The Best Vegetarian Substitute For Parmesan Is A Health Food Staple

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on your spaghetti, a dusting on your popcorn, or a finishing garnish on your roasted potatoes — all are wonderful ways to bring a dash of salty-umami goodness to any dish, but for vegetarians and vegans, parmesan is a no go. Luckily, there's a vegetarian substitute for parmesan that's a health food staple: nutritional yeast.

That's right, nutritional yeast is the vegan health food staple you need in your kitchen. Lovingly called "nooch" by its fans, nutritional yeast is a yellow, flaky powder made from dried saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, which is the same strain used to make bread. It's chock-full of glutamates, which gives it a cheese-like savory taste.

Compared to cheese, however, nooch has more protein per calorie. "They're a really good source of protein, dietary fiber, various minerals including zinc, magnesium, and copper, as well as B vitamins," Mary Ryan, a registered dietitian and owner of Beyond Broccoli nutritional counseling told Food Network in a 2023 article. "They've been popular among vegetarians and vegans for decades as a way of getting these nutrients without any animal products."

Vegetarians not quite ready to take the vegan plunge because they love cheese too much might be surprised to learn that parmesan cheese isn't actually very vegetarian friendly. That's because it's made with rennet, a secret weapon in the production of cheese. Nearly all cheeses, including parmesan, are made with milk, salt, bacterial cultures, and rennet. It's an enzyme found in the stomach lining of animals like calves, lambs, and young goats, and then extracted.

Rennet assists in causing the milk to coagulate and ultimately curdle to the point where it separates into curds and whey. Vegetarian parmesan cheese does exist; you just need to inspect the food label thoroughly to check the ingredients. The problem is, sometimes the list simply says "enzymes" without specifying rennet. But vegetarian-friendly cheese will usually be labeled as such on the front. If not though, nutritional yeast is a safe bet that brings a familiar flavor profile and some health benefits.