Top Ten Staple Ingredients in Cooking

Cooking gives people the opportunity to be creative and make use of any ingredients that they like. There are ingredients however, that are commonly used in almost any dish. If you’re restocking your kitchen, here are some ingredients you don’t want to forget!
The Top Ten
1 Olive Oil

It's almost impossible to create a dish without olive oil! Usually added to a heated pan to start cooking, it is also used to make dressings for salads. A bonus advantage to using olive oil is that it is considered healthier than butter or other kinds of oil.

2 Garlic

Like many root vegetables, garlic is used to add a spicy flavor to dishes. It is also perfect for marinating meat. Garlic is the most common vegetable used alongside onions, shallots, and ginger. A tip would be to cook garlic first before adding in other vegetables, rather than putting it in raw.

3 Eggs

Eggs provide protein, help bind other ingredients together, and add thickness to pastries and custards.

Lots of stuff has eggs in it, but I never realize it.

4 Flour

Who could forget flour! Flour is the most important ingredient in both baking and cooking. With flour, we are able to make bread and pasta. Flour helps add thickness to gravies as well as sauces.

5 Tomatoes

Although regarded as a fruit, tomatoes are an important ingredient in many cuisines such as Italian, Indian, and Mexican. They provide acidity as well as a sweet taste to dishes. They are used for sauces, salsa, and salads. Basically, tomatoes are the most common fruit that we use in cooking.

6 Rice

Rice is an ingredient used by nearly every cuisine. It can be eaten as a side dish or, more commonly, as a main dish like fried rice, risotto, and jambalaya.

7 Onions

Like garlic, onions are used to add a bit of spice to dishes. There are many types of onions, such as green onions, Spanish onions, shallots, and leeks. Depending on the dish, we use different types of onions.

8 Salt

Every dish needs salt because it brings out the flavor in cooking. However, many people regard salt as unhealthy. Luckily, you only need a pinch. There are healthier alternatives like sea salt.

9 Potatoes

Potatoes are the main vegetable and a favorite for many people. They can be mashed, baked, or even plated as a side dish.

10 Black Pepper
The Contenders
11 Butter
12 Stock

Stocks provide a great base for soups, gravies, as well as pasta and rice dishes. Stocks are also very versatile, as they can be made from either chicken, beef, fish, or even vegetables. Stocks are also made from leftover food scraps, so it is a great way to get the most out of your ingredients.

13 Water
14 Yeast
BAdd New Item