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23 Passover Recipes to Fill Your Table

Updated on March 18, 2024

These recipes make it easy to gather your family and friends for a special meal.

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Photo: Matt

Our Best Ideas for a Passover Feast

Passover is the Jewish festival in celebration of the Jews' freedom from slavery and flight from Egypt. 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.

The food and wine customs are elaborate, and they differ between regions and families—which is why we've rounded up a variety of special dishes and desserts to fill the table after the Seder plate has been shared. One of our favorites? This celebration-worthy brisket.
Most braised briskets are made with just the flat. Ours is a whole cut (which includes the flat and the point), that is braised in white wine and chicken stock with a mix of sweet onions, leeks and pearl onions. The result is super tender meat with an almost French onion soup-like sauce that is perfect for a Passover crowd. A fresh salad of raw shallots, scallions, parsley, mint and a splash of vinegar tops the roast, providing a bright counterpoint to the richness of the slow-cooked onions and meat.

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Photo: Renee Comet

Charoset

Charoset (or haroset) is an integral part of the Passover Seder plate, representing the mortar the Jews in ancient Egypt used when forced to build for the Pharoah. This is an Ashkenazi version, but there are many versions around the world and every home prepares it a little differently. Sephardic versions can also include dried fruits or desiccated coconut and other nuts or spices.

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Potato Kugel

Kugel is a traditional Jewish dish often served at holidays. At Passover, a savory potato kugel is most common—a noodle kugel isn’t allowed because pasta isn’t kosher for Passover. This recipe hits all the traditional notes using schmaltz (chicken fat) to cook the onions and a dairy-free egg custard to hold the kugel all together. But instead of shredding all the potatoes I use frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, which are a great shortcut when you’ve got a whole dinner to make!Save Recipe

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Photo: Ryan Dausch

Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls

"Every nationality has some kind of chicken soup. It's one of the simplest meals you can make and almost everyone can find a chicken and some vegetables to cook up a big, satisfying pot of soup for the family. Some people even ascribe magical medicinal qualities to chicken soup, and who am I to disagree? The Greeks have a chicken and lemon soup called avgolemono, Italians make tortellini en brodo, the Vietnamese have pho and, of course, the Chinese make egg drop soup with chicken broth. I grew up on chicken soup with matzo balls, so that's my particular favorite. The broth starts with whole chickens and vegetables, plus fresh herbs like parsley and thyme, an entire head of garlic and lots of salt and pepper. I simmer it away for hours while I futz around the house and make some easy matzo balls. I end up with a rich, delicious soup that will delight everyone on a cold night!" says Ina.

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