Especially for novice cooks, venturing beyond your basic salt and pepper and into the spice aisle can be overwhelming. Highly-spiced recipes, especially ethnic cuisines, feature a long ingredient list that may be discouraging, but don’t give up! The truth is, the vast majority of popular recipes can be made with just a handful of spices. So, if you had to pick only ten spices to make most dishes, what would they be? While everyone’s perfect ten will differ slightly, and you won’t be able to make everything with just these few, this list of essentials is a good spice rack starter-pack.
Chili Powder
Especially if you’re just starting out, spice blends are your friends. Chili powder is one such blend that will make your culinary life easier because it usually combines multiple spices like chili peppers, cumin, coriander, and others, resulting in a full-bodied flavor with just one shaker.
Basil
Even though it’s best buddies with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, basil is extremely versatile and you’ll find yourself reaching for it whenever you need an extra herby kick. If you’re feeling fancy, pick up a little basil plant to always have fresh leaves on hand.
Oregano
You’ll most likely recognize oregano’s bold flavor from sprinklings atop your cheese pizza or in your favorite Italian sauce. It’s also handy for Mediterranean cuisine, chili, or incorporated into some homemade chicken soup.
Rosemary
A cousin of mint, rosemary’s unmistakable flavor can be overwhelming, but used in the right quantities it adds extra depth to recipes. Rosemary is popularly used to accent chicken and lamb, or heartier stews and soups.
Ginger
The biting flavor of ginger can be used in sweet and savory dishes alike. It’s a good addition to a stir fry or holiday baking recipes, and it is also used to ease ailments like nausea, heartburn, and bloating. Buy it ground, or keep a root in the freezer to grate up whenever you need it.
Garlic
Okay, so garlic is technically a vegetable, though we would highly discourage snacking on cloves like baby carrots; that is unless you’re trying to keep the neighborhood vampires away. Garlic is a great base flavor for most dishes, whether you’re sautéing veggies or baking a meatloaf.
Paprika
Sprinkle this bright red powder on virtually any savory dish. Its subtle smoky flavor and bright color brightens up anything from white fish sautéed in olive oil to a flank steak simmering in butter.
Cinnamon
A dash of cinnamon brings oatmeal and baked goods from bland to cinn-a-man that’s good! Some studies have shown that it might help regulate blood sugar and reduce bad cholesterol. Coffee drinkers: sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of your grounds before you brew a pot of drip coffee, and get a completely different flavor.
Bay Leaf
Bay leaves are soup and stock essentials. Throwing a bay leaf or two into a simmering pot will broaden the flavor profile and you’ll be ditching canned options in no time.
Cumin
A spice with a versatile, pungent flavor, cumin is used in a multitude of Indian, Mexican, and North African cuisines. It’s great sprinkled on a plate of hummus and pita bread.
