Blurring the lines, braking the rules
The idea to share the topic of 5 Tasty Non-Vegan Ways to Use Nutritional Yeast, was born from a real-life situation when a while ago I added a good dollop of nutritional yeast to a pasta dish I made for my child. The dish contained fried mushrooms, ground beef, homemade tomato purée, Mascarpone, chili powder, garlic, fresh rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, and grated Parmesan.
As a cook who also cherishes plant-based food, I have many items in my pantry that work well for vegan cooking. I recently even created an article about this: Top 12 Vegan Pantry Staples. Now, I thought I should give this specific condiment extra attention. It’s more like a seasoning element; you don’t use it in huge amounts, but it is very powerful!
Thinking out of the box
There are many articles and pieces of information about how to use nutritional yeast in vegan dishes. For example, this one: What is nutritional yeast. I’m pretty sure that veganism has even caused this delight to become known and used. Therefore, I decided to focus today on the endless possibilities for using it in non-plant-based recipes and share some great ideas to broaden the usage range of this flavorful condiment even more. After this half-playful, half-accidental addition to a family spaghetti-meat sauce dish, my daughter immediately began to love nutritional yeast, and now she adds it to half of her meals, whether they are vegan or omnivorous.
According to MedicalNewsToday:
Nutritional yeast is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and high-quality protein. Typically, one-quarter of a cup of nutritional yeast contains:
- 60 calories
- 8 grams (g) of protein
- 3 g of fiber
- 11.85 milligrams (mg) of thiamine, or vitamin B-1
- 9.70 mg of riboflavin, or vitamin B-2
- 5.90 mg of vitamin B-6
- 17.60 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B-12
Nutritional yeast is gaining popularity, and not just in vegan kitchens. This versatile ingredient adds a rich flavor that’s hard to resist. Often hailed for its cheesy, nutty taste, it’s perfect for various dishes, transforming everyday meals into something extraordinary. But how can non-vegan cooks incorporate this ingredient? Let’s explore some creative ways.
1. Using in pasta sauces
And that means not only replacing the regular cheeses but adding to them, so that you make your dish even richer in flavor, by not adding too many calories at the same time. Even if you make the easiest pasta by tossing your pasta in butter and maybe adding some fresh ripe roughly chopped tomatoes (if it’s the season), salt, black pepper, and/or dried chili and herbs – the nutritional yeast adds on A LOT! Just be careful not to be too gentle with it, because the flavor is strong.
Here in this dish as shown in the image below, I once again have used the nutritional yeast inside the pasta and then sprinkled it with Parmesan.
2. Thickening sauces and soups with nutritional yeast, instead of flour based thickeners
Nutritional yeast can also thicken sauces while adding flavor. Just stir in a few tablespoons to your cooking sauce, and watch it transform into a rich, velvety mix. You can also add it to any type of currys (which essentially are also sauces) and again: not only to vegan curries, but any type. I for example added it recently to a chicken curry that already was abundant in it’s nature because of a heavy spice mix and other flavorful condiments, but the yeast still made it even better!
3. Sprinkling to melted cheese to enhance the flavor and make it possible to reduce the cheese amount in recipe if desired
After we started to introduce nutritional yeast to other dishes, not just vegan ones, its use in our kitchen skyrocketed. For example, if you make something that includes cheese and after sprinkling it on top or letting it melt into the sauce, you still feel that something is missing in the taste, then the nutritional yeast has its moment again! Like the bulgur with veggies mentioned earlier, where the mozzarella didn’t seem to be enough, and the extra spoonful of nutritional yeast was exactly what gave the dish the final touch.
Fitness and health-conscious people might also benefit from the possibility of reducing the amount of cheese and replacing most of this delicious but calorie-dense food item with another one that is also delicious but calorie-poor.
4. Adding nutritional yeast to your morning omelet mix
The last time I made eggs, I whisked them together with seasoning and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Two large eggs, one tablespoon of liquid (such as water, dairy milk, vegan milk, or even heavy cream if you may), and one tablespoon of nutritional yeast would be a good proportion. The morning delight has a surprisingly deep nutty flavor and a new taste dimension!
5. Nutritional Yeast for Flavoring Rice and Quinoa
When cooking rice or quinoa, add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to the water or broth. This will infuse your grains with a delicious flavor that pairs well with any meal. Somehow the result will be particularly delicious if the rice is served as a side to a fish dish. This happened by experimenting once again, as the best results in the kitchen often do. I added just a little bit of nutritional yeast along with sesame seeds to a fluffy portion of Basmati rice, which was meant to complement a beautiful Teriyaki Salmon inspired by my favorite recipe creator, Nadiya Hussain: Nadiya’s Teriyaki Salmon.
6. Sprinkle nutritional yeast to a nutritious lunch salad for this extra kick
And the final way is to sprinkle your nutritional yeast to whatever salad you would like to. You can choose either light fresh vegetable salad or if we stick to today’s topic to add nutritional yeast to not plant-based recipes, then why not:
- Egg salad, for example, the delicious egg-mustard-mayonnaise salad you put between your sandwich;
- Cheese salad, such as Burrata, Mozzarella or Stracciatella salad;
- Tuna salad, especially if you don’t have all the ingredients, but you still want the flavor and umami.
Another related option is to make your pesto sauce with nutritional yeast. It can replace either cheese or nuts, or even both! You can also use all three ingredients to make it especially indulgent.
Conclusion
Do not be afraid to experiment. Try adding nutritional yeast to your meals and see, how it can transform ordinary dishes into something extraordinary. You don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy this versatile condiment!
Don’t be afraid to explore further and discover more about nutritional yeast through cookbooks, blogs, and culinary websites. Dive into the magic of this ingredient and enjoy its many flavors!