaks down paper, plastic, and metal into their raw components as well as a compost system that breaks down food waste. Those components are then retrieved by our standard city workers and then sold by the government back to manufacturers. The revenue from the sell-back would fund the installation of the units in every home. This closed-loop system would eliminate our excessive waste while supporting climate change efforts. I adored this spark of creative daydreaming, wouldn’t that future just be amazing? Zero-waste, effortlessly.
Back to reality, and a little less lofty disposition…
When I started stocking my pantry with quality ingredients a sort of alchemy happened. With each scoop of cumin or dash of Guntur Sannam Chillies I felt connected, inspired, and supported by the hands that harvested those spices just a few short months prior to me using them in my kitchen on the other side of the globe. There’s a magic that happens when you realize that a relationship is truly beneficial for both the creator and the consumer. Isn’t this how commerce should work? It would be a vast upgrade from our current capitalist society.
Since the epiphany that came with changing my spice choices, I’ve carried that intention through to other ingredients and I’m excited to share my favorite resources with you for stocking a badass pantry. Having a fully stocked pantry is essential for making complex but effortless meals. Below, I’ve shared both a generalized guide for what you should have on hand for a stocked gluten-free and vegan-friendly pantry and also linked to my favorite resources for some items. These are just my suggestions, I would love it if you shared your favorite pantry staples and sources in the comments. I’m always on the lookout for amazing brands doing inspiring work.
I also thought that maybe sharing my pantry list may help spark some creativity if you’re in a kitchen rut or just looking to level up your ingredients. Sometimes I find that all it takes to pull me out of a cooking rut is to have a new ingredient I’m excited about on hand.
A quick note - none of the links below are affiliate links. I personally love each brand I’ve linked to, have not received compensation from any brand, and I’m sure they have zero idea I’m even mentioning them. These brands are what I’d tell a friend that asks for a recommendation.
My Favorite Vegan Pantry Essentials
Spices/Dried Herbs
Most of my spices come from Diaspora Co., Burlap and Barrel, and Daphnis and Chloe. My salts come from Jacobsen Salt Co., and Big Sur Salts (their O M Chi Salt is magnificent). When available, I prefer to purchase whole spices and grind them myself if I need them to be powdered. This retains the most flavor as ground spices lose their flavor quicker. This is my complete list of spices that I consider “must-haves”. If I have a favorite, it’s linked:
Allspice
Anise
Basil
Black Salt
Black Truffle Salt
Cayenne
Celery Salt
Celery Seed
Chamomile
Chili Powder (the typical Mexican blend but also single ground chili peppers like these.)
Chives
Cumin Seed (grinding this fresh is the cumin explosion you never knew you needed)
Curry Powder
Dill Weed
Extracts (almond, peppermint, coconut, orange)
Garlic Salt
Mustard
Mustard Seeds (black and yellow)
Nutmeg - pair whole nutmeg with a Microplane for the best flavor
Old Bay
Onion Powder
Paprika
Parsley
Poppy Seed
Red Pepper Flakes - I keep Italian style and Korean
Seaweed (flakes, granules, powder)
Sesame (white and black)
Seasoning Salt
Sumac
Star Anise
Tarragon
Thyme
Vadouvan Spice
Vanilla - pure extract, whole beans, and paste
Wasabi Powder
Handy blends: Garam Masala, Chai, Za’atar, Cajun, Jerk, Pumpkin Pie, Taco, Furikake, Italian. You can make these from the single spices above but blends are arguably easier.
Oil
You’ll never find vegetable oil in my pantry. Along with being highly inflammatory and full of Omega 6 fatty acids, I try to source my ingredients as close to the earth as I can most of the time, mainly so that I have room for the things I can’t control the ingredients of. Balance, right? The oils I have on hand are olive, avocado, coconut, and sesame. I use olive oil for raw dishes or to dress, such as a drizzle over avocado toast or tossed with fresh greens. Avocado oil is reserved for cooking purposes, think frying, roasting, sautéing, etc. Coconut oil is my least used oil but it’s great in raw desserts and some baking. A drizzle of sesame oil on some fried rice or braised Bok Choy is perfect.
I have tried numerous olive oils and even worked at a boutique olive oil shop many years ago. My favorite all-purpose olive oil is Bragg’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s unfiltered, unrefined, and made from single-origin Greek Koroneiki olives. It’s perfectly balanced and great for making bulk sauces like pesto, roasting garlic at a low temp, and where you want a clean olive oil flavor. For drizzling over dishes where you’d like a little extra flavor, I love Brightland infused olive oils. The “Lucid”, a bright lemon-infused Frantoio olive oil has been my go-to lately with its fresh acidity.
Avocado oil has received a lot of attention lately with a UC Davis research study that concluded that 82 percent of avocado oils on the market were rancid or mixed with other filler oils. Only two brands that were tested were pure avocado oil and/or not rancid, Chosen Foods, and Marianne’s Avocado Oil. I exclusively use Chosen Foods. I use avocado oil in any high-heat situation, when a neutral flavorless oil is needed (for any recipe that calls for vegetable/canola oil), and for general cooking.
Dr. Bronner’s does not only have my undying support for their Castile soap that I use for literally everything but they also make the best coconut oil. I use it for raw desserts the most but also for mixing with baking soda to create the perfect abrasive cleaner that works great in place of Goo-Gone-type or harsh abrasive cleaners.
Vinegar
Everything needs a bit of acid. Whether you’re using them to dress a salad, make a sauce, or pickle some veggies, vinegar is a must in the kitchen. For a fully stocked pantry, you’ll want the following:
Apple cider
Red wine
Balsamic
Distilled white
Champagne
Rice wine vinegar (seasoned and unseasoned)
If you’d like to add some fun variations to your collection, maybe for drizzling on greens, roasted veggies, or even ice cream? For those times, Tart makes fantastic kinds of vinegar made from ingredients like juniper or lavender. Ramp Up has a black garlic vinegar I’m in love with, and The Pair, from Brightland, is a great Champagne, Balsamic duo. Big League’s Vinegar Kit is next on my list to try.
Sauces
This category is vast and includes everything from tamari to everyday condiments. I’m sure you know the basics but here’s what I have on hand at all times:
Endless amounts of hot sauce - some favorite brands include Marshall’s Haute Sauce, 2 Angry Cats, Bonache, Yellowbird, and this one jalapeño cantaloupe hot sauce from The Spicy Shark I had on a retreat to the Catskills that I can’t quit dreaming about many moons later. Also a zippy Yuzu sauce.
Asian sauces - I use San-J Organic Tamari as I find it’s the perfect amount of saltiness and richness. I’ve been meaning to try Momofoku’s Tamari, I’ll circle back with an update in the comments when I do. I also keep a vegan/GF hoisin, Sriracha from Yellowbird, and Sambal Oelek on hand. I also tend to keep a bottle of Nong's Khao Man Gai Sauce as well as it’s great with rice, steamed veggies, and tofu.
Your American standards - Ketchup (typically unsweetened ketchup such as Primal Kitchen or my favorite and local Portland Ketchup), Mustard (yellow, Dijon, Whole Grain), BBQ sauce, Mayo (for the Duke(iest) vegan option I’ve found, Trader Joe’s Vegan Mayo Spread & Dressing does the trick), and I adore Follow Your Heart for good vegan replacements for blue cheese dressing (although making your own with their Blue “Cheese” Crumbles + some vegan yogurt and spices, it’s better than any blue cheese, real or not), and a great Honey Mustard replacement.
One sauce I use a lot is chipotle in adobo, I used to purchase the tin cans and blend the peppers to make it a sauce, now I turn to Frontera’s Chipotle Sauce that, in my opinion, is a direct replacement for the canned variety.
Pickled Things
I always keep a few pickled things on hand plus the standard dill pickle. Things like pickled onions, peppers, other vegetables like beets, cauliflower, and carrots. The more pickled things the better. Also, salt-packed capers and kimchi. I also go through phases with sauerkraut.
Canned/Jarred
Tomatoes (diced, crushed, whole, puree, paste, and some fire-roasted varieties)
Artichokes
Pumpkin
Green Chiles
Roasted Red Peppers
Sun Dried Tomatoes (in olive oil)
Broth
I always have vegetable broth on hand for easy soups and brothy beans. My go-to is Bonafide Provision’s Vegetable Broth. The quality is unmatched. It’s free from added oils and is perfectly balanced. I’d like to say I also have a shelf full of homemade canned broth that I made from my veggie scraps but I’m not that cool yet nor have I conquered my incessant fear of poisoning myself with home-canned goods. I even took a class(!), alas the fear remains.
Beans
Rancho Gordo has beautiful heirloom beans. I’ve enjoyed the daily ritual of soaking that comes with preparing dried beans. Christmas Lima and Vaquero are two of my personal favorite varieties. Primary Beans also has a great single-origin organic heirloom selection. I usually keep Pinto, Black, Navy, and Chickpeas on hand plus a few varieties of heirlooms. I guess we can also add in lentils here as well as black-eyed peas.
Grains
My personal go-to’s are white (Jasmine, Basmati, White Long Grain, Sushi), Brown, and Wild rice, quinoa, pasta (Italian style such as spaghetti, a shaped pasta, lasagna, and Asian style with endless varieties of rice noodles).
Flours/Baking
Most of my flours and baking essentials are sourced from Bob’s Red Mill, an employee owned food company based right outside Portland, OR. In all transparency, I have a longstanding partnership with Bob’s Red Mill starting way back with my first food blog, many years ago. Even before then, they were my go-to and despite their continued support, I recommend them for their quality and sustainability efforts.
Almond flour
Cornstarch
Arrowroot
Tapioca starch
1:1 GF flour blend (my favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1)
Millet
Sorghum
White rice
Brown rice
Xanthan gum
Agar Agar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cacao powder - Diaspora’s single-origin cacao powder is a dream. It’s incredibly luscious due to its high cacao butter content. I also like to keep some black cocoa powder on hand too.
Sugars
Coconut sugar
Date sugar
Cane sugar
Molasses
Brown sugar (light and dark)
Powdered sugar
Agave
Maple syrup
For sugar alternatives, I like Allulose and Erythritol for both granulated, powdered, and brown style replacements.
Nut/Seed Butters
Peanut
Almond
Tahini
Sunflower
Coconut
Other
Bulk nuts/seeds - almonds (whole, slivered, shaved), hazelnuts, macadamia, pepitas, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pistachios)
Cacao nibs
Nutritional yeast
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Flaked coconut
Butter - I personally enjoy Miyokos
Things I’m looking to add to my pantry
There are a few things I’ve been searching for options for. It’s hard (and a privilege) to be both gluten-free and vegan and striving to source from ethical companies. Sometimes I’ll find a company that checks a few boxes but not all. Here’s what I’m currently searching for. Have a recommendation? Leave it in the comments below!
Vegan fish sauce - I miss that deep umami flavor in my Vietnamese dishes. There are a few options (Ocean’s Halo being the most readily available) but I’ve yet to try them.
Gluten-free dark soy sauce - Tamari is so simple to find but I’ve yet to find a brand of gluten-free dark soy sauce. My noodle stir fry’s miss that deep dark richness that comes from dark soy.
Chili crisp made with avocado or coconut oil - I usually make my own chili oil and crisp since it’s so difficult to find one that’s made with the oils I’d prefer, I would love a pre-made option.
Heirloom popcorn kernels - My husband, Alex, makes a daily batch of popcorn and we’ve been less and less enthralled with the standard organic kernels from the grocery store that seem to leave more un-popped kernels than normal. I’d love to find an organic, ingenious owned, heirloom popcorn option.
My hope is that this becomes a great resource for stocking a gluten-free vegan pantry with a crowdsourced discussion in the comments section. If you’re looking for an ingredient recommendation, drop it in the comments. If you have an ingredient recommendation, either in response to an ISO question or just because we all love sharing our favorite foods, drop it in the comment section. You get the gist, let’s chat below!
