Like so many vegans before me, I have discovered the cheezy joys of nutritional yeast. However, it wasn't always this way--my bliss is fairly recent. My first container of the yellow stuff lasted me ages, and I only enjoyed it when it was hidden among many other ingredients. When I ran out of the first container I decided to try a different brand, which turned out to have a much better flavor. It was then that I discovered my undying love for nutritional yeast.
I eat steamed veggies with my dinner most nights. Once I realized my love of nutritional yeast I got into the habit of sprinkling a big spoonful over top of my veggies for added flavor and nutrition (B-12 baby!). Then to change things up, I started to drizzle some tahini over top of the veggies in addition to the nutritional yeast. I wasn't done there, the third ingredient that I eventually added to my veggie toppings was lemon juice, which rounded out the flavors perfectly. It wasn't long before I realized that rather than messily heaping these ingredients onto my veggies I could premix them into a sauce. A couple more flavors made their way into the mix, and my instant cheezy sauce was born.
This tangy cheeze sauce instantly became my favorite way to dress up steamed vegetables. Before you try this, I should mention that as a prerequisite, you must love nutritional yeast. It is the dominant flavor in this sauce, and if you are anything like I used to be when I first tried nutritional yeast, this one is not for you.
Instant Cheezy Sauce
Serves 2
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp onion powder
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add up to 1 additional tablespoon of water to achieve your preferred thickness. Spoon over 2 servings of steamed veggies.
Thanks again to everyone that entered the TofuXpress giveaway. There were 83 qualifying entries in total, and I used random.org to generate the winning number of 73. Congrats to Cadry, the lucky commenter!
yum - I just ate some nutritional yeast on my pasta and tomatoes a few minutes ago :)
ReplyDeletejust out of curiosity, what brand of nutritional yeast did you try first? I love the Whole Foods brand, but haven't tried any others to compare.
Ali, it actually was the Whole Foods brand that I didn't care for, lol. It wasn't fortified with B-12 either, which I learned was a possibility soon after buying it. I had just assumed without reading the label, oops! Not sure if some of their nooch is fortified, but the canister I bought was not. Something to watch for :)
ReplyDeleteNutritional yeast certainly has a very distinct flavor; luckily, I took to it right away. Great stuff, and your sauce sounds similar to something I'd make. Tahini always gets the job done, no matter what the job!
ReplyDeleteMmmm lovin' that cheese sauce recipe! Bookmarked!
ReplyDeleteSteamed vegetables always seemed pretty boring to me. Until now. I guess from now on I'll be pouring your sauce on top of every bunch of steamed broccoli I make.
ReplyDeleteYum-- I love nutritional yeast, so I bet I'd love this!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't tahini just make EVERYTHING better?!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!
Thanks for the amazingness
xo
Sauce looks great. I've yet to make a sauce like this. I used to love cheese sauces over veggies though! Wonder if you could turn it into a cheese soup??
ReplyDeleteI would eat so many more veggies if I would just remember to cover them in a sauce like this!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried nutritional yeast before. I must try is so I know what everyone is talking about. Your dish loooks really tempting!
ReplyDeleteYum yum yum! I LOVE cheezy sauce. This one looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteSo simple and yet so perfect! What a great way to make steamed veggies a more exciting meal :)
ReplyDeleteYum! It took me a while to like nutritional yeast too.. now I love it!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how some of our favorite recipes come to be? This sauce sounds great, and along with the steamed veggies, makes for a very healthy dish!
ReplyDeleteI've had OKAY nutritional yeast before but obviously I haven't been buying the right brand. Definitely going to try this!
ReplyDeleteThat does sound good and thanks for sharing the brand you like. I haven't tried that one yet. I hope all is well with you.
ReplyDeleteAli
It definitely makes a difference what type of nutirtional yeast is coming to the cheesy party. I bought the "wrong" kind once in a big canister, and it was a mistake I didn't make twice! It had a nutty flavor instead of a cheesy one.
ReplyDeleteI am SO EXCITED that I won the Tofu Xpress!! Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway. I can't wait to see it work its magic on some lemon and rosemary tofu or red wine marinated tofu. I've been so curious about the Tofu Xpress since I first heard about it, and now I can finally see what all of the buzz is about for myself. Thanks again!
I'm enjoying nutritional yeast flakes lately - not because I am vegan but because I am trying to eat a bit less cheese - love the sound of this sauce - I have had great success stirring some nutritional yeast flakes and other flavours into tofu for a quick tasty sandwich spread
ReplyDeletei do love me some nooch and i'm all about some tahini as well. your instant cheezy sauce sounds ridiculously awesome and i love that it's simple and i've got everything on hand all the time. wahooooooooo!
ReplyDeleteThere is a a restaurant in Oregon called Cafe Yumm! that serves a sauce similar to this on everything. It is so addicting. I live on the east coast so I have been using copy cat recipes that I have found on the web.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds fantastic! Which brand did you switch to? I bought some in bulk and its alright, but I'm sure it could be better.
ReplyDeleteI linked to this recipe on my blog today! The sauce was AMAZING on a "mock tuna noodle" casserole!
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI just added you to my blogroll today. I love your blog. I am going to make your Super Veggie Lentil Taco "Meat" this weekend. What an awesome recipe:) I also am following you. Have a great weekend:) Debbie
Hi there- I"m a new reader, I clicked over from Heather's blog (where's the beach).
ReplyDeleteI'm not a vegan but I am fairly close just due to what "agrees with me," and have been a lifelong vegetarian. I've found that the bulk nooch flakes taste the best to me. I've been mixing them with mustard and herbs for some time now to go with veggies or pasta, but never added tahini before. Yum! I wonder if sesame seeds would be as good as the tahini?
Well, thanks for the inspiration, I'll try shaking things up tonight with some tahini and lemon :)
Cheers!
Meri
merigoesround.blogspot.com
I really want to find a nutritional yeast sauce I like and I love that this one doesn't use any nondairy milk (which I find can give vegan sauces too strong of a flavour). Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete