Tangy, punchy and downright drinkable, this nutritional yeast salad dressing is a tasty little umami bomb that whips up in 5 minutes and makes any salad more delicious.
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A good sauce is kinda my thing. It makes even a basic meal taste better. Like a really good cashew queso. Or a creamy balsamic dressing. And sometimes, it’s even a way to sneak in a bit of extra nutrition…like this 5 minute salad dressing with nutritional yeast.
I love the nooch. As a plant-based dietitian (and someone who grew up on a hippie-filled island) nutritional yeast AKA nooch runs through my veins. It’s an umami-packed sprinkle that’s rich in protein and vitamin B12, making it great for those of us who miss the cheesy notes of dairy.
There are a few variations on nutritional yeast dressing out there on the internet – most likely inspired by the one from Hollyhock Retreat on another island not far from the one I grew up on. Even still, I couldn’t resist putting my stamp on it: not the least of which was that some of them have SO much oil…and if you’ve been here a while, you know I don’t like an “oily” vinaigrette.
So here, the oil and vinegar are way more balanced for a tangy, umami burst of flavour that will stand up to even the most flavourful greens like kale and Brussels sprouts…I actually created this dressing to go with my yummy shredded Brussels crispy rice salad!
This dressing also has less nutritional yeast than some others. The reason being, nutritional yeast has A LOT of B vitamins. Just 1 tbsp has almost 200% of your daily B12 and riboflavin, more than that of thiamine and plenty of folate, B6 and niacin too. So taking down a full cup of nutritional yeast in a dressing is a wee bit much.
Enjoy this nooch dressing on salads, grain bowls or as a tangy dip for veggies. It keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge…just remember that because it’s made with olive oil, it will solidify until it warms up to room temperature again.
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How to make this super easy – and very slurpable – nutritional yeast dressing
You can totally whisk or shake this dressing up by hand, but I find that the texture is best when you fully blend the nutritional yeast into the liquid and then drizzle in the oil so everything is silky, rich and emulsified.
Step One…grab those ingredients! You’ll need nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, tamari, garlic, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and black pepper.
Looking to make this gluten free? Just make sure you use gluten free tamari. If you ditch the garlic – or swap in garlic-flavoured olive oil – this dressing is low FODMAP too.
Step Two: in a bullet blender, or using a wide mouth cup and immersion blender, blend everything BUT the oil until it’s nice and creamy: the nutritional yeast, vinegar, tamari, garlic, maple and dijon.
Step Three: then, drizzle in the olive oil slowly as you blend to help emulsify it. Taste and adjust with a bit more tamari, vinegar or maple to your taste. Toss with your fave salad and enjoy!
PS…It might be TMI but a little heads up on consuming nutritional yeast
Nutritional yeast is a sneaky source of protein, 2g per tbsp, and B vitamins. A LOT of B vitamins. If you’re new to eating the nooch, the dietitian in me needs you to know that the high concentration of B vitamins can make your pee like day-glo yellow. I wouldn’t want you to wonder what’s going on! Learn more about the health benefits of nutritional yeast.
A few more recipes to help you use up that bag of nutritional yeast:
Slurpable Nutritional Yeast Dressing with Dijon and Maple
Tangy, punchy and downright drinkable, this nutritional yeast salad dressing is a tasty little umami bomb that whips up in 5 minutes and makes any salad more delicious.
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tamari, gluten free, or low sodium soy sauce works
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
- freshly cracked pepper
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
You can mix this dressing by whisking, shaking in a jar, or my preferred method is blending. Here’s how: In a bullet blender or a wide-mouthed jar with immersion blender, add the nutritional yeast, vinegar, tamari, dijon, maple syrup, and garlic.
Blend until nice and creamy. Then, drizzle in the oil as you blend until just incorporated. Taste, add some pepper and adjust the vinegar, maple syrup or tamari if needed.
The dressing will last in the fridge for two weeks…and will get solid and/or separate because it contains olive oil. Just let come to room temperature, shake and enjoy.
For low FODMAP, omit the garlic, or use low FODMAP garlic-flavoured oil.
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