5 Vegan Recipes to Make for Passover

Celebrating Passover and serving vegans at your table? Here are five traditional Passover dishes everyone will love, made without any meat, egg, or dairy.

Passover, also called (Pesaḥ or Pesach in Hebrew), celebrates the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt, "passing over" the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites. This year, Passover begins on April 16th and ends on April 23rd, and is celebrated with a feast on Friday the 15th where all leaven is prohibited, and only unleaved bread, like matzo, is eaten, to symbolize the haste in which the Jews fled Egypt. Other foods to avoid include grains such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, and spelt – all of which contain gluten.

In addition, rice, corn, and different kinds of legumes, or kitniyot, have traditionally been avoided during Passover, since these were not traditionally available then but in 2017 a ruling by rabbis from The Rabbinical Assembly decided that it was okay to eat them during Passover. Foods considered kitniyot include:

One of the popular entrées to serve on Passover is lemon butter baked halibut coated in a potato starch mixture since flour is forbidden. We made our own version with tofu that tastes and looks similar to the real thing. Our two dessert options are made completely flour-free and are the usual crowd-pleasers; cake and cookies.

If you make any of these recipes, tag us on social to be featured on @thebeet, and share with us your favorite vegan Passover recipes.

To emulate fish varieties like halibut, extra-firm silken tofu is lightly coated in a potato starch mixture, then fried until golden and crispy on the edges. It’s served over a bed of asparagus with a non-dairy lemon butter drizzle. The end result is vibrant, flavorful, and healthy!

Note: If you are avoiding kitniyot, skip this recipe as tofu contains soybeans.

Recipe: Vegan Lemon Butter "Halibut" and Asparagus for Passover

This potato latke is both traditional and updated to be vegan, so you won't use eggs or dairy. but will keep all the taste. All latkes look a tad different based on cooking methods: Some families prefer a flat, crunchy latke and others prefer a puffier latke – we say, "heavier on the potatoes, please."

Recipe: Vegan and Gluten-Free Latkes

This Matzo Ball Soup is a vegan version of the classic recipe with simple ingredients and an amazingly healthy taste. This soup is very satisfying and surprisingly filling because of the Matzo Balls. It does take some time, a little over an hour, so plan ahead when making this recipe. We promise it’s worth it.

Recipe: How to Make Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

This cake is nut-free, gluten-free, egg-free, and flourless. Dust with a bit of cacao powder to finish, and no one will know they’re eating a Paleo-friendly vegan chocolate cake!

Recipe: Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake

There's nothing sweeter than a tray full of vegan and flourless chocolate chip cookies that the whole family will love. Serve warm and with a glass of your choice of plant-based milk (hold the oat milk).

Recipe: Vegan Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies