Many people think budget-friendly cooking is boring, but it doesn’t have to be. Spending a bit of extra money on a lemon or a bunch of parsley can help take your home cooking to the next level and stave off your desire to order takeout. Here are six affordable ingredients I use to spice up my meals so I don’t get frugal food fatigue.
7 Cheap Ingredients That Will Transform Your Home Cooking
Fresh Ginger
Fresh ginger is pleasantly spicy and can add layers of flavor to many dishes such as soups, curries, fried rice, and noodles. It also lasts for quite a while in the fridge and can help make pantry meals like ramen more exciting and delicious.
Fresh ginger usually costs $3 to $5 per pound, which may seem steep. However, you can usually find small knobs of ginger in the produce section that weigh less than a pound and cost about a dollar. Asian grocery stores usually offer good deals on fresh ginger as well.
Because most recipes only call for a teaspoon or tablespoon of grated ginger, you can stretch a small piece across several meals to liven up your home cooking.
Cheese Powder or Nutritional Yeast
Is it just me, or has cheese gotten insanely expensive? Even basic store-brand cheddar is over $4 per pound in my area. Luckily there are ways to add some cheesy flavor to your meals without breaking the bank.
Nutritional yeast is an affordable cheese substitute that has an intensely nutty, cheesy flavor. It’s vegan and fat-free, so it’s healthier and lower in calories than regular cheese. I only have to use a pinch or two to spice up my homemade popcorn and pasta dishes. So a small $3 bag usually lasts for several months in my household.
If you don’t want to part with real cheese, you can also find powdered cheese in the bulk section of many grocery stores. At my local store cheese powder goes for $5 per pound. Although that sounds expensive, a pound of powdered cheese goes a long way because it’s so concentrated. I never use more than a teaspoon at a time, so my small $1.50 container has lasted for a while.
Fresh Herbs
Certain delicate herbs such as parsley, basil, dill, cilantro, thyme, and chives lose a lot of flavor when dried. That’s why getting fresh versions from the produce department can really help level up your cooking. Usually, a big bunch of cilantro or parsley only costs a dollar or two and goes a long way. You only need a sprinkle of fresh herbs on top of a dish to add a noticeable pop of flavor.
To ensure that your herbs last as long as possible, wrap them in a moist paper towel and store them in a sealed container. But if you want to save money and eliminate waste, consider growing some herbs in pots on your windowsill. That way you can pluck a few leaves from your herb plants as needed instead of buying a whole bundle at the grocery store.
Citrus
Citrus is another ingredient that may feel like a luxury if you’re on a tight budget. But usually, you can find lemons or limes for under a dollar at most supermarkets. Just like fresh herbs, citrus juice, and peels go a long way. Lemon zest is extremely fragrant, so you only need to add a teaspoon or less to most dishes. I love to sprinkle lemon zest on top of creamy pasta dishes to impart a bright, tangy flavor and offset the richness.
My favorite thing to do with citrus juice is make homemade dressings for salad or roasted vegetables. You can combine orange juice with honey and olive oil to make a nice salad dressing or topping for roasted carrots. If you have a sweet tooth, you can even candy orange and other citrus peels with sugar to create a low-cost treat.
Beans
Many people complain that they don’t like beans. However, if you’re a bean hater, you probably just haven’t found the best preparation method to suit your taste buds yet. There are also many types of beans, each with a different flavor profile. So if you’ve only tried a few varieties of beans and haven’t been a fan, don’t give up! Keep trying new legumes because you’re sure to find one you like eventually.
As a former legume hater, one of my favorite ways to use beans is to turn them into a spread. Instead of slathering mayonnaise on my sandwiches, lately, I’ve been making a white bean mash with a bit of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and whatever fresh herbs I have on hand. It’s also great as a dip served with fresh vegetables and crackers.
Another thing I love to do with beans in the summer is make this chilled salad. It features ingredients like fresh dill and lemon juice to offset the starchiness of the beans. You can also add bread crumbs, spices, and eggs to mashed beans to make delicious pan-fried veggie patties.
If you don’t like the mushy texture of beans, try roasting chickpeas or black beans in the oven to make them crispy. Not a fan of the flavor of legumes? It’s easy to cover up the taste by adding them to chili, soup, or pasta sauce. Believe it or not, you can even add white beans to fruit smoothies without altering the taste of your beverage. This allows you to add some extra protein to your breakfast smoothie without having to invest in costly protein powders.
Unique Grains
Everyone talks about rice when discussing frugal ingredients. However, other grains can help you stick to your grocery budget while adding variety to your meals. If you’re getting bored of plain white rice, try opting for a different type like wild or brown basmati rice. Or switch things up completely and test out a new grain such as farro, quinoa, barley, couscous, or bulgur.
You can infuse more flavor into your grains by cooking them in broth instead of water and adding spices like bay leaves to the pot while they simmer. You can also add citrus zest and herbs to your grains to give them a fresh, bright taste. One of my favorite affordable side dishes is couscous with lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh parsley or basil from my garden.
Onions and Garlic
I’d also like to give an honorable mention to onions and fresh garlic. I can’t always use them in my cooking because they don’t agree with my digestion. But if you can tolerate them, onions and garlic make a great flavor base for many different recipes, such as soups, stews, and pasta sauces.
Sauteeing some onions and garlic in a bit of oil before you add the rest of your ingredients can take your one-pot meals up a notch. Garlic and onions help add a savory complexity to dishes that you can’t easily get from other ingredients. Plus, they’re very affordable. A head of garlic costs less than a dollar and a large sweet onion is only about $1.50 in my area.
If you want to get extra creative, you can even pickle some onions and garlic in vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Pickled garlic and onions bring a tart, punchy flavor to the table and make a great topping on sandwiches, tacos, and salads.
What are your favorite affordable ways to spice up your home cooking so you don’t get bored? Share your go-to frugal ingredients in the comments below!
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Vicky Monroe is a freelance personal finance and lifestyle writer. When she’s not busy writing about her favorite money saving hacks or tinkering with her budget spreadsheets, she likes to travel, garden, and cook healthy vegetarian meals.