Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish New Year begins on September 29th this year and if you’re planning on hosting, it’s time to start menu planning!
Rosh Hashanah meals are fun and festive and often feature symbolic foods that are emblematic of wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year. There are pomegranates to signify abundance, apples and honey for a sweet new year, round challahs to suggest the circle of life and vegetables like beets, leeks, carrots, and even black eyed peas whose Hebrew meanings relate to the holiday in some way.
To inspire your menu, we rounded up some classic Rosh Hashanah dishes as well as some fun modern twists on traditional fare. Many of these dishes are made with the symbolic ingredients of the holiday – test your guests and see if they can spot these symbolic ingredients and take a stab at the meaning behind each one for a fun and insightful conversation starter. Shanah tova!
Slow cooker brisket with onions
This no-brainer brisket is made in the slow cooker and is smothered in plenty of onions and garlic. Pro tip: chill your brisket before slicing.
Apple honey challah
This beautiful braided challah is sweetened with honey and stuffed with tender apple pieces.
Matzo ball soup
It’s not a Jewish holiday without a comforting bowl of matzo ball soup.
Brussels sprouts, apple and pomegranate salad
A crunchy, bright fall salad that just might steal the show.
Pomegranate and molasses chicken and potatoes
This sweet one-pan chicken dish is the perfect addition to your Rosh Hashanah table. Pomegranates are traditionally eaten on the holiday and symbolize abundance.
Honey roasted carrots
These roasted carrots are bathed in honey and herbs and roasted over high heat until tender and caramelized. An easy yet elegant side dish.
Apple cake
With chunks of sweet apples nestled in a tender and buttery rum cake, this French apple cake is the ultimate elegant dessert.
Baked salmon with creamy leeks
This gorgeous roasted salmon is made with capers, dill, lemon, and chopped leeks which carmelize in the oven into creamy perfection.
Pomegranate rosemary gin cocktail
Packed with pomegranate juice, rosemary simple syrup, and gin, this pretty cocktail will help get you through a family holiday meal.
Baked honey glazed chicken
Feeding a crowd? Make these irresistable baked soy-honey glazed chicken drumsticks that both kids and adults will adore.
Quinoa salad with roasted beets, oranges, and pomegranate
Beets are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah and add a nice ruby hue to the dinner table. Try this delicious beet salad recipe made with quinoa, oranges, and pomegranate seeds – another symbolic food of the holiday.
Tangy spiced brisket
This sweet and tangy brisket is made with ketchup, brown sugar, chili sauce, and plenty of spices.
Eggplant with bulgur wheat and tahini
These roasted eggplants get a Middle Eastern twist with bulgur wheat, chickpeas, olives, and a healthy drizzle of tahini sauce.
Roasted fig and carrot tzimmes
This modern take on tzimmes has all of the sweet flavors of the traditional stewed dish without the mush factor. Figs, carrots, and sweet potatoes are roasted together on a sheet pan until nicely carmelized.
Plum torte
This classic recipe from the New York Times is absolutely fool-proof and features Italian purple plums – whose short season arrives just when Rosh Hashanah typically falls out.
Moroccan chicken
This succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender chicken is made with Moroccan spices, lemons, olives, and dried fruit and makes for a showstopping holiday dish.
Black eyed peas and sweet potato salad
Black eyed peas are another symbolic food of the holiday that represent the hope for a fruitful year filled with merit. Serve this colorful, fresh salad at your holiday meal.
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