Since I’ve gone vegan, I don’t think there’s been a day that’s gone by that I didn’t consume nutritional yeast is some way, shape or form.
I have NEVER been worried about getting enough protein with a plant-based diet. Never been worried about iron, calcium, anything like that. But, B12 is harder to come by, and super important for my body in particular, and do I am always overly aware of how much B12 I’m getting. And come on. Nutritional yeast is delicious, so I am never opposed to sprinkling it on everything.
The only way I’ve had it be even tastier than it normally is, is when it’s packed into these “cheese” blends from Pop Zest! And sure, they’re great on popcorn, but they’re infinitely better worked into any recipe that needs any type of extra flavor or a cheese replacement.
They’re all insanely delicious, and overall, work extremely well in thickening soups and stews, adding to homemade sauces and dressings and ESPECIALLY in my new favorite kale pesto. In addition to providing my beloved B12, they also contain tiger nuts (a prebiotic), Vitamin E and folic acid. But these superfood blends, don’t lack that buttery, cheesy flavor in any way. They’re extremely rich and savory, and add a much welcomed flavor boost to all of my meals. But even in simple dishes, they work their magic! I’ve even gone so far as to just add a little water to the Olive Oil + Herb blend and it made for an awesome bread dipping sauce.
This women-owned company is also Boulder-based, which obviously makes me adore them even more! Check out each of them below for yourself. You can find Pop Zest stocked at Nooch in Denver, Alfalfa’s Markets and Lucky’s, and you can also buy on Amazon, with an additional 10% off your Amazon order through March 31st!
BUTTER
With added butter flavor (tip: if things say “flavor”, it means it’s not actual real butter. Same with things like bacon “flavor”) this one was the most unique. It subbed in perfectly for nutritional yeast in my potato and carrot cheese sauce recipe, which I’ve included here!
2 cups chopped red or gold potatoes
1 cup chopped carrot
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup nutrition yeast or Pop Zest
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Boil potatoes and carrot in water until tender
- Drain and add to blender
- Add all other ingredients to blend and blend until smooth and creamy
ARTISAN CHEESE
The richest of the flavors, it’s got added veggies and nutrition in it, due in part to it’s inclusion of onions, carrots, garlic and bell peppers. I’ve found it best for things like pesto, pasta and in more Italian dishes. Because we all know Italian dishes are my favorite!
OLIVE OIL & HERB
This super savory variation is also a heavy-hitter when it comes to Italian dishes, since it contains herbs like oregano and basil. It’s made it ideal for soups and stews, since I’ve been making so many of them in this cold winter weather we’ve been experiencing in Boulder. I am also loving it for creamy homemade cashew dressings and sauces. I added it to my Caesar salad dressing, as well as a ranch dressing for quesadillas this week.
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