For plant-based eaters, Passover can be one tough nut to crack. Fortunately, nuts are pesadik, so we’ve already got a running start at crafting a complete and kosher menu. What makes menu planning so difficult isn’t the lack of flour and leaveners most commonly associated with the holiday, but the avoidance of kitniyot. Conservative Ashkenazi Jews renounce beans, rice, corn, and peas for all seven days, but most would simply remove them from the Seder table. In any event, that’s the bulk of vegan protein sources right there, including tofu, tempeh, and most alternative meats.
Why Not Kitniyot?
The concern with these ingredients is not the foods themselves, but the fact that they look similar to and may possibly have the forbidden chametz grains accidentally mixed in. The especially strict would even forbid sugar snap peas, mustard, and poppy seeds, among many other curious and oddly specific selections. Many would also consider any derivatives of these ingredients verboten, such as aquafaba (brine from chickpeas), so those delicate meringue kisses are still off the table. Luckily, modern rabbis have ruled that quinoa gets the green light, so it’s wise to stock up and embrace the pseudo-cereal.
Best Bets For A Vegan Passover
Pay homage to the past without becoming a prisoner to tradition. From the festival meal to the less fanciful fare to follow, these recipes won’t let you down.
10 Best Vegan Passover Recipes
Eating vegan for Passover isn't as hard as it may seem. These are the best plant-based recipe you can find for the celebration itself, and the days to follow.
Vegan Gefilte Fish
Reset the Seder table with plant-based gefilte fish this year! Delicate and savory, with notes of onion and briny capers throughout each tender bite, even omnivores will undoubtedly prefer this version.
Roasted Rainbow Cauliflower Agrodolce
Roasted with just a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper, cauliflower meets briny capers in this boldly colored and flavored side.
Purple Potato Kneidlach
Tender yet toothsome purple potato dumplings, brightened with a pinch of fresh dill.
Baked Sweet Potato Chips with Creamy Caramel Date Dip
Crunchy, lightly salted baked sweet potato chips fit the definition of “health food” while vanquishing cravings in one resounding bite. Don’t forget the creamy date caramel dip to take this treat to the next level!
Pistachio-Quinoa Pilaf
Gently caramelized and naturally sweet onions carry this dish of hearty cooked quinoa, roasted gold beets, and nutty toasted pistachios. Redolent of cumin and bright, fresh herbs, the flavors could be suitable for either a formal dinner or a spur of the moment picnic, easily enjoyed both hot and cold. Tender beets yield to a satisfying crunch of nuts, creating a textural harmony throughout.
Lean, Green Quinoa Salad
Quinoa, my favorite super seed, is paired with one dynamite green pesto. Pistachios stand in for the nuts, and spinach provides the greenery here, creating an earthy but dare-I-say buttery sauce.
Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse
Rich avocados create the buttery base for a bitter dark chocolate mousse. On top, fresh berries contribute a jammy, tart, and tangy flavor, balancing out the sweetness with elegance. The whipped cream seals the deal, completing the combo with a cloud of velvety coconut foam.
Mulled Wine Sorbet
Enjoy the same complex flavors of subtly spiced, citrus-spiked red wine, but in a much cooler, more refreshing format. It's the perfect way to ease into fall. Recipe from from Super Vegan Scoops! by Hannah Kaminsky.
Mixed Berry Matzo Crumble
Thanks to the magic of nature's candy, there's plenty of rich, sweet flavor in the filling to make up for any of matzo's shortcomings. Bolstered by the warmth of ground cinnamon and dark brown sugar, it turns into a crisp, downright buttery struesel to cap off the tender berry jumble. Served warm with perhaps a scoop of ice cream melting luxuriously into all the cevasses, or a soft dollop of whipped coconut cream melding into each layer, there are few desserts more comforting.
Matzah Toffee
Buttery golden-brown toffee shatters on top of crisp matzo boards, smothered with a soft layer of dark chocolate. It's an essential staple for Passover, but so addictive that you'll want to make it all year long.
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