During Passover, just buying kosher food isn’t enough. The food must also be “kosher for Passover,” which means it doesn’t include any leavening agents. Also, its storage and preparation must be closely monitored and certified by rabbinic authorities. From that basic requirement, things quickly get more complicated.

Sephardic Jews of Middle Eastern, Greek, Yemenite, or Spanish heritage omit any foods with leavening or grain products, but eat rice and beans during Passover. Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern European heritage don’t eat rice, corn, or beans (called kitniyot) because 13th century Jewish authorities ruled that those products could be ground into flour and used like bread products. There was also the danger of contamination since those products were often stored in bags that had held wheat or flour.

When you exclude grains, corn, beans, and rice, there’s not much left! As a result, the ingredient lists for traditional Passover foods tend to be full of meat, cheese, eggs, and dairy.

That can make menu planning a little stressful for vegetarians – and anyone on a restricted diet. But relax: this sample Vegetarian seder menu should please your guests and satisfy your taste buds.

Hosting a Vegetarian Seder
Vegetarian seders are growing in popularity. The holiday, with its emphasis on liberation, renewal, and justice, lends itself to a meal also based on compassion and sustainability. The reasons people host vegetarian seders are as varied as the reasons people become vegetarian in the first place:
• Concern for social justice
• Environmental awareness
• Health reasons
• Support of animal rights
• Cost – meat is expensive!

Remember that the seder plate is an important part of the ritual meal – and the shank bone of a lamb is one of the six symbolic items. The most common replacement is a roasted beet. Southern Jews, though, often use a small, roasted sweet potato instead, referring to it as the “Paschal Yam.”

Vegetarian Passover Seder Menu
If you’ve invited a few vegetarians to your seder this year, then it’s easy to offer a vegetarian Passover main dish (link to veggie visitors) or some extra side dishes (link to veggie visitors) to accompany your regular menu.

A completely vegetarian seder requires a bit more thought and planning, but isn’t hard. Here’s a sample menu that serves 6 adults.

Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup
Roasted Vegetables with Quinoa Pilaf
Steamed Asparagus Topped with Sautéed Mushrooms
Sweet Potato Tzimmies
Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Almonds, & Oranges
Stuffed Eggs
Fudgy Passover Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream

This recipe uses a basic vegetable broth. If you don’t want to make your own broth, use 1 – 2 vegetarian vegetable broth cubes per 2 cups water. Note however, that it will significantly increase the sodium content of the soup.

Golden Vegetable Broth

Ingredients:
2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil (butter adds a nice flavor without much extra fat)
2 large sweet onions, peeled and chopped into ½ inch chunks
8 celery stalks (including leaves – they add lots of flavor!), chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped (it’s ok to include carrot tops, but not the greens)
3 bay leaves
1 t salt
1 t poultry seasoning (to taste; add ¼ t first, then taste before adding more)
8 -10 cups water (to taste; less water intensifies the flavor)
1 cup minced fresh parsley

1. Place butter/oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably a stockpot) and heat over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft (3-5 minutes).
2. Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, and water.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes.
4. Add parsley and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
5. If a clear broth is desired, remove vegetables. However, they add color and taste to the finished soup.
6. Add matzoh balls before serving.

Matzoh Balls

Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
1 to 1 ½ cups matzoh meal
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
dash pepper

1. Beat egg whites until stiff
2. In another bowl, beat yolks until creamy. Add oil, water, and stir until combined.
3. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Add matzoh meal ½ cup at a time and stir with a fork. Add matzoh meal until the mixture is of medium consistency.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate approximately one hour, or until stiff enough to roll into balls.
5. Form mixture into 1 to 1 ½ inch balls and drop one by one into a large (at least 2 quart) pot of boiling water.
6. Cover pot and cool matzoh balls on low heat for approximately 30 minutes.
7. Add to soup several minutes before serving.
8. Makes about 20 matzoh balls

Roasted Vegetables with Rosemary
Ingredients:
4-6 small new potatoes, sliced in half.
4 carrots, sliced into 2-3 inch chunks
1 whole onion, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
11/2 cups red or green bell peppers, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
1 yellow squash, cut into thick, ½ inch slices
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon dried Rosemary
2 cloves garlic, crushed
fresh Rosemary for garnish, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Toss vegetables and garlic in olive oil and herb mixture.
3. Spray a large, shallow baking dish with non-stick coating and place vegetables in a single layer.
4. Bake approximately 40 minutes, or until vegetables start to lightly brown.
5. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve over quinoa.

Quinoa Pilaf
Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced onion
½ cup diced carrot
4 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

1. Rinse quinoa well in cold water until the water runs clear (this removes the slightly bitter coating).
2. Shake quinoa in a dry, medium-hot pan until lightly toasted.
3. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft.
4. Add carrot, quinoa, and vegetable broth.
5. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat until low and cook until liquid is absorbed – 10-15 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and let pilaf stand, covered for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Stir in parsley and fluff with fork. Serve at room temperature.

This is adapted from a traditional recipe from the Persistent Vegetarian State Web site.

Ingredients:
8 cups sweet potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into large chunks.
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
½ cup raisins
1 cup orange juice
½ cup orange blossom honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon OR baking spices
3 tablespoons margarine, cut into small pats.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a large baking dish (13×9) with cooking spray and add potatoes, carrots, and raisins.
3. Stir orange juice, honey, and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour over veggies.
4. Dot mixture with small pats of margarine.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, uncovered. Stir well, and bake for another 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
½ cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs
1 mashed ripe banana
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup water
1 cup matzoh cake meal
1/3 cup potato starch
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Beat sugar and shortening until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs, banana, and applesauce and beat well. Add cocoa and mix for about 30 seconds. Add salt, water, matzoh cake meal, and starch. Beat on low until well combined. Stir in the nuts.
3. Pour into baking dish and back for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Remove from oven, cool, cut into bars.
5. Warm brownies slightly before serving and top with vanilla ice cream.