Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing (Easy Dairy-Free Dressing)
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This nutritional yeast salad dressing is a quick, dairy-free vinaigrette with a savory, cheesy flavor and a bright, tangy finish. It’s easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and works well on salads, vegetables, and grain bowls.
This is a light, pourable dressing with a tangy flavor—not a thick, creamy dressing. If you prefer a richer texture, see the variation below for how to make it creamier.
I've been making my own homemade salad dressing for a long time. Our long-standing favorite used to be this Moroccan Vinaigrette, and then this homemade vinaigrette salad dressing that you can make 5 ways, but this nutritional yeast dressing is a great one as well.
And let me say that if you aren't making your own homemade salad dressing yet, I hope that this post gets you motivated to do so.
‘Cause I have another super simple salad dressing recipe that should be on your table.
I honestly can't remember the last time I purchased salad dressing. Maybe way back in my college days before I was into making my own just about everything.
You might not be as excited about making your own stuff as I am, but I hope you catch the bug.
Why Make Homemade Salad Dressings
- Using only wholesome whole food ingredients.
- Save tons of money.
- Reduce the impact on the environment by buying less packaged stuff.
- Avoid extra sugars. Many dressings are loaded with HCFS and other sweeteners. Particularly if you are on a candida diet, these will wreak havoc on your health.
The inspiration for this dressing came from Oh She Glows, a fabulous vegetarian blog. I made this Adzuki Bean Quinoa Tabbouleh, loved the dressing on it and decided to make my own version of it.
My kids quickly pushed aside the Moroccan Vinaigrette and our Favorite Salad Dressing – Five Ways and ate this one voraciously for the next few weeks. And now here it is for you to enjoy as well.
We use this not only as a salad dressing but to top all kinds of things.
What Is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast (called “nooch,” for short) is yellow flakes or powder that is deactivated yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). It's popular for its nutty, cheesy, umami flavor and as such it's a popular ingredient in dairy-free and vegan cooking.
Nutritional yeast is grown on molasses and then heated, dried, and crumbled and is used for adding cheesy flavor to all kinds of dairy-free and vegan dishes.
Notably, it doesn't cause fermentation like baker's or brewer's yeast and it's rich in B vitamins, protein and minerals.
Ways to Use This Easy Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing
- on top of beans and rice for a jazzed up last minute meal
- atop cooked veggies. Marinate in the dressing for about 2 hours for added flavor
- as a dip for fresh veggies. My boys like to mix extra nutritional yeast into this easy salad dressing (actually they use a whole lotta nutritional yeast) to make it really thick.
And if you are looking for a nutritional yeast that does NOT contain added b-vitamins, this brand is your answer.
Other Homemade Salad Dressings
- Moroccan Vinaigrette
- Vegan Avocado Salad Dressing
- Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing
- Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette – check out all 5 versions of this delicious dressing
If you prefer a creamier dressing, you can add tahini, soaked cashews, or a spoonful of nut butter to thicken this dressing while mellowing the tang.
Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, but oh-so-necessary in our opinion)
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Pour olive oil and apple cider vinegar in serving container.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Stir to combine. Stir again to redistribute ingredients before serving.
- Store in refrigerator, preferably in a glass container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Enjoy!
Do YOU Make Your Own Salad Dressing?
FYI: The link you gave was for this: It IS fortified, meaning it DOES HAVE ADDED B VITAMINS
You definitely want to get an unfortified or Non Fortified version, NOT a fortified one… for a healthier product.
“Oh – and if you are looking for a nutritional yeast that does NOT contain added b-vitamins, this brand is your answer.”
Linked to this product:
KAL Nutritional Yeast Flakes, Fortified with B12, Folic Acid & Other B Vitamins,
Hi there, Carol.
Gosh Amazon can be really difficult. Of course there can be an error on my end, but Amazon also switches out products on links sometimes. Once there was a very “inappropriate toy” at the end of one of my links. I was of course in total shock when I saw that.
Thanks for pointing it out. The link is changed. :).
I make a similar one with tahini and lemon juice added to it. Spoon licking good! Tahini lemon garlic dressing.
That sounds amazing!! I would love the recipe if you’re willing to share – here or email – adrienne at wholenewmom dot com.
This is seriously the best salad dressing recipe! This is the only dressing anyone ever wants at all of our family dinners and has been our favorite since I found it here on Pinterest in 2017. Thank you for sharing this!!!
Hi JoAnn – thank you so much you made my day! It has been way too long since I’ve made this. I need to place an order for nutritional yeast so I can make it again! Thanks again and of course you are welcome!
I got a cramp in my hands TWICE before I actually got to the recipe. I HATE these kinds of posts. I want the recipe, not your childhood memories. (sorry). Seriously. I never got the salad dressing recipe I wanted, because it took 25 minutes before I gave up. Sorry–I won’t be back. (not to mention the the pop=ups that TOTALLY covered the page.
Hi Donna. You know what? I hope you can read this and think about how you came across. There’s a real human being on the other end of your keyboard and screen and this human being got news of THREE people in her circles who were either hospitalized or dead. I worked hard to help one of them – spent hours on it, actually. And I’m sure you’ve noticed that the world is not the easiest place these days.
I really didn’t need this kind of a rude comment today. Of course I would like to never have them at all.
I do most things on my site myself. That is an older post and I’m gradually rewriting them to leave some personality in it without it being too much. I haven’t gotten to that one yet.
You clearly missed the handy “JUMP TO RECIPE” link at the top of the post. I put that in for readers’ convenience.
There also shouldn’t be any pop ups that totally cover a page. I worked hard to make sure that didn’t happen. I will check but I don’t know what that could be–if you can tell me what it was, that might help me sort it out.
I think it is quite possible that you have an outdated phone which could be adding to your negative experience–I can’t imagine why someone would have a cramp in their hand from scrolling through a recipe–was that an exaggeration? If not, you might check out some natural anti-inflammatories or myofascial release.
If you just want recipes, and not a connection with a real person, then you can go to allrecipes dot com and such where they often have recipes stolen / copied from bloggers and we suffer.
Again, I hope you can think about how you come off in the future and how this kind of thing hurts people. Please consider that next time you get frustrated about an online experience. Thank you.
Recently dx with Bakers Yeast allergy – I would love ideas for yeast free recipes & dressings. Thanks!
I’m so sorry! Have you checked out my recipes page? There are a ton of things w/ no yeast. LMK how I can help. This is a fave: https://wholenewmom.com/moroccan-vinaigrette/
and so is this one: https://wholenewmom.com/avocado-dressing-recipe/
If you can use cheese the sub parmesan cheese.