36 Passover Side Dishes That'll Make Your Seder Dinner Your Best One Yet
With springtime in full bloom, its nearly time for the sacred holiday of Passover (April 22 to April 30, 2024), so we’re getting ready to ditch the chametz (or leaved bread products) and attend or host a Passover seder dinner (complete with a rousing chorus of Dayenu and finding the afikoman, ofc!). Though we’d never advocate to completely get rid of some of the more traditional foods eaten during Passover (potato kugel, we love you), those of us who celebrate know things can get a little… repetitive after a while. The best way to avoid that? Like with any holiday, switching up your side dishes can bring some much needed variety, color, and flavors to your meals. Check out our 33 Passover side dishes for ideas—we promise they’re better than eating matzo pizza again 😉.
There are some recipes that are practically synonymous with Passover: The aforementioned kugel is one, as is matzo ball soup, carrot-and-date-based tzimmes, and apple-walnut charoset. There are also some traditional Passover seder plate ingredients we’re highlighting here, like horseradish (maror), hard-boiled eggs (beitzah), or beets (zeroah, in lieu of a shank bone). If you’ve got extra of these ingredients and don’t want them to go to waste, try our egg salad, our horseradish mashed potatoes, or our beet borsht.
We’ve also included a number of salads, from lighter greens-based ones like our mandarin orange salad or our roasted beet & goat cheese salad, to hearty ones like our Niçoise salad or our roasted chickpea & avocado salad.
Speaking of chickpeas, they (and other legumes) fall under the category of kitniyot, a traditionally avoided ingredient throughout the history of Passover celebrations. Many modern families have begun reintroducing them into their kosher for Passover diets—if that’s not you, we’ll assume you’ll be aware of the regulations you abide by and will sub in or out of these recipes as needed. For everyone else, we hope these recipes will help broaden your perspective and inspire you to try something new. We think the best part about appreciating a culture you’re not a part of is the opportunity to try something new while also having the flexibility to (respectfully!) not be perfect about it.
Want even more Passover ideas? Check out our best recipes for Passover dinner and our favorite Passover desserts too (our matzo icebox cake is a stunner).
Cacio E Pepe Egg Noodles
Cacio e pepe is one of our all time FAVORITE pasta dishes. This lightened-up version calls for making your egg noodles from scratch, sans flour—the good news is it's SO much easier than it sounds. All you need is a good nonstick pan, and you'll be on your way to OU-P pasta bliss.
Get the Cacio E Pepe Egg Noodles recipe.
Pastrami Matzo Kugel
Of all the various kugels (potato and noodle being the most popular), matzo kugel tends to not get any love. This incredibly flavorful Reuben-inspired recipe is here to change all that.
Get the Pastrami Matzo Kugel recipe.
Air Fryer Moroccan-Spiced Carrots
A combo of spices adds a riot of flavor to those carrots that may or may not have been sitting in the crisper for too long. Serve alongside brisket or chicken for a delicious Middle Eastern-inspired meal.
Get the Air Fryer Moroccan-Spiced Carrots recipe.
Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad
We don’t believe in boring salads at Delish, and crunchy apples and tart cranberries bring a lot of life to this one. The slightly sweet and lemony dressing is a delight, so make extra and put it on everything during Passover.
Get the Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad recipe.
Greek Lemon Potatoes
Tangy and bright from generous amounts of lemon, this Greek-inspired recipe is a great way to great way jazz up everyone's favorite OUP carb—potatoes!
Get the Greek Lemon Potatoes recipe.
Chicken Matzo Ball Soup recipe
A symbolic dish of past hardships, warming matzo ball soup is an essential component of the Passover feast. The time and effort you invest really pays off here; plus, it couldn’t be easier: Throw a few roughly chopped vegetables, a whole chicken or two, some herbs, and chicken stock into a large pot and basically walk away for two hours.
Get the Chicken Matzo Ball Soup recipe.
Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage
One of our favorite ways to prepare cabbage is to braise it. This mostly hands-off method produces perfectly crisp-tender cabbage, with a TON of flavor.
Get the Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage recipe.
Roasted Turnips
Turnips, much like radishes and parsnips, turn irresistibly sweet when roasted, making them the perfect foil for a savory main dish. This recipe is for purple-top turnips, which tend to be larger and thicker-skinned than Japanese varieties like hakurei. If yours are small and sweet, skip peeling and check them after just 15 minutes in the oven.
Get the Roasted Turnips recipe.
Cheese Soufflé
At once light-as-air and lavishly decadent, a classic cheese soufflé is hard not to love. The ingredients may be simple, but the impact is anything but; piping hot out of the oven, these soufflés are sky-high, golden brown, and filled with cheesy, custardy goodness.
Get the Cheese Soufflé recipe.
Tzimmes
The word tzimmes has its origins in Yiddish: To "make a big tzimmes about something" essentially means making a big fuss. Here, there's hardly any! The carrots and dates are quickly braised in an orange sauce and finished with fresh parsley for a pop of green.
Get the Tzimmes recipe.
Potato Kugel
For when you can't have traditional noodle kugel (😥), this gluten-free potato kugel is the next best thing. It's essentially a giant latke!
Get the Potato Kugel recipe.
Best-Ever Borsht
This rich, flavorful broth is SO flavorful, making it one of our go-tos during Passover week. Dyed-pink hands got you down? Try rubbing the stained parts of your hand with sliced lemon, then rinse with soap and water.
Get the Best-Ever Borsht recipe.
Shredded Brussels Sprouts
We love classic sautéed Brussels sprouts, but sometimes we crave something with a bit more kick. These slightly spicy, salty-sweet sprouts make a perfect side for passover dinner.
Get the Shredded Brussels Sprouts recipe.
Smashed Potatoes
These crispy potatoes are totally versatile; you can top them with cheddar, ranch seasoning (good use for any leftover seder plate karpas, or parsley), or even brie. Skip the Parmesan and swap the butter for olive oil if you want to serve these alongside meat as a side, or put them out alongside toothpicks as an app.
Get the Smashed Potatoes recipe.
Sugar Snap Peas
Consider this your reminder to not overlook humble sugar snap peas. This recipe is SO simple and makes for a lovely springy green side to pair with stronger flavors (like brisket!)
Get the Sugar Snap Peas recipe.
Cacio E Pepe Sweet Potato Noodles
Missing noodles this Passover? Make these cacio e pepe sweet potato noodles. Tossed in buttery black pepper sauce and showered with Parmesan and Pecorino, these sweet potato noodles are so delicious that no one will even think about asking for “regular” pasta.
Get the Cacio E Pepe Sweet Potato Noodles recipe.
Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad
All beet lovers rejoice! This is the ideal beet salad: creamy goat cheese (sub feta if you prefer it), roasted beets, avocado... what more could you want this Passover?
Get the Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad recipe.
Keto Garlic Bread
The secret to really good Passover-friendly "garlic bread"? Cheese, glorious cheese! Fun fact: The same concept applies to cauliflower pizza crust.
Get the Keto Garlic Bread recipe.
Horseradish
Mashed potatoes are always amazing, but these are downright insane. They're also the perfect use for the leftover maror from your Passover Seder plate. Just remember, a little horseradish goes a long way. Even if you're a fanatic, start with our suggested amount (or less), then work your way up.
Get the Horseradish Mashed Potatoes recipe.
Niçoise Salad
According to food historians, the first Niçoise salad (from Nice, on France’s southeastern coast) contained only tomatoes, olive oil, and anchovies. Over the years, ingredients have been added and subtracted, so feel free to do the same and go with your family's favorites!
Get the Niçoise Salad recipe.
Oven-Roasted Carrots
This simple recipe is the most versatile side dish, and it's impossible to mess up. Toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread in an even layer on a large sheet tray. (Feel free to throw in any of your favorite herbs or spices as well!)
Get the Oven-Roasted Carrots recipe.
Roasted Artichokes
After roasting, the exterior petals can be pulled off, and you can use your teeth to scrape out the delicious, tender insides. We think our simple recipe for Old Bay mayo really complements the artichoke’s lemon-herbal flavor profile, but feel free to swap in everything from tahini sauce to ketchup if you prefer.
Get the Roasted Artichokes recipe.
Potatoes Lyonnaise
Pan-fried potatoes are truly one of Passover's simplest pleasures, and all you need is some potatoes, some fat, and plenty of salt to achieve their greatness. This French variety elevates them even FURTHER with the addition of caramelized onions (skip the butter if you want to serve these alongside meat!).
Get the Potatoes Lyonnaise recipe.
Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup
Cozy and nourishing, we crave matzo ball soup pretty much year-round, though it's a MUST for Passover. Although schmaltz (AKA chicken fat) and chicken broth are typically included in this classic Ashkenazi Jewish soup, it’s not hard to swap in vegetarian-friendly ingredients.
Get the Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup recipe.
Cauliflower Au Gratin
Potatoes au gratin is a creamy, decadent dish that no matter how hard we try, we can never give it up. This version made with cauliflower lets us have the decadence, without weighing us down.
Get the Cauliflower Au Gratin recipe.
Garlic Butter Mushrooms
These are WILDLY delicious! If you can't find cremini mushrooms, look for baby bellas or button mushrooms—they're essentially the same thing and will work just as well here.
Get the Garlic Butter Mushrooms recipe.
Candied Carrots
Just a heads up: Any dish that features the word “candied” is bound to be on the sweet side and more than likely something you won’t be eating every day. That said, don’t be shy about the amount of butter and brown sugar that goes into these candied carrots: Decadence is the goal here!
Get the Candied Carrots recipe.
Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Amazing, creamy mashed potatoes are still possible while being completely dairy-free, and these are here to prove it! You can serve these alongside your roast chicken or brisket and still keep your meal kosher for Passover.
Get the Vegan Mashed Potatoes recipe.
Roasted Asparagus
There are many ways you can cook asparagus, but roasting is our absolute favorite. Here's to cook perfect asparagus every time.
Get the Roasted Asparagus recipe.
Crustless Quiche
This crustless quiche, also sometimes referred to as a frittata, forgoes the pastry shell and as a result the egg itself creates a satisfying crust on the edges. Feel free to fill it with different veggies, cheeses, herbs, and more if you like.
Get the Crustless Quiche recipe.
Green Shakshuka
Originating in North Africa and now strongly associated with Israeli cuisine, shakshuka typically involves a sauce of tomatoes and red peppers. Our take on this simmered skillet spins the color wheel, thanks to roasted tomatillos and Swiss chard, and takes flavor inspiration from Mexico. Serve it for any meal you want to jazz up this Passover.
Get the Green Shakshuka recipe.
Roasted Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of our favorites to roast because, flavor-wise, it's very much a blank canvas. You can keep it simple with just salt and pepper or go nuts with a custom spice blend. Our recipe adds a touch of color and zesty flavor with Old Bay seasoning, but feel free to get creative!
Get the Roasted Cauliflower recipe.
Mandarin Orange Salad
When it comes to Passover-worthy salads, this one takes the cake. The mandarin oranges give it a burst of freshness while the Parmesan gives it a bite of sharpness and nuttiness. Its homemade poppy seed dressing (super-simple!) is unbelievably tasty—feel free to skip the seeds if you're still avoiding kitniyot.
Get the Mandarin Orange Salad recipe.
Roasted Brussels Sproutss
One of the best ways to prepare Brussels sprouts is to roast them. It’s super-easy: Toss the sprouts in a little olive oil, spread them on a baking sheet, and throw them in the oven to hang out for 30 minutes. The oven’s high dry heat will bring out all those delicious nutty flavors, rendering the sprouts soft and tender in the middle and leaving the outer leaves crispy and delicious.
Get the Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe.
Coconut Ranch Kale Salad
Because this creamy dressing is vegan, you can even serve it alongside a meat dish for Passover. We love using crunchy roasted chickpeas in lieu of croutons, but feel free to swap if you aren't eating kitniyot this Passover.
Get the Coconut Ranch Kale Salad recipe.
Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen: They're amazing boiled, baked, sautéed, and fried (we love you, sweet potato fries). One of the easiest and most useful ways to cook sweet potatoes is to roast them. For perfect roasted sweet potatoes every time, abide by our simple rules.
Get the Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe.
You Might Also Like
