Passover takes place in early spring and is celebrated from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month. This important holiday commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt as described in the Bible.
The seder is typically held on the first or second night of Passover and consists of an interactive service held around the dinner table, where food is used to complement stories, discussion, and prayer.
During Passover, Jewish people abstain from eating chametz, which refers to any food made from barley, oats, rye, spelt, or wheat that has been in contact with water and allowed to rise. This is the reason why matzo, a thin, unleavened bread made from these grains, is such an integral part of the Passover meal.
In Hebrew, the word kitniyot refers to legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas. During Passover, many Jewish families enjoy kitniyot and extend its definition to include grains and seeds, including buckwheat, millet, rice, corn, sesame seeds, flaxseed, and sunflower seeds.
In this roundup, you’ll find lightened-up versions of classic holiday recipes as well as new takes on traditional meal ideas using all your favourite Passover-friendly ingredients.
Starters & Sides
Whether you begin seder with a piping hot bowl of matzo ball soup or a batch of baked sweet potato chips, these starters are sure to please a crowd. Salads and cooked greens are the perfect complement to the main event and can be put together in under 10 minutes. To streamline the process, wash lettuce and other greens ahead of time (store in a large resealable bag with a paper towel to keep things crisp) and make salad dressing a few days in advance. We’ve used quinoa, which is a seed, in place of rice and other grains to keep recipes grain-free.
Serve These Passover-Perfect Starters and Sides:
Main Meals
From traditional brisket recipes to lasagna made with matzo instead of noodles, these recipes offer plenty of flavour-packed options for the whole family. Feel free to use your favourite vegetables alongside any of the roasted meats, poultry, or fish — the key is to keep the veggies the same size so they’ll cook evenly. Brisket and other lean cuts of meat are ideal candidates for the slow cooker since the low heat works to gradually break down tough fibres in order to tenderize the meat.
Try These Memorable Main Event Meals:
Desserts & Sweet Treats
Who said grain-free desserts had to be boring? Meringues, macaroons, and matzo have a starring role in these delightfully decadent desserts, all of which can be made at least partially ahead of time. We’ve given matzo brei, which consists of fried matzo with eggs, the dessert treatment by adding fresh fruit and a dollop of creamy yogurt. Matzo crunch, another sweet treat that makes use of matzo, is a variation on sweet and salty saltine toffee.