Passover is the perfect time of year to reflect on our past and celebrate our freedom. And as we remember the Exodus from ancient Egypt, we can also take a moment to think about the freedom of animals, especially those in today’s agriculture industry. Sadly, animals are statistically the population to face the most amount of suffering, and we share the responsibility of bringing about positive change.
As we come together around the Seder table and talk about what it means to be freed, we can also take a moment to think about our habits and how they affect the world around us. One great way to make a positive impact is by making changes to our consumption of animal products. There are many ethical, environmental, and health concerns linked to eating meat. By choosing to live a vegan lifestyle, we can do our part to make sure that we aren’t contributing to these issues and instead support a more compassionate and sustainable way of living.
This Passover, let’s all take a moment to reflect on our daily habits and how they align with our values. Even small changes can make a big difference for the animals and the world we all share. So let’s work towards a future where all beings can experience freedom and liberation.
Vegan Passover Recipes
There are many traditional Passover foods and many contain animal products. Worry not- if you or someone at your seder is vegan, there are many delicious substitutions made with fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Below are some of the recipes we like to use. But don’t forget to get creative! If you have a vegan passover friendly recipe to share, we’d love to see it! Feel free to tag us on social media @shamayimjewishanimaladvocacy
Breakfast:
Soups:
Mains:
Sides:
- Apple-Pecan Vegan Haroset
- Matzo Brei
- Mini Potato Kugels
- Eggplant Casserole
- Cashew Cheese – can be spread on matzah and tomato sauce for Matzah Pizzas!
- Brussels Sprouts Chips by Mayim Bialik
Desserts:
VEGAN PASSOVER BOOKS
- Vegan Passover Haggadah by Rhea Parsons (“The V Word”)
- Vegan Start Passover Cookbook by Rena Reich
- No Cholesterol Passover by Debra Wasserman and Charles Stahler
Extra Tips we ♡
- Most of the items on the Seder plate are already vegan: charoset (substitute agave for honey), maror, karpas and chazeret. That leaves the zeroa (shankbone) and baytzah (egg). For the zeroa, The Talmud mentions that one of the sages, Rav Huna, used a beet to symbolize the Passover lamb. So, a beet slice is an acceptable, animal-free substitute. For the baytzah, If you view the hard-boiled egg as a symbol of renewal, then a flower is a beautiful and cruelty-free substitute.
- Guacamole tastes great on matzah!
- Use quinoa like you would use rice.
- For protein, focus on nuts, quinoa & high protein vegetables.
- Indian spices and dishes such as Aloo Gobi (cauliflower and potatoes) can make a vegan Passover much more delicious! Indian food can also be made in advance and served over quinoa.
- Many soups can be already Passover appropriate, such as tomato-basil soup or zucchini soup.
- Various configurations of vegetables – esp. onions, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, etc. – can be either oven-roasted with spices or put in a stew with tomato sauce and served over quinoa.
Vegan Passover Blog posts:
Five Vegan Teachings for Seder Night
Passover 2020 – The Exodus and the Environment: A Plea from Generation Z
Vegan Passover Videos:
Q & A for a Vegan Pesach:
(Answers provided by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz)
Is it permissible to replace the shankbone and egg on the seder plate with something more vegan friendly?
A: The zeroa (shankbone) and the beitzah (egg) represent the Pesach offering and the Chagigah offering respectively. But they are only symbolic and need not be used. Most vegans replace the shankbone with beets (based on the Gemarrah Pesachim 114b) and the egg with a mushroom. I’ve been told that others use dry unfermented barley, olives, and grapes on their seder plates. Establishing seder customs to represent concern for animal welfare is a beautiful way to celebrate how we actualize our freedom!
Q: What are some good protein sources if I don’t eat kitniyot on Pesach?
A: While we often get into food routines, it’s important to remember that we can get protein from a number of sources. Vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach and kale, are packed with protein. Nuts are also a great place to find protein during Pesach. With the extra restrictions Pesach brings, we may not be able to enjoy many of the vegan dishes that make up our normal diet but it is a great time to experiment with new vegetable dishes. Also, strict vegans should be aware that Rav Moshe Feinstein held that if needed one could be lenient on certain products that most treat as kitniyot but need not be considered kitniyot arguing that we don’t add to the list of kitniyot unless the minhag is indisputable (Igrot Moshe O.C. 3:63). This can include peanuts, SOY, and quinoa. Also some poskim have allowed oil that was derived (before Pesach) from kitniyot (Bamareh Habazak). I’d still inspect the ingredients in these products closely to be sure there is nothing problematic in them or be sure there was a Sephardic kosher for Passover certification on them. We intend to buy kosher almond milk this year for Pesach and some soy products should be available as well. Here is a list of good soy and almond milks to buy that don’t have any chometz in them.
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