Plant-based pantry

These are some of the items I find useful in plant-based cooking. They are marked with * in the ingredients list. You can find them in some supermarkets, most health food and wholefood stores, organic grocers and online. Coconut aminos A fermented liquid made from the aged sap of coconut blossom. It has a sweet, salty, tangy flavour. A lower sodium substitute for soy sauce or tamari. Nori An edible seaweed that is rack dried in sheets. Usually used as a wrapping for sushi, nori is high in vitamins and minerals including iodine and is best sourced organically. Nutritional yeast Sometimes called savoury yeast. It is an inactive yeast grown on molasses. It’s then washed and dried with heat to make sure it’s inactive. I use it to give recipes that savoury, ‘cheesy’ flavour. It’s a source of vitamin B12, folic acid, selenium, zinc and protein. Tahini The paste produced from ground sesame seeds. Hulled tahini has a smooth and creamy texture with a very distinct nutty flavour. Tamari A naturally gluten-free by-product of fermented soy beans. Traditionally made as a by-product of miso, it’s high in sodium – only a little is needed for a lot of flavour. Look for a brand with no additives.