Near the end of the first week of my KISSS healthy-eating plan, calamity struck–or at least what passes for calamity when you are trying to cook and eat healthy soups every day. I went to the pantry and found that I had no onions. No onions! Take a look at almost any of my savory recipes and you’ll see the same first step: “Saute onions in a non-stick pan.” Onions provide the flavor base on which all of my soups are built, and without onions, I definitely couldn’t cook the soup that I had planned to.

It was almost dinner time, so rather than make a trip to the store for one item, I took a look in my freezer and pantry to figure out what I could make with what I had on-hand. In the freezer I had a package of Cajun-Style Mirepoix blend (onions, green peppers, and celery) and several bags of mixed vegetables, including a gumbo blend. Using them and canned tomatoes and beans from my pantry, I managed to make an amazingly good gumbo in under a hour, and the only vegetable I had to chop was the garlic.

Having a well-stocked freezer and pantry can rescue you when you’re running short on fresh ingredients and might be tempted to reach for something processed and unhealthy. People often ask me what I keep on-hand at all times, but I’ve never really taken stock and written it down. Until now.

Excluding fresh fruits and vegetables, which vary by the season, here are the basic ingredients that I always keep in my pantry and freezer. Click on “Print” if you’d like to print the lists (the photos will print also).

Print! Cans, Bottles, and Jars Canned Beans: black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils, black, kidney, pinto, great northern, fat-free refried beans, and chili beans

whole and diced tomatoes (including fire-roasted), tomato sauce, tomato paste

salsa

spaghetti sauce

pumpkin

Fruits Canned in Juice: Pineapple chunks, crushed pineapple

apple sauce

soy and almond milk

natural peanut butter

vegetable broth

kalamata olives, black olives, green olives

balsamic, white wine, red wine, and other assorted vinegars

lite silken tofu in aseptic packages

sesame oil

low-fat salad dressing

ketchup and barbecue sauce Dry Goods (I actually keep grains and flours in the freezer to prevent insects from getting at them.) Dried Beans: split-peas, yellow split-peas, lentils, red lentils, chickpeas, black, kidney, pinto, great northern, limas, etc.

brown rice

oatmeal, steel-cut oats

quinoa

barley

polenta and corn grits

quinoa flakes

Whole Wheat Pasta: spaghetti, lasagna, spirals, penne

rice and soba noodles

dried chile peppers

nutritional yeast

Flour: white whole wheat flour, chickpea flour, cornmeal, brown rice flour, wheat gluten, etc. Freezer Vegetable Blends: California (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), Italian (California plus zucchini, lima beans, onions and peppers), Mirapoix, Cajun Mirepoix, Gumbo, Soup Mix

Individual Vegetables: green beans, peas, chopped spinach, corn, okra, turnip and collard greens, baby lima beans

hash brown potatoes (both diced potatoes and shredded patties, without added oil)

Fruit: blueberries, cherries, smoothie blend, raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, bananas (sliced and frozen at home)

Bread: pita bread, whole wheat and corn tortillas, sliced bread

veggie burgers, seitan, veggie protein crumbles

raw cashews and flax seeds Spices and Seasonings I have literally dozens of spices, too many to list. Here are the ones I use most often: Basil

Bay leaf

Black pepper, whole

Cayenne

Ancho chili powder

Chipotle chile powder

Cinnamon

Cloves

Coriander

Crushed red pepper

Curry powder (Maharajah)

Dry Mustard

Garlic powder

Ginger powder

Ground cumin, whole cumin

Hickory salt (or other smoked salt)

Nutmeg, whole

Onion powder

Oregano, Mexican oregano

Paprika, smoked, both mild and hot

Poultry Seasoning (thyme, sage, and black pepper blend)

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

Turmeric

Coconut extract

Vanilla

Hot sauce

vegetable bouillon A few ingredients used as seasonings that I keep in the fridge: miso

mustard (whole grain)

Sriracha hot sauce

sambal oelek (hot pepper paste)

soy sauce

tahini

Thai curry pastes

ginger root Other: onions, red and yellow

garlic

fresh parsley and oregano (in garden year-round)

Of course, as soon as I post this, I’ll think of other ingredients that are absolutely indispensable, and I’ll add them as they come to mind. The point is, with a well-stocked pantry and freezer, you can always whip up a meal in a hurry, no matter how bare your refrigerator is. Fresh veggies are always tastier, but frozen ones are just as nutritious (sometimes more so), usually less expensive, pre-chopped, and very quick and convenient to use.

Print Pin 5 from 2 votes Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box Ridiculously Easy Vegetable Gumbo Though I used packaged, frozen vegetables for everything including the onion blend, you can use whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. Try to include some okra: it makes this a gumbo rather than just a vegetable stew. Prep Time 2 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Total Time 47 minutes Servings 6 Author Susan Voisin Ingredients 2 cups Cajun-style Mirepoix onion-pepper-celery blend (roughly equal parts of each) 2 cups Cajun-style Mirepoix onion-pepper-celery blend (roughly equal parts of each)

2 12-ounce packages frozen vegetable gumbo mix or other mixed vegetables 2 12-ounce packages frozen vegetable gumbo mix or other mixed vegetables

1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 15-ounce can kidney beans (1 1/2 cups), rinsed and drained 1 15-ounce can kidney beans (1 1/2 cups), rinsed and drained

1 15-ounce can chickpeas (1 1/2 cups), rinsed and drained 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (1 1/2 cups), rinsed and drained

4 cups water 4 cups water

4 cloves garlic , minced 4 cloves garlic , minced

1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika or cayenne to taste 1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika or cayenne to taste

2 teaspoons soy sauce or wheat-free tamari 2 teaspoons soy sauce or wheat-free tamari

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 servings vegetable bouillon (enough to flavor 2 cups of water) 2 servings vegetable bouillon (enough to flavor 2 cups of water)

1/2 teaspoon granulated onion 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion

1/2 teaspoon filé powder , optional 1/2 teaspoon filé powder , optional

1/2 teaspoon hickory salt or other smoked salt 1/2 teaspoon hickory salt or other smoked salt

salt and hot sauce to taste salt and hot sauce to taste Instructions Heat a non-stick stock pot and saute the onion, pepper, and celery over medium heat until completely thawed (if frozen) and softened. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the file powder and hickory salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes, adding additional water as needed to form a thick stew. Add file powder and smoked salt and adjust seasonings as needed, adding salt and hot sauce to taste just before serving.

Serve alone or over rice or other grain with additional hot sauce. Notes Using zero-point vegetable broth, this recipe is zero points on Weight Watchers Freestyle program. Nutrition Facts Ridiculously Easy Vegetable Gumbo Amount Per Serving (1 serving) Calories 239 Calories from Fat 14 % Daily Value* Fat 1.6g 2% Sodium 1071.6mg 47% Carbohydrates 47g 16% Fiber 12.2g 51% Sugar 4.9g 5% Protein 11.6g 23% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Tried this recipe? Post a photo to Instagram and tag @susanffvk











