Make These 12 Vegan Recipes for Passover, From Matzo Ball Soup to Potato Kugel

Passover is the one evening a year Jews get to bust out the Haggadah and Seder-specific plates for a three-hour meal that traditionally requires all participants to drink four glasses of kosher wine. If you’re planning an animal-free feast,  we’ve gathered enough vegan recipes below to equip you with an innovative and crave-worthy meal for every day of Passover. Chag Sameach!

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What foods are eaten during Passover?

The entire celebration of Passover is dedicated to remembering the story of Israelites escaping from enslavement in ancient Egypt. At that time, in order to flee quickly, they would not have been able to wait around for bread to rise. And this is one key reason why unleavened matzo bread is eaten during Passover.

RELATED: How to Build a Vegan Seder Plate This Passover

Maror, bitter herbs (often horseradish), are eaten to symbolize the bitterness of slavery, while charoset, a sweet, fruit and nut mixture, symbolizes the building mortar used by the Israelites during their slavery in Egypt, explains My Jewish Learning. Karpas, which is a vegetable dipped in salt water, symbolizes the tears shed during slavery; Zeroa, a roasted chicken or lamb bone, symbolizes the Paschal sacrifice; and Beitzah, an egg, symbolizes the festival sacrifice offered in the Temple in Jerusalem.

If you’re celebrating at home, making a vegan seder meal is surprisingly easy thanks to rabbi-approved swaps—roasted beets can be used in place of lamb shanks, and a small boiled potato or avocado is a convincing stand-in for a hard-boiled egg. But to really wow your omnivorous family, try your hand at making vegan kosher, leaven-free classics like matzo ball soup—or make lasagna out of matzo. 

Is matzo vegan? 

Matzo is flat, crispy, unleavened bread, made of two very simple ingredients: flour and water. Yeast is not included in the recipe, because this would make the bread rise. This means that matzo is vegan by default. That said, there are variations of matzo, like egg matzo, which are not vegan, so make sure you read the label first before purchasing. These variations, however, are not served at Passover.

Vegan matzo recipes for every day of Passover

Around day five of Passover, the thought of eating another sheet of matzo can get a bit stale. It’s fine at first, but a little over halfway through the holiday and we’re in dire need of a matzo makeover. This is why, to shake things up a bit, we’ve compiled these creative and tasty vegan matzo recipes for you to try.

Note: a few of these recipes contain tofu or legumes, which are not considered kosher during Passover for Ashkenazi Jews. If you identify as such, opt for the Matzo Cake, Matzo Brittle, and Chocolate Brei.

Purple Wildflour

1Garlic Matzo Bruschetta

Kick off Passover with the perfect appetizer. This garlicky bruschetta is served on top of matzo squares for a refreshing, crunchy bite. 
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Shirt Girl Tall Order

2Matzo Soup

Matzo soup is a traditional dish that has been passed down through generations within families. It’s a staple at family Passover meals, but this easy vegan version by Short Girl Tall Order is sure to become the new family favorite recipe.
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Annessia Maillet and Beth DeCarlo

3 Passover Matzo Pie 

This crowd-pleasing pie delivers creamy, crunchy, silky, savory goodness all in one bite. Layers of matzo, potato, spinach, garlicky cauliflower, and cashew cream harmoniously combine into a main dish any ya-ya would be proud to serve.
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Ms. Vegan

4 Matzo Lasagna 

Lasagna can be so one-note. That’s not to say it isn’t one of the most soul-soothing meals on the planet, but it often lacks texture. Add a bit of crunch and variety by swapping in sheets of matzo for traditional noodles. You’ll keep kosher and discover that yes, lasagna as you knew it can get even better.
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SunnysideHanne

5Matzo Brei 

The restaurant trend to “put an egg on it” has been practiced in Jewish households for decades in the form of matzo brei. Veganize this Passover breakfast staple by subbing the egg for silken tofu. Customize by adding in your favorite veggies for additional flavor and texture. Finish the dish with a pinch—or a cascade—of nutritional yeast. If you prefer to use vegan eggs over tofu, you can also try this matzo brei recipe by The Yummy Vegan which calls for Just Egg.
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Purple Wildflour

6 Matzo, Chocolate, and Strawberries Layered Cake

If you can resist eating the entire batch in one sitting, we highly recommend you double this recipe and freeze some to eat after Passover. This decadent dessert features layers of matzo between layers of dark chocolate filling, strawberries, and chocolate glaze. You’ll want to make this every Passover and honestly, every day of the year, too.
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Tori Avey

7Easy No-Bake Chocolate Matzo Cake 

No bake and three ingredients—that’s the kind of dessert we’re after. Plus, it involves chocolate and wine, so you really can’t go wrong here. Soak the matzo in wine, layer the sheets with melted vegan chocolate, and let it sit in the fridge for as long as you can ward off temptation. Reward your patience with a thick slice of this matzo masterpiece.
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Abbey’s Kitchen

8Matzo Brittle With Salted Caramel Coconut Sugar Toffee 

Looking for a fool-proof way to make matzo more appetizing? Smother it with caramel and chocolate. This treat is crispy and sweet with just the right amount of salt thanks to the fleur de sel and a sprinkling of pistachios. The dried cranberries also introduce a chewy textural element that is often left out of many matzo brittles. We’re snacking on this crunchy delight all Passover long.
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More vegan recipes perfect for Passover

For when you’ve gotten your fill of matzo, these vegan recipes are tasty and Passover-approved.

Vegannie

9Potato Kugel 

This healthier twist on the classic egg noodle dish is not only lighter fare, but also equally delicious. Spiralized potatoes take the place of the noodles in this recipe—centering vegetables as the foundation of this dish.
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All Recipes

10Charoset

Sticky sweet dates and crunchy walnuts rolled in coconut make up these gooey dessert rolls. Easy to assemble and impossible to stop eating, all of your guests will quickly fall in love with these simple desserts.
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Neesh Noosh

11Karpas Salad

Karpas is an easy Passover dish to make vegan, because it literally consists of vegetables. This recipe calls for a mix of celery, parsley, cilantro, and dill, which are tossed with chopped baby potatoes and seasoned with lemon, olive oil, and salt.
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Elana’s Pantry

12Maror Horseradish

If you want to make Maror with horseradish from scratch, it’s incredibly easy to pull together. All you need to do is pulse peeled and chopped horseradish root in a food processor with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. But warning: this mixture is incredibly bitter, so take care of your eyes when you’re lifting the lid.
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