kosher for passover – The Jewish Vegan

Easy Vegan Kosher for Passover Mac ‘n Cheese

Many of you know that weekly mac ‘n cheese is a part of my routine now, so with Passover quickly approaching I knew I couldn’t let it stop me from eating what is probably my favorite meal of the week! Normally my mac ‘n cheese recipes feature nutritional yeast fairly heavily because 1) that stuff just has a cheesiness to it and 2) it’s how I like to get my B12! BUT, unfortunately, nutritional yeast is not considered Kosher for Passover.

So, after considering many alternatives – so many cheesy flavored, vegan alternatives are NOT strictly kosher for Passover depending on how you keep kosher – I settled on dried porcini mushrooms. Other than that, I pretty much followed my normal cheesy sauce recipe, but took out a few ingredients and messed with the amounts of others.

Now, the other problem was the noodles. When I stopped by the grocery store, all of the noodles labeled “kosher for Passover” had egg in them (boooooo). Now, there are noodles that are labeled kosher for Passover and are vegan: the Gefen brand. If you have to have that KfP label, that’s probably your best bet and, depending on your grocery store, you may have to order online.

If you aren’t as particular about the label itself but more concerned about the ingredients, you have a few other options, such as quinoa pasta or cassava pasta. The last option, which is what I used, is to make your mac ‘n cheese with a kitniyot pasta – I used brown rice noodles. This opens you up to rice noodles, bean noodles, or seed noodles. You’ll just want to check the ingredients to make sure there isn’t any other type of wheat in there (checking the gluten-free section of your grocery store should help!).

Lastly, you can mix this dish up with toppings like sundried tomatoes or other veggies. Try carrots or broccoli, or if you eat kitniyot you could add peas.

Depending on what kind of noodles you use, this dish can be entirely gluten-free. If you’re as big a fan as I am of mac ‘n cheese, this dish could even make an easy and delicious appetizer, side dish, or main course for your seder.

This Kosher for Passover recipe isn’t the only one you can make – check out my Vegan & Kosher 8 Day Guide to Passover with over 25 recipes (including recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to help you get through the entire week of Passover. I would love to hear how this recipe turns out for you and how you make it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Kosher for Passover Vegan Mac N Cheese

No need to skip Mac n Cheese as a vegan during Passover with this recipe! Toss this creamy cheese sauce made with cashews and mushrooms over your favorite Kosher for Passover noodles and you have your meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: easy vegan dinner, easy vegan recipe, gluten free passover, kosher for passover, mac'n'cheese, passover, passover mac n cheese, vegan mac'n'cheese, vegan passover mac n cheese

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

high speed blender

Ingredients

1 cup cashews unroasted, unsalted
½ cup water
4 servings Kosher for Passover noodles
1½ tbsp lemon juice
14 grams dried porcini mushrooms
5 tbsp vegan milk such as almond or cashew
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp pepper
salt to taste
sundried tomatoes for garnish as desired

Instructions

Boil the cashews in water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Cook pasta according to directions and set aside.
Add the boiled cashews, ½ cup water, lemon juice, mushrooms, milk, garlic powder, turmeric, pepper, and some salt to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. You can add more milk if you'd like a thinner consistency.
Pour the sauce onto the pasta and mix. Taste to see if any additional salt is needed.
Add any toppings, such as sundried tomatoes, and then serve hot.

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Spanish Quinoa Bowls

This recipe is one of over 25 recipes in my Vegan Kosher for Passover Guide! While designed to meet the requirements of keeping Kosher for Passover as a vegan, the recipes in the guide are delicious year-round and offer options for folks who are vegan and gluten-free. Interested in the guide? Click here.

My apartment is ridiculously drafty – the windows, the walls, and, yes, even the floors, let in everything from a small, constant flow of air to strong gusts of wind. Which is why, when the temperatures start to drop to unbearable lows in the fall, we add plastic to our windows and stuff blankets in drafty corners and hang curtains in open doorways. This can help raise the temperature above 55 degrees in our apartment in the winter, which is a major improvement!

So, when the temperatures start rising in the spring and the opportunity begins to open the windows and let the fresh air in, all I want to do is rip the plastic off the windows and throw every single one open. For the last three or four weeks, every time the weather has gotten above 63º I’ve mentioned this to my partner. And every time, he’s asked me what the low was going to be at night. And, for the most part, it’s always in the 30s or 40s. Damn you, DC weather!

But on our morning walk with our dog, my partner mentioned to me that it looked like the lows were going to be in the 50s starting next week! And that maybe – maybe – we could think about taking the plastic off. Hallelujah! With just one set of windows without plastic, it’s hard being stuck inside all day. I can’t wait to throw every single window open and feel the spring breeze throughout the entire apartment.

I may not be able to go outside, but maybe I can bring the outside in to me.

This Spanish Quinoa Bowl is my take on Spanish Rice. I worked on a Spanish Rice recipe a while back and posted it on my instagram, and this recipe is very similar to that one. Instead of rice, I subbed in quinoa to make this recipe accessible to folks keeping Kosher for Passover in a wide variety of ways. The quinoa also adds in an extra punch of protein to make this a great lunch or dinner bowl if you didn’t want to add in any beans or tofu.

I also really like how the quinoa adds a different texture than rice does, both fluffy and a bit chewy. The quinoa really absorbs the tomato, lime, cilantro, and chili flavors very well in the recipe for a very flavorful dish. You can, of course, top this with tons of different ingredients – I mentioned tofu and beans before, but you could also try tempeh, alternative meat products, fresh veggies, guacamole, salsa, vegan sour cream, vegan cheeses, and more. This quinoa is a great dish for a creative bowl!

I would love the hear how this recipe turns out for you and how you made it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Spanish Quinoa Bowls

The perfect combination of fluffy & chewy, this vegan, gluten-free, and Kosher for Passover recipe is full of flavor and allows for lots of creativity!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Keyword: easy vegan meals, gluten free, gluten free passover, gluten free vegan, kosher for passover, passover, quinoa, vegan, vegan lunch

Servings: 4 bowls

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
½ tbsp olive oil
1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped finely plus more for garnish
½ tbsp lime juice
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in the pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 2 minutes until you can smell the garlic.
Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes and stir with a spatula frequently.
Then add the quinoa, chili powder, and cumin and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Continue stirring frequently throughout.
Add the vegetable broth. Bring the quinoa to a boil and then let simmer (covered) for 8-12 minutes, or until the broth has boiled off.
While the quinoa is simmering, add the lime and cilantro.
Once the quinoa has finished, fluff with a fork and add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or warm with cilantro on top and add toppings.

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Rainbow Cauliflower Fried Rice

It’s been thunderstorming lately here in the Washington, DC, area, and I’m excited about it. I’ve always loved thunderstorms since I was a little kid. I remember one storm in the first house I lived in. We had a big bay window at the front of the house, and it was early evening. The thunder started crashing, and it seemed like there was a light show in my front yard. Every few seconds, a burst of light, like a strobe light was rotating in front of the window. My eyes were glued to the window, while my siblings and cousins were turned away, being soothed by an adult.

When I was a teenager and my family moved from New York to North Carolina, we had a covered front porch where my mom and I would sit during storms to watch bolts of lightning streak across the sky and the walls of rain roll across the farmland. In the summer, the warm, humid air would turn chilly suddenly and you knew the rain was only seconds from pounding the rooftop.

From my kitchen table workstation these days, when it’s warm enough out, I sit with the windows open. And on some days, I feel the breeze change from warm and soft to strong and chilly. My clover plant practically gets blown over, and I hear the thunder clap. And then, the rain begins.

Sometimes, on my lucky days, past the apartment buildings across the way once the storm has passed, I catch a glimpse of a rainbow.

This Rainbow Cauliflower Fried Rice has all the vibrant color of a rainbow after a storm, and you can make it your own by adding in your favorite vegetables and other ingredients. You can use liquid coconut aminos or soy sauce (if you’re not gluten-free or keeping Kosher for Passover). And feel free to mix up the spices! As always, make this dish your own.

This dish is super easy to make: after chopping all the veggies, it’s basically just throwing it all into a pan and heating it up! Be careful not to heat for too long or the veggies will turn to mush. At the very end, I like to add in Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Mix, which includes chopped brussel sprouts, broccoli, kale, and cabbage, for some extra color and flavor. Yum!

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Rainbow Cauliflower Fried Rice

Gluten-free, vegan, & Kosher for Passover - this recipe packs a punch! Filled with vibrant, colorful, fresh vegetables, follow this recipe as is or sub in your favorite ingredients to make it your own.

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Total Time22

Course: Main Course

Keyword: cauliflower fried rice, fried rice, gluten free, gluten free passover, gluten free vegan, vegan, vegan dinner, vegan lunch

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

½ head cauliflower, riced
1 cup carrots, chopped finely
1 yellow onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped finely
2 tbsp parsley, chopped finely
1 ½ cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped finely
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Cruciferous Crunch (a mix of kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage from Trader Joe's - optional)
2 tbsp liquid coconut aminos sub soy sauce, if not gluten-free or Kosher for Passsover
¼ tsp ground ginger
salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil over medium heat.
Once heated, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then add the red pepper, onion, carrots, and mushrooms and cook until the onions are translucent.
Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes, until the cauliflower is heated.
Add the parsley, liquid aminos, and ginger.
Add salt to taste.
Add the Cruciferous Crunch, if using, and steam until slightly wilted. Then serve!

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Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Me + a hot bowl of soup + a chilly night = my happy place. I love snuggling up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around me and a bowl of soup in my hands, watching a movie or my favorite tv show (The Good Place, anyone?).

And this creamy tomato basil soup is the ultimate comfort soup for spring. The basil and tomato bring the fresh, spring flavor and the creaminess brings the comfort. For even more comfort, dip your favorite grilled cheese (or matzo, if you’re celebrating Passover!).

In addition to tasting delicious, this recipe mostly takes care of itself. After a little bit of sautéing, add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and let simmer for 40 minutes. Then, blend everything up and serve!

This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and Kosher for Passover. I would love the hear how this recipe turns out for you and how you made it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This gluten-free, vegan, and Kosher for Passover tomato soup is perfect for a chilly spring night.

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Keyword: gluten free, gluten free passover, gluten free vegan, spring food, tomato soup, vegan, vegan dinner, vegan lunch

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

blender

Ingredients

1 cup cashews, raw, unsalted
½ cup water
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup basil leaves plus more for garnish
2 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
2 14.5-oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

Boil the cashews for 15 minutes. Once boiled, transfer to a blender and blend with the ½ cup of water until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Once heated, add half of the basil leaves, the onion, and the garlic and saute until the onion is just starting to turn translucent.
Add the tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring frequently for 7-8 minutes.
Add the cans of tomatoes and vegetable broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for 40 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. You may need to adjust the heat during this time to keep the soup simmering.
After 40 minutes, add the cashew cream and remaining basil and mix in.
Transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth and creamy. Be sure to only fill the blender about ⅔ of the way for each batch. Pour the soup from the blender into a bowl.
Garnish with basil and serve hot.

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Vegan & Gluten-Free Quinoa Granola

Anyone else feel like meal prepping is sometimes the only way you can survive the week? My partner is in graduate school, and we have a dog that needs plenty of attention. We’re both working on staying on top of chores like laundry, vacuuming (a must – between me and the dog, there’s A LOT of shedding going on), keeping the kitchen clean, and tidying. Between all of that, my job, the volunteer work I do, getting the exercise we need for our physical and mental health, and working on The Jewish Vegan, our lives feel incredibly busy.

At the same time, grabbing a bar from the pantry or a piece of fruit can only cut it so many mornings. Sometimes, you want something a little different, BUT the mornings can be hectic enough. Personally, I know I sometimes struggle to wake up early enough to fit in working out – there’s no way I’m going to fit in making a whole meal during the week.

Cue: homemade granola! This recipe is versatile in three ways:

You can change up how you eat it – add it to milk, sweet cashew cream, smoothie bowls, fruit bowls, and more!
You can mix up the spices you use depending on what flavors you want to highlight. I’ve used more fall flavors here – ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon – but lots of different spices could work. You could also add a half tablespoon of pineapple juice or lime juice for more of a summer flavor. You could try lavender or mint for spring.
Lastly, mix up the other ingredients, like the dried fruit, nuts, and other toppings. This is a great option for using whatever you have at home!

I love making and having homemade granola around because every time I make it and eat it, it feels like an entirely different dish. It makes every morning feel a bit different.

The recipe here is delightfully crunchy because of the raw quinoa and flaked coconut, and just sweet enough to start the day but not feel like I’m getting a sugar rush. I’m also a HUGE fan of fall and fall flavors, so I made this recipe with that in mind. It was also really great when it was baking in the oven because my entire apartment smelled like fall. And this recipe is gluten-free and, of course, vegan.

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Vegan & Gluten-Free Quinoa Granola

This granola featuring quinoa is the perfect meal-prep breakfast for Passover (or for any week of the year)! The best part is you can add in your favorite dried fruits, nuts, or other mix-ins to make this granola your own.

Prep Time5

Bake Time50

Total Time55

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: breakfast, gluten free, gluten free breakfast, gluten free passover, gluten free vegan, granola, jewish food, kosher for passover, passover, quinoa, quinoa granola, vegan, vegan breakfast

Servings: 4 cups

Equipment

baking tray

Ingredients

1.5 cups quinoa, dry
1 cup dried cranberries
1.25 cups walnuts, raw unsalted
1/8 rounded tsp ground ginger
1/4 rounded tsp cinnamon
1/8 rounded tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp bee free honee or maple syrup
1/3 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300° F.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and then pour onto a parchment paper lined baking tray. Spread evenly across the tray in a thin layer (no more than a ¼ inch thick).
Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the quinoa starts to brown. Stir the granola every 10 minutes or so.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes, the transfer to an airtight container.*

Notes

*The granola will last for about 3 weeks in an airtight container.

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Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Growing up, I made a lot of different kinds of recipes with my dad. In fact, my childhood memories are peppered with images of my dad in the kitchen, either the two of us cooking or just him alone. Cooking and food has always felt tied to family and people for me because of this. We weren’t just making food to eat – we were doing something together and tying memories to smells and tastes.

So, when I went vegan at 13-years-old, that connection still felt natural and strong to me innately. The first recipe I remember making with my dad after going vegan was a shepherd’s pie. I had never actually had shepherd’s pie before becoming vegan (I’m not sure if my dad had either!), but I was excited none-the-less to try something new. Plus, I love mashed potatoes almost as much as I love mac’n’cheese, so the topping really spoke to me.

I remember following the recipe exactly as stated, and then my dad and I gave our filling mixture a taste and adjusted some of the spices to what we thought was best. We popped the pie in the oven. About an hour later, we enjoyed our first shepherd’s pie.

The shepherd’s pie I made that day stuck with me for 12 years. Even though my Shepherd’s Pie recipe today is pretty different from what I remember making that day (the one I made back then used a meat substitute and different vegetables, and I can only guess at what spices we used), I still have with me the reminder that even when I’m making someone else’s recipe that dish is for me and the people for whom I’m making the dish. No one’s stopping me from making the changes I think will work best!

That’s what I hope to share with you here! Take a bite of your filling before it goes in the pie pan and make some choices about how you think it should taste. More spice? Add some extra cayenne! Not salty enough? Add more salt! Do you like a lot of garlic flavor? Add garlic powder! Maybe you like a rosemary flavor – go wild with it! This food is for you and yours.

Now let’s get started!

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Gluten-free, vegan, & Kosher for Passover - what more could you ask for? Made with quinoa, walnuts, & mushrooms, this Shepherd's Pie is sure to leave you full after a seder or a weeknight dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Bake55

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Keyword: gluten free, kosher for passover, passover, seder, shepherd's pie, vegan, vegan dinner

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

2 pie or baking dishes

Ingredients

Mashed Potato Topping

4 large red potatoes
6 tbsp non-dairy milk
2.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp pepper

Filling

1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 cup raw walnuts, unsalted, chopped
.5 cup parsley, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
3 tbsp almond flour
.5 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
.5 tsp cayenne (optional)
.5 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
.5 tsp pepper
.5 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

To make the mashed potato topping:

Cube the mashed potatoes and boil for 20 minutes. Mash with a potato masher until you get to your desired consistency.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spoon. Set aside.

To make the filling:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions, garlic, and carrots for 7 to 10 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent.
Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
Divide the mixture into two pie or baking dishes and spoon the mashed potatoes evenly over each. Spread the mashed potatoes so it covers the entire top of the mixture and reaches the edges.
Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 55 minutes. The edges should be bubbling over and the potatoes on top should have some crispy spots.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm!

Notes

You can store your leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days covered in tinfoil.

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