Matzo Recipes for Passover

March 04, 2011
Photo: Nina Choi; Styling: Lisa Lee
Update your Seder menu with these creative matzo recipes for Passover.
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Homemade Matzos

Victor Protasio
Homemade Matzos Recipe

If you've only eaten matzos from a box, homemade ones are a revelation—light, fresh, and totally addictive. And even inexperienced bakers can make them; this recipe from Blake Joffe and Amy Remsen, owners of Beauty's Bagel Shop in Oakland, California, has enough olive oil to make the dough supple and easy to handle.

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Matzo Ball Soup

Victor Protasio
Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

We made our matzo balls small, for easier eating, but if you prefer 1 large ball per serving, divide the dough into 4 to 6 balls and boil them 10 minutes longer.

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Salted Chocolate Matzo Toffee

Photo: Greg Dupree Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Salted Chocolate Matzo Toffee Recipe

You can make this sweet snack year-round using saltine crackers for a crispy, salty base.

 

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Herbed Passover Rolls

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro
Herbed Passover Rolls Recipe
During Passover, you can have your (unleavened) bread and eat it, too. These matzo meal dinner rolls are accented with the flavors of fresh thyme and chives and are ideal for a Passover celebration because you can make them up to a month ahead and store in the freezer.

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Mashed Potato Latkes with Zucchini and Dill

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Fonda Shaia
Mashed Potato Latkes with Zucchini and Dill Recipe
Everyone loves latkes, so why save them just for Chanukah? Serve this special Passover version with Pear Applesauce at your Seder for a real treat.

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Matzo Ball Soup

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Norman King
Matzo Ball Soup Recipe
This recipe for Matzo Ball Soup can be enjoyed all year round, but it's a particular favorite during Passover. These matzo balls are made from matzo meal, vegetable oil, eggs, and kosher salt, and added to homemade chicken soup.
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Matzo Brei with Mushrooms

Photo: Helen Dujardin; Styling: Mindi Shapiro-Levine
Matzo Brei with Mushrooms Recipe

This hearty dish will make a perfect side for your Seder menu.

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Matzo Buttercrunch

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Melanie J. Clarke
Matzo Buttercrunch Recipe
Who knew matzo could be so sweet? This crunchy dessert is the perfect ending to a meal and a great snack during Passover.

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Mini Latkes With Salmon-Olive Relish

Oxmoor House
Mini Latkes With Salmon-Olive Relish Recipe
The key to the best latkes is patting the potato-and-onion mixture very dry on paper towels before adding eggs and matzo meal. Get everything ready, including the salt for sprinkling on the cooked latkes, before you grate the potatoes and onion.
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Almond-Apricot Macaroons

Randy Mayor; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Almond-Apricot Macaroons Recipe
These fun and fruity macaroons make a great addition to the Passover table.

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Becka's Passover Apple Cake

Antonis Achilleos
Becka's Passover Apple Cake Recipe
My mother's friend Becka makes this amazing cake. It's so light and fluffy, it's hard to believe there's no flour in it. Prep: 30 minutes; Bake: 50 minutes.

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Matzo Farfel Pudding

Antonis Achilleos
Matzo Farfel Pudding Recipe
Matzo farfel is a Passover-appropriate substitution for traditional farfel, which is a pellet-shaped pasta made from egg noodle dough. This casserole-style dish is super easy and so good, your family will keep coming back for more.
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Spicy Matzo-Ball Soup with Trinity Vegetables and Hot Peppers

Photo: Thomas J. Story
Spicy Matzo-Ball Soup with Trinity Vegetables and Hot Peppers Recipe

Light, fluffy matzo balls, afloat in a rich chicken stock, give this classic soup a spicy kick. Tanya Holland, chef-owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side Baking Co. in Oakland, served it as a first course for a Passover Seder.

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Crunchy Fried Green Tomatoes

Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey
Crunchy Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
A coating of matzo meal gives this classic side dish extra crunch. Matzo-covered fried green tomatoes would be a fun addition to Passover celebrations in the American South, but our non-Southern friends should give this dish a try, too!

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Lemon-Almond Cake with Lemon Curd Filling

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr
Lemon-Almond Cake with Lemon Curd Filling Recipe
In this dessert, beaten egg whites and matzo cake meal take the place of the usual leaveners used in traditional cakes. This cake pairs classic Mediterranean flavors like citrus and almond with British lemon curd filling, making it a perfect ending to a Passover meal for guests with a taste for international cuisine.
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Matzo, Mushroom, and Onion Kugel

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Melanie J. Clarke
Matzo, Mushroom, and Onion Kugel Recipe
Kugel is a casserole-like side dish commonly served at Jewish celebrations. Though kugels usually feature egg noodles, matzo crackers make this kugel Passover-friendly.

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Carrot Ring

Antonis Achilleos
Carrot Ring Recipe
This dessert is a great way to add flavor and color to the Passover table. Matzo meal and potato starch give this treat its fluffy texture while keeping it kosher for Passover celebrations.

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Sponge Cake with Orange Curd and Strawberries

Photo: Nina Choi; Styling: Lisa Lee
Sponge Cake with Orange Curd and Strawberries Recipe

Dairy- and flour-free, this cake is a winner year-round. Matzo cake meal—finely ground matzo—stands in for wheat flour.

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Matzo Brei with Mushrooms

Photo: Helen Dujardin; Styling: Mindi Shapiro-Levine
Matzo Brei with Mushrooms Recipe

This hearty dish will make a perfect side for your Seder menu.

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Passover Pear-Ginger Crisp

Photo: Karry Hosford
Passover Pear-Ginger Crisp Recipe

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Whole-Grain Matzo

Photo: Antonis Achilleos
Whole-Grain Matzo Recipe

Cookbook author Marcy Goldman started baking matzo with her young sons after touring a temporary factory at a local synagogue that produced shmura matzo—the traditional, handmade variety. "As a baker and a Jewish mother, I thought, I can do that," she says. The whole-grain flours in this recipe create a more crackly, sandy texture than white-flour matzo.

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Wise Sons' Gefilte Fish

Victor Protasio
Wise Sons' Gefilte Fish Recipe
As an answer to gefilte fish from a jar, which can be heavy, gluey, and strong-flavored, Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman, of Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen in San Francisco, created this very fresh and mild-tasting homemade version for Passover. The gefilte fish have a texture like light matzo balls, and are served with a carrot applesauce; Wise Sons also serves it with fresh horseradish sauce, but we've opted to buy prepared horseradish.

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Lemon Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Photo: Nina Choi; Styling: Lisa Lee
Lemon Chicken Soup with Dumplings Recipe
Roasting the bones adds richer, deeper flavor to the stock. If you don't see chicken bones in your butcher's case, ask for them. Take your time when tempering the egg (used to add body to the soup) with the hot broth; the payoff is a smooth, silky texture. Make-ahead tip: Cook and chill the stock a day ahead; skim solidified fat from cold stock before heating and proceeding with recipe.
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