Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is a popular vegan food product. It has a cheesy, nutty, and savory flavor and is often used to give vegan food a cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast is said to boost energy, protect against cell damage (aka cancer) and lower cholesterol. It’s typically fortified with Vitamin B12, so it’s a great vegan source of B12.
Some simple ways to incorporate nutritional yeast into your diet include:
- Use it as a popcorn topper
- Sprinkle it over soup or pasta
- Mix it into your homemade hummus
- Add it in as you cook up some scrambled eggs
One of the most common things to do with nutritional yeast is to make a cheese sauce. Here is a Vegan Cheesy Pasta Recipe:
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- 1 cup pre-cooked pasta
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. flour
- 2/3 cup nut/soy milk (unflavored, unsweetened)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- Optional: 1/2 tsp. mustard
- 1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- Salt (to taste)
DIRECTIONS: 1.) Cook pasta according to package, prepare sauce while the pasta cooks 2.) Heat the oil over low heat then stir in flour to make a paste. 3.) Slowly add in the nut/soy milk and heat, stirring frequently, until semi thickened. 4.) Then stir in the nutritional yeast, mustard, turmeric, garlic and salt. 5.) Heat for a minute or two, then stir in cooked pasta. (Adjust seasonings to taste.) Serve & enjoy!
Here is a great Vegan Butter Recipe:
- ⅓ cup room temperature refined coconut oil
- 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp aquafaba (**liquid from a can of garbanzo beans)
- ¼ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- Pinch of salt (to taste)
- Pinch of turmeric powder (for color)
DIRECTIONS: 1.) Add aquafaba and vinegar together and blend until it begins to get frothy & thick (for best result use an immersion or high-speed blender). 2.) While blending, slowly drizzle in the coconut oil and then olive oil. Continue blending until it thickens to a mayonnaise consistency. 3.) Add in nutritional yeast, turmeric, and salt until combined and smooth. 4.) Store in an air-tight container in the fridge overnight to firm. 5.) Use on toast, on corn on the cob, or in any other way you would use butter. (makes about 1 cup)