Good morning. In today’s edition, we cover

Nutritional yeast and how to use it
A satisfying salad
If you can freeze herbs or not

And if you have a home cooking question, just reply to send it in and we’ll try to answer it in a future edition.

INGREDIENT DEEP DIVE 🍳

Nutritional yeast

Sprinkle or blend into dishes for a hit of savory umami.

What is it?

Nutritional yeast is made from deactivated yeast grown on molasses, which is harvested, dried, and flaked into a light yellow powder. Because it’s inactive, it won’t make dough rise. It’s purely an ingredient for flavor and nutrition.

You’ll find it in the baking aisle, health food section, or bulk bins, usually sold as flakes or powder

What’s its flavor?

Taste: Savory, think cheesy-ish umami

Aroma: Toasty, nutty, and slightly yeasty (of course)

Texture: Light, flaky, dissolves easily into sauces and becomes creamy

Why should you buy some?

Nutritional yeast is a shortcut to umami and “aged cheese vibes” without actual cheese, easily adding funky savoriness to even plant-based dishes.

It’s shelf-stable, affordable, and lasts forever in the pantry.
Its dry texture makes it easy to shake on as seasoning, like over popcorn or vegetables.

It also breaks down easily, blending smoothly into sauces and dressings, like this praised vinaigrette.

What else can you do with it?

Sprinkle on popcorn with butter or olive oil and salt
Stir into pasta, risotto, or mashed potatoes for extra savoriness
Blend into vegan cheese sauces, cashew cream, or creamy salad dressings
Add to roasted vegetables, tofu, or chickpeas before baking

Think of nutritional yeast as Parmesan’s funky, plant-based cousin: it doesn’t necessarily replace cheese, but it can play the same flavor or garnishing role.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK ✅

A satisfying salad

Speaking of satisfying plant based dishes, this crispy tofu salad hits all the right textures and savory flavors without needing meat.

It uses miso, another great umami booster, for savoriness, but you could swap the miso for nutritional yeast in the dressing and the recipe would still work out.

Check it out on our website or app, where you can edit and customize recipes to your profile!

Check out the Cook Well App

READER Q&A 🧠

Freezing herbs?

Some stronger-flavored herbs like dill handle freezing if chopped and packed into ice cube trays with olive oil or water, but most should be used up fresh, or dried for longer storage.

❝

Question: “Can you freeze herbs?” - Kent W.

Answer: In general, no — most delicate herbs are better fresh. Freezing breaks down their structure, so they lose most of their flavor and texture.

Delicate herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley leaves, and chives tend to turn soft and dark once thawed. They’re not great for using after freezing.

If your delicate herbs are starting to wilt, your best bet is to just use them up in a cooking application: blend into a pesto, chimichurri, or green sauce, chop and stir into softened butter, mince or toss into soups, stocks, or braises.

Heartier herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and bay don’t freeze super well either, but they can actually be dried! Their structure holds up well to air-drying and they retain flavor nicely, so there’s not as much pressure to use them up quickly.