Passover is early this year and I thought I’d get a jump on putting together my menu. Even though we will still be having a Zoom Seder this year, with just the four of us celebrating together in person, that won’t stop me from cooking up a delicious feast. Here is my latest compilation of gluten-free vegan Passover recipes.
For those of you who don’t celebrate Passover, never fear, these recipes are all great for the spring season and can easily be served for an Easter meal, or any other time.
Appetizers
Vegan Mock Chopped Liver (aka Lentil Walnut Pate) by Healthy Girl’s Kitchen. Oil-free and can be soy-free if you use coconut aminos or soy-free soy sauce instead of tamari sauce. Contains nuts. This recipe has become a staple of ours at every Jewish holiday. It is incredibly easy to make and wonderfully delicious. It makes a great appetizer at almost any get together, along with some matzo, crackers or crudités.
Vegan Gefilte “Fish” by Rhea Parsons via One Green Planet. No proper Seder would be complete without gefilte fish, but gefilte fish is a complicated and polarizing food, even for non-vegans. People either love it or hate it. It is typically made from a poached combination of whitefish, pike or carp. It is ground up and mixed with seasonings, onions, carrots or potatoes, then formed into football shaped mounds and served cold on a leaf of lettuce, with a slice of carrot on top and some horseradish.
My husband’s grandmother used to make it from scratch, and he tells stories about how she used to buy a live carp a few days before Passover and put it in the bathtub to swim around prior to “using” it. Then she would cook it in a fish stock with onions, carrots and seasonings. At some point in this process she would strain out the bones, grind the fish, mix with the seasonings and make it into balls that she would then cook again in the fish stock.
Most modern-day Jews buy it in a jar from Manichewitz. LOL. One of the most distinguishing features of gefilte fish is the gelatinous liquid that accompanies it in the jar or after you cool the fish stock when making it from scratch. Some people really love gefilte fish and the goopy stuff. For me, just thinking about this almost makes me want to yack, as I didn’t really care for gefilte fish when I wasn’t vegan. My husband and I had a spirited discussion today about what that goopy, gelatinous liquid was and he told me it was from the cartilage of the fish bones when cooled. Eww.
So, you can avoid all of that, save a carp and keep your bathtub fish-free by making these delicious and very healthy gefilte “fish” at home. And no gelatinous liquid will accompany it.
This gefilte “fish” can be oil-free if you saute the veggies in water or broth. It is soy-free and nut-free. This recipe is also something I make almost every year. In fact, some of our omnivore family members ask for it on Passover. Sometimes I form it into football shapes and serve it with lettuce and carrots as is traditional, or sometimes I just use it as another dip that I can eat with matzo crackers. You could also put this on a salad.
Easy Gluten-Free + Vegan Matzo Ball Soup by Strength and Sunshine. Oil-free, soy-free, nut-free. Finally, one needs matzo ball soup on Passover. Oh, how I used to love those big, fluffy matzo balls in the simple onion, celery, carrot and dill-seasoned broth my grandmother used to make. I was in the fluffy matzo ball category, while others are in the shtuppy (dense) matzo ball category. But when I went gluten-free, my matzo-ball desires were left unfulfilled for years. Luckily, there are a few ways to make vegan, gluten-free matzo balls and their soup. This is one recipe that uses potato as the base. These are in the fluffy category.
Entrees/Main Courses/Sides
Jackfruit Brisket by My Jewish Learning. Oil-free. Soy-free. Nut-free. If you haven’t tried jackfruit yet, you’re in for a treat! This is a fruit grown in southeast Asia and other warm climates that when cooked, has a texture that resembles pulled pork. But it is full of fiber. You can buy it in cans here or at Whole Foods, Trader Joes or an Asian grocery store. Be sure you buy the young green jackfruit.
Curried Sweet Potato Salad by Straight Up Food. Oil-free. Soy-free. This dish is a favorite of mine as it is simple yet extremely flavorful. Sometimes I substitute Yukon gold or red potatoes for half of the sweet potatoes.
Vegan Gluten Free Quinoa Paella by May I have that Recipe? Can be oil-free. Soy-free. Nut-free.
Middle Eastern Roasted Vegetable Rice by Tori Avey. Can be oil-free. Soy-free.
Mushroom and Walnut Gardener’s Pie with Butternut Squash Topping by Jewish Food Hero. Can be oil-free and soy-free.
Asparagus with Strawberry Balsamic Coulis by Plantivores. This is a beautiful and simple recipe that is sure to impress. Oil-free. Soy-free. Nut-free.
Mango Jicama Salad by Plantivores. One of my favorites and perfect for a springtime meal. Oil-free, soy-free, nut-free.
Carrot & Sweet Potato Tzimmes by Nava Atlas. Can be oil-free and nut-free. Soy-free.
Desserts
Double Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Tart by Oh She Glows. Nut-free. Soy-free. Imma have to make this for Passover this year. It looks divine.
Raw Carrot-Orange-Lemon Cake by Connoisseurus Veg. Soy-free. These look really yummy for those of you in the non-chocolate-loving crowd. 🙂
Soft and Chewy Coconut Macaroons by Red Kitchenette. Nut-free. Oil-free. Soy-free. These are the bomb! I’ve been making these for a few years now. Do NOT omit the chocolate drizzle.
No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecakes by Minimalist Baker. These are absolutely perfect for Passover! Aren’t they gorgeous?? Soy-free.
Thanks for stopping by to check out our roundup of gluten-free vegan Passover recipes! We hope this helps make your meal preparation a little easier and more delicious. Please be sure to let us know what you made by tagging us on Instagram @theplantivores.
