Plant-Based Passover & Easter Recipes

Maple Chipotle Walnuts

OK-so it’s another holiday that’s rich in eggs, cream, sugar, and meat. Well-it doesn’t have to be! Lighten up those holidays! Both Passover and Easter are surrounded in similar traditions celebrating rebirth and the spring. Celebrate the true meanings of both holidays by celebrating fresh spring foods that are rich in greens, and still have the colors of the root veggies from the fall.

What’s kosher for Passover? Passover is a holiday rich in tradition & symbolism. You aren’t supposed to eat leaven foods, as a symbol of how our ancestors had to quickly flee from their bondage as slaves in Egypt. I’ve never understood why a cake with 10 eggs is deemed ok, but it is. Depending on where your ancestors came from, depends on what you deem as “Kosher for Passover”. If you are of Spanish, Portugal, Middle Eastern, or African decent, you are sephardic. This means beans, legumes, rice are all fine during Passover. If you are of Eastern European decent, you are Ashkenazi, and legumes and rice are not to be eaten during Passover. Most American Jews are Ashkenazi. There are many rules to this holiday. While we are Ashkenazi, we play sephardic. We need to get protein, and beans are a big part of that equation for us. We omit bread and other products with gluten as our celebration of the holiday.

Thankfully Easter doesn’t have as many restrictions. However, it is typically a meat, egg, and dairy laden meal. So do you best, and offer to bring healthy dishes along to places where you are celebrating. This way, you know there will be good choices for you and others.

Where we live, spring hasn’t exactly sprung yet (ugh!). But-spring is bursting in other parts of the country. That means, fresh asparagus, kale, chard, spinach, parsley, and soon strawberries. Still in stock from the winter are storage crops like squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, pears, and dried fruits. Blend them together in some of the delicious recipes below. I will be posting more Passover friendly dishes over the next 2 weeks. So check back! There are many other dishes on the blog that can work for these holidays as well. I just picked a few.

All of the foods below can work for both holidays! Enjoy!

Moroccan Carrot Soup-made without oil and creamy, without the cream! It’ll make the Easter bunny hop with joy!

Cabbage Soup-full of antioxidants and delicious flavors!

Cashew Chive Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates-perfect as an appetizer or dessert

Quinoa Confetti Salad (and others on the blog)-Many think quinoa is a grain-not so! It’s kosher for Passover because it’s actually the seed of the plant