Nutritional yeast is one of the few vegan products that provides all 9 essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.
Nutritional yeast is made from the same yeast as leavening yeast, but it is cleaned and dried at a temperature that inactivates the microorganisms in it.
Therefore, we cannot make bread with nutritional yeast, but we can use it in soups, sauces, purees, and salads, and sprinkle it on pizza and pasta, because it has a characteristic taste and aroma, resembling, according to some, a mature cheese of the Parmesan type, and according to others - nuts. This pleasant taste is due to glutamic acid - an amino acid formed in naturally fermented foods. This is the same amino acid that makes the extremely harmful monosodium glutamate tasty and addictive. Unlike it, however, glutamines in nutritional yeast are completely natural and only enhance the taste of the food.
It is an excellent option for people who are intolerant to dairy products and for those who are intolerant to gluten because nutritional yeast does not contain it. The taste of nutritional yeast cannot be attributed to the four basic tastes described by East Asian cuisine - sweet, bitter, sour, and salty. Therefore, it contains the fifth taste - umami, which can be translated as "neutral and pleasant", emphasizing food and increasing appetite.
Nutritional yeast is a real treasure trove of useful substances. In addition to essential amino acids, it offers selenium, zinc, chromium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and soluble fiber, as well as all B vitamins except B12. Therefore, you can find nutritional yeast with added vitamin B12, very important for people who have completely excluded animal foods from their diet. It strengthens the immune system with its bouquet of enzymes, vitamins, and fiber, and at the same time does not change the intestinal microflora, because there are no living microorganisms in it, as we have already mentioned.
Here are some ideas on how to use it:
- Nutritional yeast shake: almond milk, tablespoon of nutritional yeast, tablespoon of shelled hemp seeds or hemp protein, tablespoon of chia, honey if desired. Excellent breakfast.
- Nutritional yeast paste - just sprinkled with it. You can do the same with vegetables.
- Pea cream soup with nutritional yeast. Boil fresh or frozen peas with chopped onions, carrots, parsnips, celery root, and spices. Puree and sprinkle with the yeast after making the soup to preserve its vitamins.
- Cashew Dip with Nutritional Yeast. You soak raw cashews for two hours and then grind them in a food processor with half a cup of water, sea salt, garlic, and olive oil. Add a teaspoon of nutritional yeast to the finished dip and mix.
