But is nutritional yeast really a pantry essential? I mean, it's fine for adding flavor, but so are plenty of other common ingredients. My friend makes a decent vegan cheese sauce without it just using cashews and lemon. It feels like one of those things people get really into, but you can definitely cook without it. Calling it essential just seems like a bit much.
Last Tuesday I put nutritional yeast on some roasted veggies. It added a cheesy taste, but so does a bit of parmesan or even some miso paste. I get that vegans like it for mac and cheese, but calling it a pantry essential seems over the top. My cousin makes vegan gravy without it and it turns out great. It's just another seasoning, not something you can't live without.