A Well Stocked Pantry

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Do you have a well-stocked pantry? Do you wonder what is a well-stocked pantry?

I don’t believe there is one list that can fit for every household. But I have put together a general top 10 list to help you get started. Using my list as a guideline, create your own based on your taste, things you enjoy eating, and dietary preferences and restrictions. Please note that I am not suggesting you buy everything I have listed under each of the 10 categories. I am only including examples to get your creative juices flowing.

The criteria I used for this list was based on long shelf life, versatility, availability, and affordability.

Here are my top 10 essential, non-perishable, pantry items.

1. Grains – rice, quinoa, barley, farro, bulgar, etc.

Long Grain Rice, Black Rice, Quinoa, Farro

2. Pasta & Noodles – spaghetti, orzo, bowtie, fusilli, couscous (Yes! couscous is not a grain as it is commonly thought. It is actually a pasta made with flour), rice noodles, soba noodles, other Asian noodles

Pearl Couscous, Penne Pasta, Egg Noodle Pasta, Fusili, Elbow Macaroni, Dry Ramen Noodles, Spaghetti, Green Tea Soba Noodles, Buckwheat Soba Noodles

3. Canned or Dried Legumes – pinto beans, black beans, red kidney beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, lentils, black eyed peas

Split Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Red Lentil

4. Broth in Can or Carton – I always have at least chicken broth, but you can get vegetable, beef, lamb, fish, or even turkey broth at most stores. My favorite brand is Swanson, low-sodium. I’m not on a low-sodium diet, but I like to be in control of the amount of seasoning in my food. I like Swanson brand because it has the least amount of additives. Other brands usually have other flavorings added. Some also have turmeric added for color. I love turmeric, but I may not necessarily want it in the dish I am cooking. Again, it’s all about being in control of what goes into my dish.

There are some premium brands available at specialty stores, but I was going for availability and affordability.

Concentrated Chicken Stock Packets, Swanson Chicken Broth

5. Canned Tomatoes – You can use it in sauces, soups, and stews to name a few. Chopped tomatoes are most versatile, but anything on hand will work.

6. Jarred Pasta Sauce – Of course homemade is better, but I always keep a jar in my pantry. It comes in handy for a quick meal. My go-to is Trader Joe’s brand, pardon me, I mean Trader Giotto’s, Tomato-Basil. Marinara. At less than $2.00 per jar, it is a steal!

7. Oils, Vinegars, & Soy Sauce – Olive oil, vegetable oil, sesame oil, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and of course soy sauce to name a few.

Rice Vinegar, unseasoned, Balsamic Vinegar, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger Pear Rice Vinegar, Walnut Champagne Vinegar, Raspberry Vinegar

8. Salt, Pepper, Dried Herbs – thyme, cumin, paprika, chili flakes, cinnamon, oregano, basil. If you have these basics, you can enhance the flavor in so many dishes.

Ground Cumin, Cinnamon Sticks, Smoked Paprika, Whole Nutmeg, Oregano, Pepper Corns,
Bay Leaf, Turmeric, Dried Thyme, Red Pepper Flakes

A note about dried herbs and spices; there are many guidelines for how long they’ll keep. Some say six months, some say three. Similar to recipes, these are just guidelines, so you should use your own judgment. If you open a jar and it still smells like what it’s suppose to, you are good to go. If it doesn’t smell like anything, then how is it going to add any flavor to your dish? If it has lost its aroma, then it’s time to toss it in the garbage and get a new jar.

If you can, buy whole spices and grind them as needed. Whole spices have a very long shelf life. I’m talking years!

9. Canned Vegetables – I usually don’t have a big variety of canned vegetables on hand. I find the texture of most canned vegetables not to my liking. They can be too soft, like caned green beans. Ugh! I can’t stand them!

But I will buy canned or jarred artichokes, plain or marinated. I also like adding corn to my Chicken Tortilla Soup, so I will keep a can or two on hand when corn is not in season. And of course black olives! They are technically a fruit, like tomatoes, but in culinary terms, they are considered a vegetable.

Black Olives, Grilled and Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Canned Artichoke Hearts

10. Flour, Sugar, & Breadcrumbs – Even if you are not a baker, it’s good to keep some flour and sugar on hand. Flour is helpful for thickening sauces, soups, and stews. It is also good for coating your protein if you want to sauté – for example, dusting your chicken breast with flour to give it a nice golden brown color, which will also help thicken your pan sauce after the chicken is cooked. But that’s a whole other blog subject for another time coming soon!

Sugar is used to balance flavors, especially in Asian cooking. And breadcrumbs help give texture to things like meatloaf and crab cakes. And of course to get that yummy crispy coating when pan frying.

All-Purpose Flour, Plain Bread Crumbs, Panko Bread Crumbs, Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar

Now that you are well stocked, lets put your pantry to good use!

For a quick recipe using some of these panty items, see my post Chicken Tortilla Soup from Your Pantry.

Chicken Tortilla Soup from Your Pantry

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I honestly don’t even know if I have ever ordered a chicken tortilla soup at a restaurant, so I just had a vague idea of the ingredients when I started this recipe. But after I got started, I realized it was pretty easy to bring it all together.

Once you try it, I promise it will become one of your go-to recipes for a quick meal that’s hearty, comforting, and healthy. It is loaded with protein (Yes, even the vegetarian version.), fiber, and so many other vitamins and minerals. It has vitamin C, an essential nutrient and antioxidant, potassium that is good for heart disease prevention and blood pressure control, and magnesium; A mineral crucial to body’s function. Like potassium, it keeps blood pressure normal, and also keeps bones strong and heart rhythm steady.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s mostly made with canned goods from your pantry. For ideas on how to have a well-stocked pantry check out my list.

You can watch the full step-by-step video here. Or you can follow the instructions below.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty Level: easy peasy

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 can of chopped, pureed, or whole tomatoes
  • 3 cans of chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 can of corn, drained
  • 1 can black beans, drained, but not rinsed
  • about 1.5 cups shredded chicken
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed
  • for garnish: tortilla chips or strips, avocado, sour cream, sliced green onions, jalapeños, cilantro, lime wedges

Instructions:

Heat a large stock pot on medium-high heat. Once the pot is hot enough that you can barely touch the sides, add the olive oil.

Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté until translucent.

Note: I didn’t use fresh garlic in this demo because the jarred tomatoes I was using already had garlic.

Add the cumin and sauté for another minute. Add the tomatoes with the juices from the can, the chicken or vegetable stock, and cook until it comes to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and using an emersion blender or a Vitamix, puree the soup until smooth and no chunks are left behind.

Turn up the heat back to medium-high and add the corn, black beans, and shredded chicken.

Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. You may not need to add any salt since most of the ingredients are from cans and the pre-roasted chicken is already seasoned.

Adjust seasoning as necessary. Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve immediately.

Variations:

  • Make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock and not adding the shredded chicken.
  • When tomatoes are in season – July to September – use fresh instead of canned
  • Add other favorite canned beans like pinto or garbanzo beans
  • Although not traditional, you can make it creamy by adding 1/4 cup of whipping cream or creme fraiche.
  • Make it into a tomato-basil soup! After pureeing, add some pesto sauce. Start with 1 tablespoon. You can always add more. Omit the corn and the beans. Add chicken and garnish with small fresh mozzarella balls.

Do Ahead:

This recipe is easy and quick enough that there is not really a need for do ahead tips. But if you do have leftovers, I can tell you that it will taste even better the next day. It also freezes very well.

If you are making the soup before you intend to eat it, I would leave it at the pureed stage and not add the rest of the ingredients. When ready to eat, bring the pureed soup to a boil, then add the corn, beans, and chicken. Adjust seasoning and enjoy!