24 Rosh Hashanah Recipes to Celebrate the New Year (2024)

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and the holiday falls in September or early October. Our Rosh Hashanah recipes feature foods that are symbolic and meaningful in Jewish culture, such as leeks, pomegranates, carrots, honey, and apples.

It wouldn't be Rosh Hashanah without a tender brisket. We have two stellar recipes—sweet-and-sour brisket featuring chile sauce and brown sugar, and an orange-braised brisket that stays moist by soaking up Triple Sec liqueur and chicken broth as it cooks.

Roast chicken and roasted salmon are other popular main course choices for Rosh Hashanah. Our beet-and-dill roasted wild salmon calls for cooked and grated purple beets layered on top of the salmon while it marinates. The beets give the fish an intense purple hue and this dish makes a spectacular centerpiece for a holiday dinner.

These favorite recipes for Rosh Hashanah will help you start a sweet and prosperous New Year.

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Sweet-and-Sour Brisket

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Rosh Hashanah is all about bringing family and friends together for a celebration of the New Year. The sweet and sour flavors in this brisket transport Sarah Carey, our editorial director for food, back to her childhood as they were her grandmother's signature.

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Beet Salad with Honey-Lavender Dressing

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Honey brings a sweet touch to the classic mustard vinaigrette that is the perfect partner for this salad made with baby chard, roasted and fresh beets, and toasted pecans.

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Slow-Roasted Salmon Salad with Barley and Golden Beets

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Just right for a Rosh Hashanah dinner with a smaller group, the oven does most of the work for this slow-roasted salmon served with barley and thinly sliced beets. Add a colorful vegetable side or salad to round out this celebratory entrée.

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Raisin-Challah Apple Betty

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One of the main foods associated with Rosh Hashanah is apples. They are traditionally dipped in honey and eaten, bringing the promise of sweet days to come. This challah bread pudding is sure to bring warm wishes to your family.

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Matzo Ball Soup

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For many people, a Jewish holiday dinner would not be complete without matzo ball soup. This classic version calls for homemade stock, but you can use store-bought to save yourself some time.

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Braised Fennel with Pomegranate

Pomegranates are traditionally served on the second night of Rosh Hashanah. The ruby-red seeds add a stunning color and crunch to this dish of braised fennel flavored with anise. It's a delicious side to serve with brisket or roasted salmon.

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Pomegranate-Honey Coolers

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Celebrate Rosh Hashanah with this easy white wine-based co*cktail, made with two ingredients traditionally served on the Jewish New Year. A healthy dose of pomegranate juice—which comes from the many seeds that represent a fruitful year—complements a taste of honey, a symbol for sweetness in the year to come.

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Apple-Honey Upside Down Cake

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Of course, the celebration calls for some show-stopping desserts. Because of the symbolic importance of apples on Rosh Hashanah, desserts like the Apple-Honey Upside Down Cake are excellent options to end your meal.

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Spiced Apple Cake

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A crowd pleaser indeed, this delicate cake is tender with sour cream and spiced with ginger and allspice. Thin rounds of Granny Smith apple make the perfect topping.

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Roasted Vegetables with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

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Romanesco and regular white cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts are roasted together for a colorful holiday side dish. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds just before serving.

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Beet Latkes

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Try this colorful take on the latke, where red beets replace the usual potatoes.

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Onion and Leek Focaccia

Leeks, another important ingredient on Rosh Hashanah, symbolize the need to cut ties with individuals who may otherwise hurt us in the New Year. This gorgeous bread layers leeks and sliced onions on top of the dough, then is finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and rosemary leaves for an earthy, savory flavor.

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Brown-Butter Honey Cookies

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Honey, a Jewish symbol of the gifts and favors offered by God, takes prominence in these nutty cookies. While the woven pattern looks complex, it's simple to create using an embossed rolling pin before cutting and shaping the dough.

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Orange-Braised Brisket

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A tender, rich brisket is the centerpiece of most Jewish holidays, from Rosh Hashanah to Passover. Cooking it with plenty of liquid is key to prevent it from drying out, and here, it's prepared with a combination of chicken broth and orange-flavored liqueur.

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Sautéed Beet Greens

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An easy healthy side dish for your holiday table that also has symbolic meaning (related to the departure of our enemies), this recipe comes together in 20 minutes.

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Salmon and Cod Gefilte Fish

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Gefilte fish is the Yiddish term for stuffed fish. This refined version takes the form of quenelles made with salmon and cod, plus matzo meal, diced vegetables, Dijon mustard, and aromatics. They're lightly poached, then served alongside flavored horseradish. Our version is free of shellfish so it's kosher.

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Walnut Honey Cake

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This delightful autumn dessert combines apples and honey with freshly ground toasted walnuts. The baked cake is glazed with honey and served warm. Enjoy slices after your holiday meal with hot tea.

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Roast Chicken with Meyer Lemons and Potatoes

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Always a showstopping main course, this fragrant roast chicken makes a delicious centerpiece for Rosh Hashanah.

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Miso-and-Honey-Glazed Carrots

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This updated take on a classic Rosh Hashanah side dish dresses up carrots with miso paste, honey, Meyer lemons, and butter.

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Apple-Membrillo Tart

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An absolute stunner, this apple tart is a spectacular way to end a Rosh Hashanah dinner. Quince paste, called membrillo in Spanish, is spread over pate brisee, then sliced apples are shingled on top for a gorgeous look.

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Beet-and-Dill Roasted Wild Salmon

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Here, a mixture of grated beets, horseradish, dill, lemon zest, and olive oil rests on top of an entire side of wild salmon. This crowd-ready main takes on a vibrant purple hue and develops an earthy, spicy flavor after marinating.

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Pomegranate Relish

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Pomegranates symbolize abundant blessings for the Jewish New Year. To celebrate the power of pomegranates, serve this sweet and tart relish as an accompaniment to your main course.

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Seeded Marble Rye Bread

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Rye bread is a staple at Rosh Hashanah among other Jewish holidays. Whether you spread chopped liver on a slice, crumble it on a salad, or eat it as a side, this gorgeous, earthy bread is an essential.

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Honey Cake with Caramelized Pears

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A particularly luscious version of an iconic dessert, this cake is topped with caramelized pear slices.

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24 Rosh Hashanah Recipes to Celebrate the New Year (2024)

FAQs

What is a typical Rosh Hashanah menu? ›

For Jews of Eastern European and Russian descent (Ashkenazi), an old-world-inspired celebratory feast would feature round challahs, chicken soup, a slow-roasted brisket or roast chicken, sweetened roasted root vegetables that always include carrots, and a wide variety of side dishes.

What food is symbolic for Rosh Hashanah? ›

Apples dipped in honey is a well-known Rosh Hashanah treat, but there are others. In fact, apples and honey represents just one of the Simanim (Rosh Hashanah foods that hold symbolic meaning). There are a number of Simanim that serve as a reminder of the Jewish New Year's special significance.

What should be on the table on Rosh Hashanah? ›

Two of the most popular foods are apples dipped in honey, and pomegranates. Each food symbolizes a different good fortune that we pray for in the coming year. These foods are generally eaten at the beginning of the two evening Rosh Hashanah meals. Each food is given separate attention and a brief blessing.

What foods are not allowed at Rosh Hashanah? ›

Just as we eat sweet apples and other foods on Rosh Hashanah because of their symbolic significance, it is customary to avoid bitter and vinegary foods on Rosh Hashanah (see, for example, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 129:9). The Rama (Orach Chaim 583:2) writes that some avoid eating egozim (walnuts) on Rosh Hashanah.

What foods do we not eat on Rosh Hashanah? ›

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (129:9) writes that there is a minhag not to eat bitter or vinegary foods on Rosh Hashanah, but rather to eat sweet foods for a sweet year. The Rema (Orach Chaim 583:2) writes that some are careful not to eat egozim (walnuts) on Rosh Hashanah.

How do you start Rosh Hashanah dinner? ›

After sundown on the first night, families typically celebrate together with a festive meal. Apples are typically dipped in honey to symbolize hopes for a sweet new year. These pretty apple tea lights are a great way to incorporate the apple theme on your dinner table.

What night do you eat Rosh Hashanah dinner? ›

On the first night of Rosh Hashanah, after eating the challah with honey, it is customary to eat several foods which symbolize the type of year we wish to have: We dip a piece of sweet apple into honey. Before eating it we say: Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm boh-ray peh-ree hah-aytz.

Why do Jews eat apples on Rosh Hashanah? ›

Hence, the custom of eating both apples and honey as food on Rosh Hashanah, not only for their nutritive value but especially because of their value as symbols. Honey, into which we dip apples is an expression of hope that sweetness will mark the lives of Jews in the coming year.

What you can and Cannot do on Rosh Hashanah? ›

Only the work of preparing food, or that involving carrying and transferring is allowed on this day. The Jews do not engage themselves in jobs, business or other such activities on this day. 2) No afternoon nap: Sleeping or just taking a nap in the afternoon is also prohibited on the day of Rosh Hashanah.

What is the first course for Rosh Hashanah dinner? ›

1st Course: If it's your first time hosting, I recommend choosing a simple first course: soup, salad, or fish. If you're pressed for time, soup is a good option, particularly if you have time to make it in advance.

Is meat eaten on Rosh Hashanah? ›

Moreover, this sefer is a compilation of the halachos that he personally learned from a Malach from Shamayim; in other words, from an angel! This means, that according to the Heavenly spheres, one should refrain from eating meat on Rosh Hashana!

What is the best meat for Rosh? ›

Usually lamb with bone and fat is used in cooking. I had lamb shanks which has good fat so this cut worked well. Beef with bone in also works 2.

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