Meet Your Plant-Based Pantry Essentials
The first Jenny B’s Veggie Market box is all about the basics.
These are the ingredients that make plant-based cooking easier, more flexible, and a lot more flavorful. Some help replace meat, some build savory flavor, others bind, season, or finish a dish. But one thing is for certain, they’re all vegan.
The goal of this box is to jump-start your pantry so that you have a good selection of basic staples that can be adapted to a number of different meals. This recipe card should help those new to plant-based cooking to learn more about what each ingredient does, so you can follow other recipes with more confidence and eventually start experimenting on your own!
Soy Curls
Soy Curls are made from whole soybeans and work especially well in recipes where you would normally use strips or pieces of chicken or steak. These Soy Curls are unseasoned and incredibly bland to the point of nearly having no taste at all. The most basic way to prepare them is to soak them in very hot broth for about 10 minutes. Drain them well, press out the extra liquid, then season and cook.
I like to use Soy Curls in BBQ sandwiches, stir-fries, fajitas, soups, chopped up for chicken salad, Philly style sandwiches. They absorb flavor really well and rehydrating them in no-chicken broth or a special seasoning blend instead of plain water gives them a better starting point. From there you can play with marinades and so much more.
TVP
TVP stands for textured vegetable protein. TVP was created in the 1960’s and is another tried and true vegan staple. It’s also nearly flavorless in it’s dehydrated form. Once rehydrated, it works similarly to ground meat. The most basic way to prepare them is to soak in very hot broth or seasoned water, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, squeeze out all the water really well, then cook it in a skillet with your favorite seasonings and oil.
I like to use TVP in tacos, pasta sauces, meatballs, burgers, casseroles, and my newest obsession Delta Tamales. Using no-beef broth, worcestershire sauce, liquid aminos, and bouillon all help build a very rich flavor on your TVP. Your first few attempts at TVP might taste bland but don’t let that get you down! Once you get the hang of seasoning you’ll be unstoppable.
No-Chicken and No-Beef Broth
Broth is one of the easiest ways to add flavor from the beginning.
Use no-chicken broth for Soy Curls, to enhance rice, soups, creamy sauces, and lighter gravies, chicken noodle soup, and any recipe that calls for chicken broth! Use no-beef brother for TVP, chili, stew, dark gravy, ramen, and any recipe that calls for beef broth! You can also substitute broth anywhere a recipe calls for water and you want a little more depth to make the flavor pop.
Vital Wheat Gluten
Vital wheat gluten aka VWG is the protein-rich part of wheat flour and a powerhouse ingredient for plant-based cooking. When mixed with liquid, it becomes stretchy, chewy, and satisfyingly “meaty,” which is why it’s the key ingredient in homemade seitan.
But it’s useful beyond seitan. A small amount can also act as a binder and texture-builder in lentil burgers, veggie burgers, meatballs, sausages, and loaves, which helps them hold together while giving them a firmer, heartier bite.
For basic seitan, mix vital wheat gluten with seasonings, then add a flavorful liquid like broth, soy sauce, or liquid aminos. Knead briefly until a stretchy dough forms, then shape it and cook it by steaming, simmering, baking, or a combination of methods.
For burgers, meatballs, or loaves, you usually use much less. Mix a few tablespoons into the lentil, bean, or vegetable mixture, let it rest for a few minutes so it hydrates, then shape and cook. It works almost like a combination of binder and protein boost.
Bouillon
Bouillon is just a concentrated broth in powder form. It is useful when you want to add a lot of flavor without adding much liquid. I use bouillion mostly in beans, rice, soup, salsa or sauces, and marinades. Bouillon tend to be salty so remember to taste as you go and try not to add too much additional salt.
Nutritional Yeast
Lovingly referred to as NOOCH, nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy, savory flavor. You can sprinkle it over popcorn, roasted veggies, pasta, potatoes. Or you can stir it in to soup, gravy, or make your own cheese sauce!
Gravy Mix
Gravy can turn simple pantry ingredients into a complete meal. Who doesn’t love gravy?? These packs are easy to use and take the stress of making a roux and getting the seasoning blend juuust right.
A Simple Plant-Based Cooking Formula
When you are not sure where to start, build a meal using four parts. My favorite building blocks are: one bean, one green, one grain, and one protein.
Once you understand the role each ingredient plays in a recipe, you can mix and match your vegan substitues based on what you already have at home.
Recipes to Start With
BBQ Soy Curl Sandwiches
TVP Taco Filling
Biscuits and Gravy
TVP Meatloaf or Meatballs
Italian Seasoned TVP in Marinara Sauce
ALSO - TVP is commonly used to stretch the volume of traditional ground meats.
These suggestions are meant to help you get comfortable with the ingredients if you aren’t already a pro. There is no right or wrong way to use use these ingredients. The real goal is to give you more options, more confidence, and more freedom in the kitchen. Leave helpful suggestion or reccomendation below in the comments!