Vegan Pantry Essentials: Tour My Organized Vegan Kitchen

I hope you enjoy my vegan kitchen tour video and find the vegan pantry staples guide useful. If you’re new to the vegan lifestyle, also check out my vegan meal plan guide and video and the other resources mentioned later in the post.

This past summer we moved from New York City to Los Angeles, so I thought an updated vegan kitchen tour would be fun to share. Whether you’re just starting a vegan lifestyle or refining your pantry, this guide and the accompanying video can help you stock a practical, flexible kitchen. You don’t need to buy everything at once—build your staples gradually as you try new recipes and discover how to use ingredients like tahini or miso in multiple dishes. Take it slow and enjoy the process.

There are a few categories of foods that are helpful to have on hand consistently: whole grains, beans and lentils, canned goods, vegetables, and a variety of spices. Keeping these basics available makes it easy to throw together balanced, flavorful meals. For us, weekly shopping usually focuses on fresh produce and topping up pantry items. My partner and I each keep a running list of staples on our phones so we can quickly see what needs replenishing before the next grocery run.

Below the video is a practical list of vegan pantry staples. Leave a comment to share which items you always keep in your kitchen and any tips you have for staying organized and well-stocked.

In the video I mentioned a limited grocery offer available through Thrive Market. I use Thrive Market for many pantry items, and I also buy a lot of dried goods in bulk—not just to save money but to reduce plastic packaging. I use reusable produce bags for nuts and legumes and bring my own containers for dried fruit.

Jenné’s Vegan Pantry Staples

Whole Grains

Brown rice and other rice varieties
Quinoa
Farro
Bulgar
Freekeh
Barley
Oat bran
Teff
Oats

Legumes

Black beans
White beans
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Black-eyed peas
Kidney (red) beans
Lima beans
Green lentils
Black lentils
Red lentils
Split peas (green and red)
Frozen green peas

Condiments and Oils

Tahini paste (look for sesame as the only ingredient)
Mustard
Harissa
Soy sauce
Vegan mayo
Hot sauce
Vinegars: apple cider, rice, balsamic, white, red wine
Coconut oil (refined for neutral flavor; unrefined for coconut flavor)
Grapeseed oil (neutral, good for high-heat cooking)
Olive oil (best for dressings and low-heat cooking)
Vegetable broth or bouillon paste/cubes

Spices

Buy spices from grocery or specialty stores and store them in airtight containers in a cool, dry place to extend freshness.

Sea salt (fine and coarse; a grinder is handy)
Smoked paprika
Curry powder
Cumin
Italian herb blend or individual dried herbs (basil, marjoram, fennel seed, oregano, thyme)
Red pepper flakes
Cinnamon

Sweeteners

Coconut sugar (granulated or liquid)
Maple syrup
Date syrup or date sugar
Fruit jam
Molasses

Nuts and Seeds

Raw nuts and seeds provide healthy fats and micronutrients like vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. They add crunch to meals and make satisfying snacks; enjoy them in moderation due to their calorie density. Choose nut butters without added salt, oil, or sugar when possible.

Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios
Seeds: pepitas (pumpkin seeds), sunflower, chia, hemp
Nut butter (or make your own by blending roasted nuts until creamy)

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is a convenient sweet snack and works well in granola, muesli, baking, or as a natural sweetener. Medjool dates are especially versatile.

Dates
Raisins
Dried apricots
Dried figs
Goji berries

More Basics

Non-dairy milks: almond, soy, coconut, hemp, rice, cashew, etc.
Whole wheat flour & whole wheat pastry flour
Spelt flour (not gluten-free)
Vegan butter (useful for baking and recipes that benefit from a buttery texture)