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?
I was amazed that such a simple list of ingredients could be so tasty! It was one of the first recipes I’ve made from your site. We had some friends over, and their three and a half year old is a picky eater. I made a salad, and put out the usual bottles of commercial dressing. My homemade was in a plain glass cruet. Dad sniffed it & decided to try it. Mom (who is MEGA picky!!) took a taste, and decided on the homemade. Then the toddler got some on her salad. Not only did she eat all of her salad, but she then picked up her bowl and DRANK the rest of the dressing!! It was a major hit! I highly recommend this recipe, and am so happy to find a tasty alternative to the chemical filled commercial ones.
So glad! We just served it to a friend who was over tonight – he enjoyed it as well but he said he thought it should have more “kick” – I’m thinking it wasn’t stirred well enough b/c I find it to be pretty kicky. Thanks for letting me know!
This was very good! We love to dip fried potatoes in it! Thank you
You are so welcome! Sounds GREAT!!!
I tried posting TWICE about KAL nutritional yeast having synthetic folic acid and that Dr. Fuhrman’s is the only one that I know of that IS NOT fortified. Why aren’t you approving my posts? I would think that you would want your viewers to know this—especially for the ones who are looking for a healthier NY. I always thought you were on the up and up—I guess I was wrong. Because you could at least allow the “conversation”. You have with the other posts, why not allow mine? This makes no sense. This is unfortunate. And because so, I will no longer be promoting you as I’ve done in the past as it’s obvious you are not interested in “truth”, certainly not when it contradicts YOUR opinions and posts. Again, this is unfortunate. … and of course I understand you will not be posting this, I simply wanted you to read it.
I am sorry you have this impression of me but I have no idea what you are talking about regarding the 2 comments. This is the first one I saw and I searched your email address and I don’t see any more. I did my own research about unfortified nutritional yeast and it is hard to find – you are right. I did find 1 potential source for bulk but I have to dig it up. I must say I am surprised that you jumped to the conclusion that I am not on the up and up – and again, I don’t know why you think I didn’t approve your comments. Maybe you can share what happened but your comments aren’t in the spam folder either. Thanks and I hope you can explain and we can resolve this. Thanks.
I love this recipe for dressing & my heart aches for you when i saw the harahness from the post above… Keep your chin up! #cookingsister!??
Thank you so much. People can be very mean. Most bloggers delete mean comments – I approve and deal w/ almost all of them. That way they can’t hide. Glad you liked the recipe!
Regarding the nutritional yeast—I, too, have been using KAL but am hesitant to continue since it uses synthetic folic acid. The only one that I know of that isn’t fortified and DOESN’T contain synthetic folic acid is Dr. Fuhrman’s. Albeit a bit pricy at $9.95 per 4 oz (and s/h on top of that), nonetheless, it is the only one out there that I know of. https://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/nutritional-yeast.aspx
Of course this is a few years ago, but I have purchased both of the below products. Both are non-fortified:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BW8GC88/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PJ3IPMI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I know that brewer’s yeast is something completely different but I happen to have it on hand and might substitute to see if it’s palatable. I hope it is because I’m not going to waste it ;). Thx for the recipe!
I find Brewers to be icky. I heard swanson’s is good but haven’t tried it. We have a container of Brewers here and can’t bear to eat it.
You know it actually tastes great! I put it on my husband’s salad and he said the dressing was good and I would never tell him I put my brewer’s yeast in it lol ;). It was Lewis lab’s brewers yeast buds. Anyhow thank you…now I have another use for it besides oatmeal, smoothies and popcorn.
Wow – GREAT! Maybe I’ll have to try making it with the Brewers and see what happens!
Give it to your pets. It is very good for fleas, and will improve their coats.
SMALL amounts in their food or they will fart a lot.
Great idea! I need to buy some – we haven’t had it for awhile now.
I did start our cat on this from Purium – she really likes it mixed in with the Vegan Ranch that I make. I do think she’s more peppy. She’s a rescue cat that has lived a long time for her situation but I want to have her around as long as possible.
Are you adding the yeast strictly for nutritional value or does it actually do something to the dressing?
It adds a cheesy flavor :).
I can’t wait till I can use vinegar and yeast again. Someday!
Jen, are you off these things due to candida? If so, nutritional yeast apparently doesn’t affect candida. And I have made great progress w/ vinegar. Did you see my series on Why I Don’t Have Fermented Foods on My Blog?
My naturopathic Doctor does not allow nutritional yeast for a candida diet. ??
Hi Nadine. Yes, some natural practitioners recommend against nutritional yeast for those who are really sensitive to candida. I think it’s an individual decision. I never had an issue with it. It doesn’t feed candida and so the only reason that I have read that makes sense regarding avoiding it is that if you are highly sensitive, your body might react to the nutritional yeast since it is having a “reaction” to the candida. Hope that helps!
Looking forward to trying this! But before I do… Do you use Bragg’s ACV or the “regular” filtered stuff from the grocery store?
I use Braggs. Thanks for the reminder. I added that info to the post :).
Perfect – Thanks! Plan to make this tonight!
I just wondered if you have ever tried running this through the blender? What it was like?
Thanks 🙂
I haven’t but I think it would be great. Not sure if it would stay emulsified, but perhaps.
Thank you 🙂
Sorry if this is redundant (I did not read all the comments). What is the shelf life of this dressing would you say?
I can’t make any promises, but in my cool house I just leave it on the table. I feel the vinegars and salt keep it fairly stable. 🙂