Cooking with limited ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean only eating 5-ingredient dishes. In addition to looking for simple recipes, look for adaptable recipes.
Adaptable recipes are ones that won’t suffer from ingredient substitutions. Most recipes are adaptable, if you have the confidence to make big changes. To help you along the way, we’ve made a list of common ingredients and things you can use to substitute. If we missed anything that will help you, ask in the comments!
An important disclaimer before we get started: none of these substitutions are going to be perfect replacements. Wine does not taste like lemon juice, and rosemary does not taste like thyme. Part of adaptable cooking is coming to terms with different outcomes! Also, if any of these ingredients are the main flavoring of a dish, like basil or red wine, save that recipe for when you have the ingredient.
Chicken breast :: chicken thighs; pork chops; seitan
White wine :: lemon juice; neutral vinegar (white wine, apple cider, white distilled); dry vermouth
Lemon juice :: lime juice; neutral vinegar; white wine
Olive oil :: canola or vegetable oil; schmaltz; chicken or vegetable stock (yup, you can sauté in broth!)
Fresh herbs :: substitute any fresh herb for another fresh herb; dry herbs (use less, and skip for garnish); a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness
Pancetta :: bacon; prosciutto; ham; kielbasa
Chicken broth :: any other type of broth, including beef or vegetable; water
Tomato paste :: reduced tomato purée; ketchup; balsamic vinegar
Shallots :: any color onion; extra garlic; scallions; leeks
Milk :: nut milk; water; broth or stock
Sour cream :: yogurt; soaked and blended cashews; avocado
Sugar :: brown sugar, honey, agave syrup, blended dates, jams or jellies (**disclaimer: for savory recipes, like salad dressings or sauces. Baking is a horse of a different color!)
Pastry/Cake/Bread Flour :: yes, you can use all-purpose!
When it comes to things like pasta shapes and varieties of rice, grains, and beans, they are all interchangeable. Sure, one might be ideal for a particular recipe, but you can almost always swap one out for another.
For veggie substitutions, think about the vegetable in terms of heartiness. Swap tender veggies, like spinach or zucchini, for other tender veggies. Swap hearty veggies, like broccoli and sweet potatoes, for other hearty veggies. If you can’t, just consider the cooking technique and modify it to meet the needs of what you do have. A zucchini might not be ideal for your roasted broccoli recipe, but you can sauté it in a nice hot skillet and it’ll do the trick!