25 Modern Passover Recipes for Your Family's Seder (2024)

Passover recipes are some of the tastiest, most looked-forward to Jewish dishes of the year. Sure, matzo doesn't hold a candle to challah, but matzo ball soup? Kugel? Brisket? (My stomach is growling now—but I guess that's better than locusts raining down on me.)

For your next Passover, try some of our easy recipes for delicious appetizers and main courses—and maybe finish off Seder with some chocolate-covered matzo so the adults feel better about not being able to look for the afikoman. I guess wine helps too, though...

Before you dust off those Haggadahs, recline on your chair-pillows, and try to get Elijah to drink with you; look through our hand-picked Passover recipes to consider during your Seder meal planning, whether you're looking to compliment your traditional dishes or for a new addition to your family's meal. L'chaim!

20 Delicious Passover Desserts to End Your Seder on a Sweet Note

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Parsley-Garlic Salmon

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For a holiday centerpiece that looks and tastes this good, this salmon recipe is surprisingly simple to make. Just chop up some garlic and parsley, mix it with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and lemon. Spread it on a large piece of salmon and bake. That's it!

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Roasted Asparagus with Flax Seed-Walnut Crumble

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A flax and walnut topping spiked with turmeric gives this otherwise classic side a big flavor and texture upgrade. Even better, it comes together in just 20 minutes.

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Matzo Ball Soup

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Is it really Passover without a bowl of matzo ball soup? This recipe is a classic that gets a flavor boost from chicken thighs that are simmered in the broth and then shredded from the bone. To ensure the matzo balls are cooked correctly, remove a ball from the broth and slice it in half. The color should be light throughout—if the center is darker, continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes more.

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Every-Citrus Salad With Almonds and Manchego

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Add some bright colors to your Passover table courtesy of this bold citrus salad. It pairs tart blood oranges, bitter grapefruit, and sweet navel oranges with Manchego and roasted almonds, yielding a dish that hits every note—crunchy, salty, nutty, bright, sharp, and bitter. And don’t skip the orange dressing, which combines shallots, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. It ties the salad together beautifully.

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05of 25

Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Grapes and Feta

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For a vegetable side that will wow your seder guests, opt for this cauliflower stunner, which is boiled, roasted, and joined by pickled shallots, blocks of tangy feta, sweet grapes, and fresh oregano. If you have kosher guests and would rather have a seder without cheese, use plant-based sausage instead and cook it on the baking sheet right beside the cauliflower.

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06of 25

Quick Spring Lamb and Vegetable Stew

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Celebrate Passover and the start of spring simultaneously with this lamb and vegetable stew that comes together in a single large pot. The recipe calls for using a tablespoon of flour to thicken the stew. Instead swap in potato starch or arrowroot. Or, just leave out a thickener altogether and simmer the stew for another 10 minutes for a richer sauce.

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Gabriella's Pot Roast

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Italian cooking expert Domenica Marchetti says that this pot roast recipe passed down from her mother Gabriella is "beyond easy." The best part: the vegetables that the meat cooks with are mashed with a potato masher to make a luscious sauce.

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Lemon-Coriander Roasted Chicken With Leeks and Squash

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If you’re looking for a chicken dish that’s easy to make but still packs plenty of flavor, this one will get the job done. Here, butter spiked with cilantro, ginger, lemon zest, and ground coriander is rubbed underneath the chicken skin, resulting in a moist, spicy bird that has flavor in every bite. A bed of acorn squash and leeks roast under the chicken, for a built-in side that catches all of the flavorful drippings. To make this recipe kosher, use a plant-based butter like Miyoko brand.

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09of 25

Broccolini with Lemon and Smoked Almonds

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Quick-cooking Broccolini gets extra pizzazz thanks to a simple topping made with lemon zest, smoked almonds, parsley, and crushed red pepper. Feel free to swap in toasted regular almonds for the smoked, or use broccoli or even asparagus instead of Broccolini. Just cook until tender.

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Sweet Tahini and Date Truffles

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With only six ingredients and no cooking required, these sweet treats may be the ideal holiday dessert. The primary ingredients are dates, almond flour, and tahini, all of which gives the truffles a sweet, almost over-the-top richness. A final sprinkle of sea salt keeps everything balanced.

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Slow Cooker Brisket with Melty Onions and Chimichurri

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This brisket has so much going for it. First and foremost, it's made in the slow cooker so after an initial sear, cooking time is completely hands-off. It's also incredibly tender and made even tastier thanks to sweet onions and a punchy herb sauce.

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Braised Fish with Spicy Tomato Sauce

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Inspired by a North African dish with Sephardic roots called Chraime, this recipe for braised fish builds big flavor in a very short amount of time, under a half-hour to be precise. Skip the couscous for Passover, but when you make the dish again, which we're confident you'll want to, serve a batch of the tiny pasta to soak up all of the fragrant, spiced sauciness.

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Caramelized Veggies with Poppy Seed Dressing

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The creamy dressing that graces these sweet, caramelized root vegetables may look like it's made with dairy. But, it actually gets its silkiness from tahini and is boosted with lemon zest and juice and garlic. Consider making a double-batch for future salads. You won't regret it.

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Chocolate-Almond Cake

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From the cookbook Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen, this cake is rich, fudgy, and very simple to make. Almond flour takes the place of wheat flour and gives the dessert a fragrant nuttiness that makes it oh-so-easy to go back for seconds.

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Roasted Salmon With Beet Salad

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While the fish bakes, toss a quick beet and kale salad, made super-quick thanks to pre-cooked beets. A dill dressing makes for a classic pairing, and cuts through the rich salmon. To make the dressing appropriate for Passover, swap in a plain, unsweetened plant-based yogurt for the dairy yogurt called for in the recipe. Taste and add an extra pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon if necessary.

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Horseradish Potato Gratin

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Thinly sliced russet potatoes bake in a horseradish-infused cream until tender and golden. Obviously this recipe is full of dairy (hello, cream!), but if the rest of your Passover menu is vegetarian, this dish could serve as the star of your spread.

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The Best Types of Potatoes to Use for Your Favorite Recipes

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Slow-Cooker Coffee-Braised Brisket With Potatoes and Carrots

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This economically priced cut of meat becomes tender and flavorful when cooked low and slow in a mix of tomato paste, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. When preparing this comforting recipe for Passover, use a vegan Worcestershire sauce, since the classic version contains anchovy.

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Baby Lamb Chops With Mixed Olive Relish and Roasted Carrots

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Lamb chops that cook quickly? Yes, please! These chops need just two minutes per side, and are accompanied by a briny, bright, and herby relish made with green and Kalamata olives, capers, and lemon zest. Plus, they're fun to pick up with your fingers.

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Greek Chicken and Potatoes

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This sheet-pan recipe serves six people. If you're cooking for a larger crowd, just double the recipe and use two sheet pans. No Broccolini at the grocery store? Swap in thinly sliced broccoli with an inch or two of stem attached.

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Lemony Almond Macaroons

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Make these sweet treats up to one week ahead of time. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder

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A gently sweet and subtly sour sauce is an excellent companion to slowly-cooked, falling-apart-tender roast lamb. Before serving, top it with chopped parsley or other soft spring herbs like chopped chives or dill.

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Classic Chicken Soup

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Simmer a whole chicken with carrots, onions, and celery to create a flavorful broth, and then add fluffy matzo balls to round out the soup.

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Roast Beef and Onions

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Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing to ensure the beef stays juicy. Serve with mashed or roasted potatoes and green beans or asparagus for a classic, crowd-pleasing meal.

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

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Before serving, dust this rich, moist cake with cocoa powder or confectioners' sugar for an elegant presentation. This cake does contain dairy, so if you're keeping kosher, it would be a delicious capper to a vegetarian Passover meal. Or, use plant-based cream and sour cream and serve it after anything.

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4 Five-Ingredient Desserts Anyone Can Make

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Espresso Truffles

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These rich, coffee-infused bites are rolled in cocoa powder for an extra hint of chocolate. If you're avoiding dairy for the meal, use a plant-based heavy cream.

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25 Modern Passover Recipes for Your Family's Seder (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Seder and Passover? ›

Although traditions vary throughout the world, the basics are as follows: The holiday lasts a total of seven or eight days (depending on where it's being celebrated), and the first night of Passover begins with a ceremonial dinner, called a Seder, where the story of the exodus is told.

What was the Seder meal with Jesus? ›

This is a festival which remembers the escape of the ancient Israelites from Egypt. Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover meal together. As this was the last meal that Jesus would share with his disciples, he took elements of the Passover meal and made them symbols of his death.

Is the Last Supper not a Seder? ›

Numerous other scholars, however, “now believe that the ritual context for the Last Supper was not a Seder but a standard Jewish meal,” writes Klawans. ​​​​Lawrence Bush edited Jewish Currents from 2003 until 2018.

What is Seder for Christians? ›

It is an elaborate teaching experience, especially for the children, intended to call people to their identity as the People of God. By using all of the senses, the Passover Seder tells the story of God's grace in history and calls the participants to experience and share in the story as their own story.

What is a typical Passover dinner menu? ›

Traditional dishes include kugel (a casserole recipe made with potatoes), tzimmes (a roasted vegetable dish made with dried fruits), and Passover desserts like macaroons (a coconut cookie made without any flour).

What do you eat the first night of Passover? ›

The Seder Meal Menu

flat, dry cracker-like bread called matzah. bitter herbs, often horseradish (without additives) and romaine lettuce, dipped into charoset (a paste of nuts, apples, pears and wine) a festive dinner that may contain time-honored favorites, like chicken soup and gefilte fish.

What foods are not allowed during Passover? ›

During Passover, Ashkenazi Jews traditionally stay away from not only leavened foods like bread, namely barley, oats, rye, spelt, and wheat, but also legumes, rice, seeds, and corn. The ban has been in place since the 13th century, but it's always been controversial.

Do Christians observe Passover? ›

Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists and other Christian groups celebrate Passover on the Thursday before Easter, known as Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday, or the Last Supper observance. When it occurs is tied to the date of Easter which varies.

What are the four questions at a seder? ›

The Babylonian Talmud quotes four questions; why matzah is eaten, why maror is eaten, why meat that is eaten is exclusively roasted, and why food is dipped twice.

What do Christians eat for Passover? ›

The most important symbols of Passover are the matzah (unleavened bread), maror (bitter herbs), and lamb or shank bone. The Bible tells us that we are to eat the lamb with matzah and maror (Exodus 12:8), and later on the rabbis insisted that we had not properly observed Passover if we did not explain these three items.

What time of day is the Passover meal eaten? ›

Note that though the sacrifice of the Passover lamb occurred on the afternoon Nisan 14, the ceremonial eating of the meal, or the "seder," would begin later, just before sundown and continue throughout the night. This agrees with Exod.

Why is an orange on the Seder plate? ›

Susannah Heschel was lecturing in Miami, and, while she was speaking of feminism, an Orthodox man supposedly shouted that “a woman belongs on the bimah [pulpit] as much as an orange belongs on the seder plate.” And so, as feminists, we all added the orange as an act of resistance; a symbol of women's rights.

What does each item on the Seder plate mean? ›

This is the seder plate, and each food is symbolic for an aspect of Passover: A roasted shank bone represents the Pescah sacrifice, an egg represents spring and the circle of life, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery, haroset (an applesauce-like mixture with wine, nuts, apples, etc.)

Why is lettuce on the Seder plate? ›

4. Chazeret. A second bitter item, which is sometimes left off the Seder plate entirely, romaine lettuce symbolizes the fact that the Jewish stay in Egypt began soft and ended hard and bitter (look at the two ends of a piece of lettuce).

What is a substitute for a shank bone on a Seder plate? ›

“For vegetarians, who may object to using a lamb bone on the seder plate (as a remembrance of the paschal sacrifice): it is halakhically [legally] acceptable to use a broiled beet as a replacement.” Those who use a beet refer to Pesachim 114b as their prooftext.

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