A well-stocked kitchen doesn’t mean having every ingredient under the sun. It means having a handful of useful basics, big flavor boosters, and flexible staples that make cooking easier, faster, and more exciting.
Over the years, I’ve had lots of questions about the ingredients I use most and where to start when stocking your kitchen, so I’ve finally pulled everything together for you.
Table of Contents
How to Use This Guide
I’ve designed the guide to be actually practical and useful, and not overwhelming. You absolutely do not need to get everything at once.
Start with the basics, then add the flavor boosters you’ll find most useful, and build your kitchen based on the way you actually like to cook.
The way I cook is very flavor-forward, but still accessible for everyday. So these are the ingredients I reach for again and again to make quick dinners, punchy sauces, thrown-together loaded bowls, salads, dips, and jazzy party food.
Use this guide as a flexible checklist, not a strict shopping list. Pick what makes sense for you, skip what doesn’t, and go from there!
Start Here: The Basics
These are what I’d consider baseline, building block essentials, if you’re starting from scratch.
They’re the everyday ingredients I use most days, and they’re essentially the foundation for so many great meals.
Olive oil. I use olive oil for marinades, dressings, cooking, roasting, finishing dips, and drizzling over salads. It’s my go-to everyday oil, and you don’t need anything too fancy or expensive.
Salt and black pepper. Used in basically everything. I like flaky sea salt for finishing dishes, and finer salt for seasoning and cooking. Try to grind your own pepper if you can for the best flavor.
Fresh garlic. I feel a bit lost when I don’t have fresh garlic on hand 😅 It’s one of the easiest ways to make things taste fresh and zingy. I use it in marinades, sauces, dressings, dips, pasta, bakes, meatballs, rice bowls…basically everything. You can sometimes find good-quality, jarred crushed garlic, but nothing compares to fresh.
Fresh lemons and limes. Essential for lifting and jazzing up a dish. When you taste something, and it’s a bit flat, often all it needs is a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
Onions. White or brown onions are fab building blocks of so many recipes (and make gorgeous Instant Pot caramelized onions). Red onions are great for pickling or adding to salads.
Butter. I don’t use this every day, but it makes a big difference in specific recipes. It brings gorgeous richness that nothing else quite beats.
Neutral oil. Really useful for cooking at high heat – or when you want a neutral flavor base (great for Asian-inspired recipes). It’s also brilliant for making mayo (like this egg-free garlic aioli or instant Kewpie mayo).
The Ten Dished by Kate Essentials
These are the ingredients that make my cooking feel like my cooking.
You absolutely don’t need all of them, but if you’ve made a few of my recipes, you’ll probably notice these show up a lot.
They’re the sauces, pastes, condiments, and flavor boosters I reach for constantly to make meals feel fresh, zingy, fun, and more exciting.
- Fish sauce. I know it sounds weird, but fish sauce is one of my absolute favorite flavor boosters. When you add a little to something, it adds a gorgeous, deep, savory, umami element that salt can’t replicate. I use it in everything. Salads, dressings, marinades, pasta sauces, risotto, dips…it’s often my secret ingredient that makes everything better.
- Sweet chili jam, or sweet chili sauce. One of my shortcut heroes. It brings sweetness, spice, and zing to sauces, marinades, bowls, grilled meat, tacos, flatbreads, and salads. I use my homemade sweet chili jam, and I recommend trying it if you can, but sweet chili sauce works in a pinch.
- Gochujang paste. This Korean fermented chili paste is a forever favorite. It brings heat, sweetness, and a deep savory flavor. I use it in bowls, sauces, marinades, noodles, meatballs, glazes, and bakes.
- White miso paste. Similar to fish sauce, miso adds a lovely, deep, umami flavor to everything and anything. I use it in marinades (like this sticky miso chicken), sauces, toss it through veggies (these miso roasted sweet potatoes are lovely), baking (don’t knock these miso mini egg cookies until you try them), soups, pasta, risotto, and even cheesy béchamel.
- Chili crisp, or chili oil. Another brilliant shortcut ingredient. Drizzle it over anything and everything, or use it in sauces and marinades.
- Harissa paste. This lovely, spicy North African chili paste brings so much flavor – I love it in marinades (like this sticky honey harissa chicken), as a glaze (like this honey harissa halloumi), in a dressing, or stirred into Greek yogurt or blitzed with feta to make a simple dip.
- Tahini. Creamy, nutty, and SO useful for dressings and sauces. It’s what I use in my viral chicken shawarma crispy rice salad, and it’s fab to have on hand to make a super easy, garlicky drizzle for grilled meat, salads, roasted veggies, and flatbreads. And, use it to make the best creamy hummus.
- Fresh basil pesto. Not just for pasta (though it is gorgeous in this pesto orzo salad). I love having a tub on hand to toss through salads, dollop onto loaded bowls, use as a marinade for chicken, or to toss through potatoes (like this pesto potato salad) or veggies. I usually make it myself because it’s so quick and easy, but a good store-bought, fresh basil pesto is great too.
- Peanut butter. I’m a big satay girl, so this is essential when making a satay-inspired dinner. It’s brilliant for that iconic, quick, flavor-loaded sauce that you can literally toss through noodles for a very speedy, lazy meal.
- Greek yogurt. I think I always have a big tub of plain Greek yogurt in the fridge! It’s brilliant for sauces, dips, marinades, making two-ingredient dough garlic naan, flatbreads, or Greek yogurt bagels, dressings, or loaded yogurt bowls.
Cupboard Staples for Easy Throw Together Meals
With these stocked in your cupboard, you’re already halfway to a simple, quick meal.
- Canned tomatoes. Probably one of the most useful staples. Use it for pasta sauce, curries, meatball bakes, soups, sauces, and one-pan dinners.
- Rice. It’s probably my most commonly used grain these days. Use it as the base for a loaded protein bowl or a saucy curry, make fried rice or loaded baked rice, or crisp it up and use it to bulk out a crispy rice salad. I tend to use long-grain rice the most (like basmati), but short-grain rice and arborio (risotto) rice are helpful to have on hand, too.
- Pasta. The ultimate quick dinner. I like to ideally have one short shape (like rigatoni) and one long pasta in the cupboard (like spaghetti or linguine).
- Noodles. These are brilliant for quick stir-fries, noodle salads, or loaded bowls. Ramen, udon, egg, or rice noodles are great for everything.
- Orzo, couscous, or bulgur wheat. While orzo is still pasta, I consider it in a similar category to couscous and bulgur wheat here. All are great for bulking out a salad.
- Tomato paste. Great for building flavor in sauces.
- Coconut milk. Fab for curries, saucy meatballs, noodle bowls, and for anything you want to make creamy, without being heavy from dairy. I use it a lot. Look for coconut milk with coconut extract of at least 60% for the best flavor and creamy consistency.
- Beans. Chickpeas and butter beans are my go-tos. They add an instant boost of protein and fiber to a meal, making it more filling, with basically zero effort. I like jarred beans for the best flavor and texture (they’re generally a lot softer and creamier), but canned beans are absolutely fine. You can also quickly blitz them into a creamy hummus or herby dip.
- Stock cubes. Super handy to have when you don’t have fresh stock on hand – it adds instant flavor to sauces, soups, risotto, curries, and you can use it to cook grains in for extra flavor.
- Canned tuna. Incredibly useful to have if you need an instant protein source for pastas, bowls, salads, or loaded toast.
- Light soy sauce. Salty, savory, gorgeousness. Super useful in so many things – from marinades and sauces, to stir-fries and rice bowls.
- Rice vinegar. Bright, mild, and a little sweet, this is my go-to vinegar for dressings, quick pickles and slaws, noodle salads, sushi bowls, and making instant Kewpie mayo.
- Sesame oil. A little goes a long way! It’s brilliant for finishing noodles, fried rice, dumplings, or in marinades, slaws, and dressings.
- Dijon mustard. Great for dressings, marinades, and jazzing up a sauce.
- Potatoes. I usually have all-purpose potatoes on hand (like Yukon gold, Maris Piper, or Agria).
- Sundried tomatoes. A great little flavor boost to have in the cupboard.
- Tortillas or flatbreads. Brilliant for quick meals and smash tacos. They also freeze really well.
Fridge Staples that Make Meals Better
These are the ingredients I rely on to add creaminess, freshness, extra protein, crunch, and extra flavor.
- Cheese. My go-tos are feta, parmesan, halloumi, and some kind of sharp cheddar. Feta and parmesan are brilliant for throwing into salads, sauces, and bakes. Halloumi works super well as a meat-free protein source and holds its shape when you pan-fry or air fry it. Keep the parmesan rinds – they add a nice flavor to homemade stock, soups, or long-simmering sauces.
- Fresh herbs. Easily one of the best ways to make dinner feel more interesting. I use herbs every day, and use a lot. Flat-leaf parsley, cilantro (coriander), chives, and basil are my absolute go-tos. A simple scattering of herbs on top of a dish makes it feel so much fresher, and you can use them to make quick sauces or pesto.
- Eggs. Always free-range. They’re great to have for quick meals like shakshuka or breakfast wraps, for fried rice, or topping ramen bowls, and for baking.
- Scallions. Brilliant in salads, noodle and rice bowls, for topping tacos and flatbreads, or finishing dips.
- Cucumbers. A very easy way to bulk out a meal. Dice and throw it into salads, slice it and quick-pickle it, or use it as a veggie chip with dips.
- Spinach. Absolutely my most-used green – it’s just as fab for fresh salads as it is thrown into sauces, bakes, curries, risotto, or pasta, and I love blitzing it into a green-goddess-inspired sauce.
- Cherry tomatoes. I like cherry tomatoes on the vine for their lovely, sweet flavor. NOTE: I’m putting them in this section, but tomatoes are actually best stored at room temperature.
- Pickles. I love dill pickles or pickled jalapeños – they add a lovely acidic crunch to tacos, bowls, sandwiches, and salads.
- Ginger. Fresh ginger, ideally, but ginger paste works too.
Spices and Seasonings Worth Having
You don’t need a huge spice cupboard, but a few reliable options will make a big difference.
Must Haves
- Ground cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Dried oregano, or thyme
- Red pepper flakes, or chili flakes
- Ground turmeric
- Curry powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground coriander
Nice to Have Extras
- Za’atar
- Sumac
- Garam masala
- Chinese five spice
- Everything bagel seasoning
- MSG
Freezer Staples
My freezer is annoyingly very small, so I’m always wrestling with it – but I like to have these staples on hand if I can:
- Frozen peas or edamame. Fab for throwing into sauces, risotto, pasta, soups, or salads. I’ll just throw them into hot dishes frozen because they defrost so quickly.
- Frozen spinach. I like having fresh spinach on hand if possible, but frozen spinach is a super easy way to up the greens in any kind of saucy dish you’re making. Throw it in frozen to pie fillings, pasta sauces, soups, risotto, or curries, and it’ll quickly defrost.
- Frozen raw shrimp (prawns). Brilliant for throwing into sauces, pasta, risotto, bakes, and they defrost quickly.
- Frozen mixed berries. Great for blitzing a quick smoothie or cocktail 👀
Classic Pantry Basics Worth Having Too
Because this guide is very focused on how I cook, I’ve put the most-used Dished by Kate ingredients front and center.
But there are a few classic pantry basics very useful to have around:
- All-purpose flour. Or plain flour. Great for making flatbreads, bagels, cookies, thickening sauces, making cheesy bechamel, and as a coating for fried chicken or fish.
- Cornstarch (cornflour). Great for thickening sauces.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Baking powder especially is useful for my two-ingredient dough recipes.
- White and brown sugar. For baking, but also for adding sweetness to sauces.
- Dried fruit. An easy way to add a pop of sweetness to salads (dried cranberries and apricots are great here), dipping oil (like in my viral festive dipping oil), or loaded baked rice (this celebration baked rice relies on it).
- Nuts and seeds. Lovely for adding crunch and texture to salads and bowls, and great in pesto.
- Different vinegars. Rice vinegar is my favorite, but it’s helpful to have apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar on hand, too.
The Tools I Reach For the Most
You don’t need a huge kitchen filled with gadgets to cook well, but a few tools really do make things easier.
Microplane. Fab for grating garlic, ginger, lemon zest, and hard cheeses.
A good knife. My boyfriend bought me an excellent set of Global knives for my birthday last year, and I can’t believe it took me so long to upgrade. The difference it makes is crazy.
A few cutting boards.
A selection of mixing bowls.
Silicone spatula. An essential! Great for scraping every last bit of sauce from a pan, folding mixtures together, and working with nonstick pans without scratching them.
Nonstick skillet or frying pan. Brilliant for eggs, smash tacos, cooking fish, or for anything you’re worried might stick to your pan.
High-sided ovenproof skillet or pan. Great for one-pan, saucy dishes and pot pies that need to be cooked in the oven, too.
Rimmed baking sheets or baking dishes. Needed for roasting and one-pan bakes.
Food processor, blender, or immersion blender. These all have slightly different uses, but you can get away with just having one. An immersion blender is the least bulky and great for quick blitzing. A blender gives a super smooth result, but if I could only have one, I’d go for a good food processor.
Digital scale. Essential for any kind of baking to get consistent results. You can buy them cheaply from Amazon.
Air fryer. I never thought I’d be an air fryer person, but they’re SO USEFUL. I use mine all the time, and it makes cooking very quick and easy. I have the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer and really rate it.
Bamboo steamer. Not essential for everyone, but very useful if you’re making dumplings, bao buns, or steamed fish.
Instant Pot, or electric pressure cooker. Not an absolute essential, but FAB for shortcuts to traditionally slow-cooked recipes. I use mine the most for homemade stock, risotto, caramelized onions, cooking dried chickpeas, and making pulled pork or beef ragu.
A Final Note
The goal isn’t a perfect pantry – it’s having enough useful ingredients on hand that make cooking feel easier, more manageable, and more exciting. I really hope this guide becomes super useful and a go-to resource for you!
