Everything in my Pantry – ESSENTIALS!

Having a well stocked pantry is essential to creating quick easy meals. Not only can knowing your pantry staples help you curate your weekly go-to recipes, but knowing where to source these ingredients and keeping them in stock consistently can also be an opportunity to save money. In this post, I’m going to show you the ESSENTIALS I keep in my pantry and where I like to source the ingredients from.

In my next post, I’ll be sharing my nice to have and bonus items I like to keep stocked, and several more delicious recipes you can make with those as well.

Essentials – Non Asian Pantry Items 

Champagne Vinegar – my favorite vinegar for homemade vinaigrettes. Delicious salads come from the simple ingredients, and having a high quality vinegar (and fresh squeezed lemon juice) makes the biggest difference.  Save your money on fancy olive oils, just use a generic high quality extra virgin olive oil, and spend your money on the good vinegar, especially for Champagne vinegar. A few brands I love are Napa Valley and O California – I get these from Whole Foods. 

Balsamic Vinegar – Another staple in my pantry. A homemade balsamic vinaigrette takes less than 5 minutes to make with pantry staples, and is better than anything you’ll get at the store. I’m a true believer that once you start making your own dressings, you’ll never go back to store bought. Balsamic vinegar is easier to find than champagne vinegar and I’ve used multiple brands that were all great. Since I use a good amount of balsamic vinegar for cooking, I use a more economical one from Trader Joe’s.

White Vinegar – Generic white vinegar that I’ll use for pickling liquid (I also use this for making pickled red onions) Any generic brand is fine. I’ll also use this for cleaning. 

Cold Extracted Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I love the Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco. It’s really high quality, delicious tasting, and great value compared to other brands. Cold extracted just means it’s gone through less processing and is more fruity and flavorful. I mainly use this extra virgin olive oil for vinaigrettes, sauces, pastas, crostinis, and anything that wants a really delicious deep olive oil flavor.

Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil – Anytime a recipe calls for neutral oil, I use this extra light tasting olive oil. The flavor isn’t as noticeable (I prefer this for asian dishes) and it’s a more economical for cooking compared to extra virgin olive oil. I use this light olive oil instead of other neutral oils like Canola, Vegetable, or Avocado oil.

Kosher Salt – A culinary standard, and although this isn’t the easiest salt to find for the home cook, it standardizes the way you cook. If you have another type of salt you love, that’s also totally fine, just note the quantity of salt I use in my recipes is based on Diamond Crystal kosher salt. I keep 2-3 boxes on hand at all times so we never run out. I buy this at select Whole Foods (not all of them have it in stock), but you can also order it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3NmeVnD.

Black Pepper – A basic spice that can add so much depth and the perfect punch to a dish. Freshly ground pepper is always the best. I get whole black peppercorns at Costco and put them in my Pepper Mill.

Garlic Powder – a great spice to add to marinades and sauces if you don’t have fresh garlic (or just don’t feel like mincing garlic). I keep a large quantity around since I use it so frequently and get this at Costco.

Dried Oregano – a key spice that is so versatile and adds that depth of flavor in many western dishes. I use this spice the most along with garlic powder, and it’s a key ingredient in any of my homemade BBQ marinades.

White Quinoa – I’ve slowly converted to eating more quinoa over rice because it’s packed with more nutrients and protein. I get the organic Kirkland brand at Costco and use it on a weekly basis.

Panko Breadcrumbs – A pantry staple I keep on hand for meatballs. My favorite brand is Kikkoman, and I usually stock up on this from H mart. 

Organic Mayo – It wasn’t until I had fresh homemade mayo in culinary school where I really learned to enjoy mayo, and now I always have a high quality mayo in the fridge. The organic Whole Foods brand is great. 

Tahini (sesame paste) – Tahini might not seem like an essential, but this ingredient is the secret for SO MANY recipes. I might be biased, but I really think this is a staple ingredient, and getting a high quality version is game changer. I LOVE the living tree tahini that’s made in Berkeley, CA and local to the Bay Area, but if this isn’t accessible, I also have used and like the Once Again Tahini and Joyva Tahini brands. The O365 organic tahini from Whole Foods is a bit gritty for my liking, but it still does the job.

Canned Crushed Tomatoes – A wonderful pantry item to have for soups, stews, and for those special occasions I want to make a homemade marinara sauce. San Marzano tomatoes are typically the high standard to use, and I always have a few of this brand Crushed San Marzano’s in my pantry. I get them at Whole Foods since Costco typically only carries the whole San Marzano tomatoes.

Rao’s Marinara Sauce – A staple I use for my Monday meatballs. I used to always make homemade marinara sauce when I learned how easy it was, but Rao’s is honestly almost AS GOOD AS HOMEMADE, and cuts out the work of dicing onions, simmering, and blending. Trust me, a homemade meatball is 1000x better than anything store bought, and with Rao’s, the meal is an achievable weeknight dinner. Shiping loves these meatballs and they’re always a crowd pleaser. I get the 2 pack from Costco and keep this stocked in my pantry at all times. 

Pasta – I like the DeCecco brand and prefer a thin spaghetti or rigatoni.

Rolled Oats – A staple for my homemade granola. I make a no-sugar added granola for Shiping’s breakfast and this is the base. I use the Quaker Oats Brand from Costco and go through the massive 10 lb box every few months!

Thinly Sliced Almonds – Another key ingredient for Shiping’s granola and I get the 2 lb California brand bag from Costco. I also like to have these and toast them for a nice nutty flavor on salads. 

Pecans – My favorite nut and another key ingredient for Shiping’s granola. I get the Kirkland brand raw pecans from Costco, and toast them for the best flavor. You can store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresher for longer, but I go through them so quickly there’s no need.

Raw Honey – There are so many benefits of eating raw honey, especially as a substitute for granulated white sugar in recipes. In addition to being anti-inflammatory and aiding in digestion, honey also helps thicken sauces. I like using the Kirkland Organic Raw honey from Costco. It comes in a pack of 3, and it’s better to get the smaller packaged honeys because once you open it, honey tends to crystalize over time after being exposed to oxygen.

All-Purpose Flour – An essential for me as I love homemade desserts and Shiping loves homemade pasta. We’ve both tried many brands, and Shiping is much pickier than me when it comes to quality of flour (you can really test quality of flour when you’re making Shiping’s favorite dish Liang Pi). Our go-to, tried and true reliable flour is from Costco. If you’re not using at least 3-4 cups of flour every month though, I’d recommend getting the smaller pack of King Arthur Flour at any other grocery store. Costco flour that was opened 6 months ago isn’t going to be good either.

Granulated Sugar – Another baking essential – I get the organic granulated cane sugar from Costco.

Brown Sugar – Another baking essential, and I find myself adding brown sugar to marinades, dressings, and sauces occasionally. Besides baking, this can be substituted for honey, just note there is about 6 grams more sugar per tablespoon of honey than brown sugar. This is another pantry essential I get from Costco.

Chicken Stock – Having a high quality chicken stock in your pantry is an absolute essential for me. It’s an easy way to add flavor to simple dishes (it’s a flavor boosting ingredient in my dishes like mapo tofu, steamed egg, one pot orzos, and even simple stir fried greens), and this can also be the base of a broth-y soup that can cure any cold. I’ve found that Costco’s Organic Kirkland Chicken Stock is my favorite. It’s much richer and more flavorful than the Organic Whole Foods brand. Pacific Foods is also a great brand for stock, but they can be almost double the price depending on where you’re getting it from.

Baking Soda – Another essential for baking! I’ll replace mine every year to make sure it’s still active. 

Essentials – Asian Pantry Items:

Kikkoman Light Soy Sauce – My most frequently used asian sauce and this adds so much depth of flavor. I get the Kikkoman brand in the large form 2 quart bottle from Costco.

Chili Bean Paste (doubanjiang) – fermented fava bean paste. I categorize this as an essential asian condiment as it’s the key secret ingredient in my homemade Mapo Tofu, and you all know that’s a weekly staple for me 🙂 I stock up on this at H mart or on Wee here: Chili Bean Paste.

Black Vinegar – An essential Chinese pantry staple and a good quality brand is so important! I get the Zhenjiang brand, and they should carry this at most asian grocery stores.

Sesame Oil – incredibly fragrant and a great addition for finishing dishes or to sauces. I like the Kadoya brand, and again, this should be available at most asian grocery stores.

Rice Wine Vinegar – I love to use this in sauces and dressings – it’s got a bit more of a sweeter undertone from the rice and I like to get the seasoned version that is very classic is eastern cuisines. I get the Marukan brand from H Mart. This can also be a substitute for champagne vinegar, but it’s a bit harsher and not as crisp and delicious.

Gochujang – A fermented Korean pepper paste that I love using in sauces, meatballs, and marinades. It’s just a tad spicy and has an incredible depth of flavor that can’t be replaced. I don’t have a favorite brand here – I think I end up getting a difference version every time and have not noticed a huge difference.

Chili Oil – I make an incredible homemade chili oil that I like to add to sauces. I actually find most chili oils to be too spicy as a topper by itself, but I love adding it to a sauce for a dish. Some brands I’ve tried that I also like are Momofuku chili crisp and Hotpot queen Mushroom Chili Sauce.

Short Grain White Jasmine Rice – I cannot live a week without rice – my body craves it! I like both the Nishiki brand as well as the Kokuho Rose Rice Brand. I get the 15 lb bulk pack at the asian store (H mart or 99 Ranch both carry this). You can also get the Nishiki brand for a pretty good price on amazon here: https://amzn.to/41OmfNh. I typically like to mix this with some multigrain rice to add in color, texture, and other nutrients.

Multigrain Rice – This is essentially a mix of grains like black rice, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, red rice, millet, etc. that I like to mix with my jasmine rice. I’ve gotten Nishiki brand multigrain rice before, along with other Korean or Japanese brands if I can’t find Nishiki.

Dan Dan style Noodles – A dry noodle that I love to keep in my pantry for noodle soups, dan dan noodles, or a quick noodle stir fry. These are delicious and cook super fast (3 minutes!). The brand I like and always get is Noodle Garden, which they have a H mart, 99 Ranch, and Wee (online delivery). Even though I always keep a pack of the dan dan noodles in my pantry, I’ll occasionally also get the other Noodle Garden styles like the Somen noodles and the Lanzhou Ramen noodles.

Sweet Potato Noodles (Glass Noodles) – Used for my japchae recipes, this is a regular in my rotation so I always need some in my pantry 🙂 Any brand will do, this is similar to the one I get: Glass Noodles.

Mung Beans – An essential for me as I love to add these to congees or make one of my favorite chilled dessert soups. These are great because they don’t require a soak before using and cook relatively quickly. This is the one I get: Organic Mung Beans.

Mung Bean Noodles – I love to add these to bone broths for a cozy side dish. I grew up eating bone broth soups with mung bean noodles and seaweed and it’s my favorite! This is the one I get (and my parents have been getting this brand for decades!): Bean Thread Vermicelli.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms – An essential for many Chinese recipes, and a key ingredient for many of families’ signature dishes. I usually like to pick these out in person and look for the dark and plump mushrooms, but if it’s more convenient to order online, this brand is usually pretty good.

Coconut Milk – A staple for me to use for curries and my chilled mung bean soup dessert I love. I like the Chaokoh brand, but I’ve also used and like the generic Whole Foods brand as well.

Thai Curry Paste – An essential ingredient for homemade curry and this ingredient packs flavor. Curry paste is essentially a combination of ground aromatics (ginger, galangal (Thai ginger), garlic, lemongrass, and shallots). The professional kitchen I worked in (AL’s place) made this incredible black cod curry with a homemade curry paste. I’ll share a home-chef version I still make to this day and unless I’m making that, I’ll default to the store bought Thai curry paste – it’s the best shortcut 🙂 I haven’t found a curry paste brand from the asian store that I like, but the Thai Kitchen brand and Mekhala brand are good (Mekhala is a bit spicier than Thai Kitchen).

Cornstarch – Great for coating and frying dishes, thickening dishes to get the right saucy texture, and essential for my homemade Hot and Sour Soup.

Check out this next post for 5 recipes you can make with these essentials and just a few fresh ingredients.