Letter of Recommendation: Nutritional Yeast

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Here’s something you might know (or might not): I’ve been a vegetarian since 2013. I do eat bivalves and I do love vegetables. I don’t like to lead with labels, but I do hope TNHS is a source of mealtime ideas for you that happen to be vegetarian (I’ve written more about this here). In that spirit, I wanted to share an ingredient I love that’s quite common in vegan pantries but not as much in the omnivore’s home.

It’s nutritional yeast and you should get some. Nutritional yeast, also known as brewer’s yeast, also known as nooch in some circles, is an umami rich ingredient that’s so nice to have on hand. Bragg’s is the brand I have and you can also find it at places like Trader Joe’s (it comes in a bag which is kind of annoying). The Bragg’s one comes in a canister with a shaker option so it’s easy to try a little bit as a topping and see how you like it (you can also let each member of your household decide for themselves). It’s shelf stable and keeps for up to two years.

Alicia Kennedy explained how it’s made in her piece on the product for Serious Eats. Basically a strain of yeast gets fed a carbohydrate so it grows and then it’s dried out, toasted, and enriched with vitamins (it’s not an active yeast by the time you buy it). The vitamins are a key draw for vegans as Vitamin B12 is often missing from a vegan or vegetarian diet and eating it is tastier than a supplement. The flavors come from an amino acid and the toasting process itself, which lends a slightly nutty flavor.

I do not think this tastes like cheese but I love it anyway

Here’s how I like to use it: