For Unforgettable Scrambled Eggs, Add This High-Protein Kitchen Staple

Scrambled eggs are such a versatile little dish that even the most fledgling spice racks, hot sauce collections, and takeout condiment drawers probably contain at least a few ways to zhuzh them up. Even just a little salt and pepper are a suitable start, but things like tangy ranch seasoning or a spicy chili crisp condiment can make scrambled eggs unforgettable. And nutritional yeast is a powerhouse seasoning that has shaken free from its health food store niche in recent years and also packs a punch with the added benefit of some extra protein beyond your eggs' more common flavor agents.

Umami-forward and reminiscent of some cheeses for all of your egg optimization, this flaky or powdered fungus variety has been commercially available in one form or another for generations, but mentions of it have seen something of a surge recently. Depending on the kind you buy, nutritional yeast will be replete with a couple of grams or so, a protein proportion that, while modest in and of itself, is still several times higher than a lot of the other seasonings one can reach for. Some varieties are also fortified with extra vitamins like B12. Nutritional yeast is also just plain tasty, adding a savory quality not unlike that which you'd get from MSG, with notes so similar to something like Parmesan that it even stands in for dairy in plenty of vegan recipes. It also takes about two seconds to add it to your breakfast.

Either the powder or flake form that nutritional yeast typically comes in will be suitable for scrambled eggs. The former will disappear more completely into recipes for a kind of secret ingredient effect. The latter blends well, too, but it's also a more visually obvious finisher with a bit of extra texture, too. Taste whichever composition you've chosen to gauge just how much you might want to add to your eggs. This will vary by brand, but some might find the powdered pantry staple to seem more concentrated and pack tighter into a teaspoon than the larger flakes. About a teaspoon per egg is, incidentally, a decent start in either case.

Beginning with smaller increments is particularly important when you want to whisk the nutritional yeast right into your eggs before scrambling. You can't exactly taste the raw mix before cooking, so it's harder to know how much is too much on your first nutritional yeast effort. And you can always add more to the finished plate. Nutritional yeast also mingles with a lot of the other standard scrambled egg seasonings that one might ordinarily include. However, you can save your other umami enhancers, such as furikake or mushroom powder, for another preparation, but nutritional yeast will provide plenty on its own.