10 Spice Rack Essentials for Plant-Based Cooking

Seasonings, whether spices or herbs, can bring global flavors to your dinner table. The differences are many but the result is the same: Food with big flavor! Here are the most popular seasoning flavors that will Spice Up Your World because the truth is, whole food plant-based food is delicious with the proper seasonings.

Nutritional Yeast - Non-Fortified

Nutritional yeast not only provides a cheesy, umami flavor to foods, it delivers fiber and protein along with amino acids and minerals including iron, selenium, and zinc. Go with a non-GMO, non-fortified type so you’re not consuming synthetic vitamins to increase the nutritional count in the product which can be harmful and toxic to our bodies forcing our kidneys and liver to work overtime while our bodies struggle to absorb them. I always have this Chicken Style Seasoning on-hand for a quick add to soups and gravy.

Cumin

Cumin is one of the most popular spices in the world and has been around for thousands of years. Whether ground or whole seeds, cumin is almost always used in savory recipes and is great in chili, lentil dishes, and much more! Cumin is a staple spice in many food cultures, particularly Mexican, Indian, African, and Asian cuisine. A couple of my favorite dishes that include cumin is Tunisian Eggplant and Chickpea Stew as well as my Award Worthy Mole Chili.

Garlic Powder

While garlic powder is powdered dry garlic, it has a much milder flavor and smell than actual garlic. If you are trying to substitute garlic cloves with garlic powder, then you might need to consider adding a bit more than a pinch to your food. You’ll find garlic powder in the majority of plant-based dishes, I recommend purchasing a large jar from Sam’s Club or Costco, you’re going to need it. Garlic powder nicely spreads such as my Any White Bean Spread or Dairy-Free Nut Cheese Spread.

Onion Powder

Onion powder is dehydrate, ground onion that is a common seasoning in plant-based cooking. Like garlic powder, it’s commonly used in plant-based cooking so you want a large jar available as you will be using it often.

Chili Powder

This popular seasoning is simply the pulverized fruit from one or more chili varieties, sometimes with the addition of other spices. It is used to add a pungent, spicy flavor to dishes. Chili powder is used in many different cuisines, including American (particularly Tex-Mex), Chinese, Indian, Bengali, Korean, Mexican, Portuguese, and Thai. A chili powder blend is the primary flavor in American chili con carne. One of my favorite meals is Meatless Goulash and chili powder is definitely the main flavor enhancer in this dish.

Smoked Paprika

Prior to going plant-based a tin of smoked paprika would last me years. Now, oh my, I can’t begin to tell you how many jars I’ve gone through. It’s definitely a staple in creating delicious plant-based meals. What is the difference between smoked paprika and regular? The difference is simple, yet it makes all the difference in flavor. Whereas normal paprika is crushed dried chilies, smoked paprika uses chilies that are smoke-dried and then crushed. They are typically smoked with oak which leads to a strong outdoorsy flavor. If you want to take Cauliflower Wings to a whole new level, include smoked paprika in the coating.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavoring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savory dishes, breakfast cereals, snack-foods, tea and traditional foods. The first things I grab when I walk into the kitchen each morning is oatmeal and cinnamon. I don’t think I could survive a day without it. I particularly love how it gives this Quick and Easy Granola just the right amount of cinnamon flavor to make it my favorite granola around!

Turmeric

Flavor-wise, it is overwhelmingly earthy and bitter, almost musky, with a bit of peppery spice. You’ll find it in curry powders and used in southeast Asian cooking. Because it is so bitter, you’ll want to balance it out with other big flavors and textures. You can also find it fresh, it looks much like ginger knobs, but the flavor is a bit different. While it’s still bitter, it has a brighter, fresher flavor. So here’s the thing about turmeric that you want to remember, it stains whatever it comes in contact with, including my quartz countertop. If you don’t want that golden glow on your hands or Tupperware and Rubbermaid products, switch to stainless steel or glass containers for cooking and storing and wear gloves if you’re peeling fresh turmeric. A beautiful marriage of flavor is turmeric and butternut squash as you will see in this Silky Butternut Squash Soup.

Ginger

Ahhh, the amazing and mighty ginger. Ginger is a member of the same plants family as cardamom and turmeric. It’s healthy and nourishing and adds delicious flavor and aroma to stir fry, soup, salad dressings, and more. One of my favorite recipes using ginger is this Chickpea and Butternut Squash Tagine.

Curry

Curry is commonly used to flavor soups, stews, sauces, marinades, and vegetables. Curry is actually a spice blend, not a spice on its own. Curry powders usually consist of turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper. Some blends also incorporate garlic and cinnamon. As the popularity of curry flavor increases, creative chefs are finding more unconventional uses for the seasoning such as scrambled eggs, and potato salad. Give this Roasted Curried Cauliflower a try, it’s a great way to turn plain cauliflower into a delicious gourmet dish!