Bitter Herb Recipes for Passover

What is the "bitter herb" that Scripture says the Israelites ate at their Passover? What recipes can we use to incorporate a bitter herb into our own Passover meals today? We find this description in Exodus.

"They are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and unleavened bread." -Exodus 12:8

The Bible doesn't exactly specify what the bitter is that was eaten along with the roasted lamb and unleavened bread, so we can't know for sure what they ate that night in Egypt. Since Scripture doesn't specify exactly which herb or green or vegetable is being pointed to, that gives us freedom to use what's available near us or what we are used to in our cultural cooking. I love that the Living God gave flexibility in this so that no matter where his people are they can participate in this! Traditionally horseradish is often used. Parsley, endive, romaine, and even celery are popular choices, and greens such as mustard or dandelion greens could be used too. I think any type of green, lettuce, or herb with a slightly bitter taste would be appropriate to eat on Passover.

Potential bitter herbs for Passover:

Parsley
Romaine lettuce
Endive
Radicchio
Kale
Collard greens
Mustard flowers or greens
Dandelion greens
Horseradish
Wasabi
Celery
Bitter melon
Broccoli rabe
Any other herbs, greens, or vegetables with a slight or strong bitter taste.

There are so many different ways you can incorporate these into your Passover meal! From salads to sauces to braised greens or cooked veggies on the side, there is no right or wrong way to incorporate a bitter herb element into your menu. Again, I believe YHWH intentionally lets us use the plants and produce that are in our area and available to us so that all of his people can participate in this custom.

These recipes are just a few ideas for incorporating some of these into your Passover meal for a bitter herb element.

Gremolata from Love and Lemons

Coconut Curried Greens from Minimalist Baker

Bistro Salad from Pinch of Yum

Beet and Goat Cheese Endive Bites from A Beautiful Plate

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe from Love and Lemons

Easy Massaged Kale Salad from Minimalist Baker

Chimichurri Sauce from Love and Lemons

Celery Salad with Torn Olives, Almonds, and Parmesan from Cookie and Kate

Endive Salad with Parmesan and Orange from A Couple Cooks

Grain Free Tabbouleh from Minimalist Baker

Quick Collard Greens from Cookie and Kate

5 Minute Kale Pesto from Pinch of Yum

More about Passover:
The Beginner's Guide to Passover
Meal Ideas for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
What the Bible Says About Passover

Why Biblical Law is For All Believers (And Not Just Jews)

I used to think that Biblical law and keeping the commandments were only expected of Jewish people, and I hear this echoed all the time. Statements like, "I don't have to do that because I'm not Jewish," "God only wants the Jewish people to keep the food laws," "Gentiles are not under the law because of Jesus," or "Those things are just for Jews," show up in my comment section all the time. If we only listen to manmade religious doctrines, this is easy to accept as truth. But if we take a look at what Scripture actually says we will find this is not the case! All believers, no matter their ancestry, are expected to keep the commandments in the Bible!

Why Biblical law is not just for Jews:

-The Bible never says this. There is nothing in the Bible about the commandments being only for Jewish people. In fact, until the New Testament Jewish people barely get a mention in Scripture. Seriously, go reread the whole thing. You will not find a phrase like that in there. There are no instructions from YHWH about limiting the gift of his word, or the expectations of keeping his commandments to Jewish people.

-The Bible expressly says Biblical law is not just for the Israelites, but also for foreigners. Exodus 12:49, "There is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you." There was no such thing as Judaism in Exodus, so this verse does not somehow mean that the Torah is only for you if you convert to Judaism or live around Jews. It's talking about people from any part of the world joining YHWH's people by serving him. No matter where you are from, the same set of commandments apply to you.

-There were no Jews present when Biblical law was given. Not a single person in Genesis through Deuteronomy (when Biblical law was given) considered themselves to be Jewish. Not one. While the tribe of Judah was present, so were eleven other tribes! We must understand that Scripture's use of Israelite is not interchangeable with the term Judaism today. There are Jews today who did have ancestors present when Biblical law was given, but many other people groups also have ancestors who were given Biblical law!

-The New Testament says there are neither Jews nor Gentiles. I really can't imagine why this statement from Galatians 3:28 would be included in Scripture if YHWH was going to hold different people groups to different standards. Recognizing this verse makes it seem rather silly to say, "God doesn't hold me to that standard because I'm a gentile"!

-The Messiah was never impressed with claims of antecedence. John the Baptist's words in Luke 3:8, "Prove by the way that you live that you have repented from sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you that God can create children of Abraham from these very stones." The Messiah did not count relations to Abraham as some sort of extra credit or bonus. His response to those who were relying on their physical relations to Abraham was that wasn't enough, their actions should reflect that. He said that Abraham's children would do what Abraham did (John 8:39).

-Most of us don't really know where we are from. Even if you believe that Biblical law is only for those who descended physically from the Israelites who were freed from Egypt, how do you know that none of your ancestors were there? Most of us are lucky to know anything about our ancestors after the most recent five or six generations. There is simply no way of knowing for sure whether you had ancestors there or not!

Recognizing that the Living God gave one set of instructions for all people, wherever they may be from physically or whatever their religious background is, means that we should strive to honor him by keeping his commandments! Yes, we are all sinners and won't do it perfectly. But no parent would ever say that since their children won't be able to always keep their instructions perfectly, they don't expect them to bother trying. YHWH is honored by our efforts to keep his instructions, even when we fall short.

Related posts:
Why the Biblical Holidays are For All Believers
Basics of Biblical Law
Commandments or Traditions - Understanding the New Testament

Kosher For Passover Explained

Exodus 12:15 gives additional dietary instructions for Passover and the Feast of Matzah.
"For seven days you are to eat matzah—on the first day remove the leaven from your houses. For whoever eats hametz [leavened bread] from the first to the seventh day is to be cut off from Israel."

This is where the term 'Kosher for Passover' comes from. While it is fine to eat hametz the rest of the year, it is forbidden during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Hametz or chametz is often translated as "leaven" but that is misleading. Yeast should not be eaten during Passover but that's not explicitly what hametz refers to. Hametz refers to grains that have come into contact with water. It is related to chometz, meaning vinegar, and chamutz meaning sour. Meaning fermented grain products should not be consumed during the Feast of Matzah.

What are these grains? Scripture doesn't specify, though wheat is the best guess. I would encourage you to study and pray about the grains to avoid. Traditional Judaism avoids:

Wheat
Barley
Spelt
Oats
Rye

Please note that since it is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, unleavened bread is still perfectly okay to consume! Traditional matzah is made from wheat. You can purchase it Kosher for Passover or make your own.

An interesting hametz product that doesn't immediately jump to mind is vinegar. Vinegar is distilled from wheat that has obviously fermented and become hametz. This makes it's way into lots of condiments that should be avoided during Matzah Week. Unless a vinegar is specified as a wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, consider it hametz.

So what all should be avoided during the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
Bread, croissants, biscuits, etc.
Flour tortillas
Pasta and noodles
Breakfast cereals such as Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran, etc.
Baked goods with flour such as cookies, muffins, cake, etc.
Beer
Condiments with vinegar such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressings, salsa, soy sauce, and pickled vegetables.
Barley - soup or risotto
Oats and oatmeal
Spelt products
Rye
Also watch out for oatmeal in soaps and bath products.

If this is your first year keeping Kosher for Passover, this can sound a little overwhelming, but hang in there! There are still plenty of things you can eat.

What can we eat during the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
Matzah/unleavened bread
Any vegetables
Any fruits
Lentils
Beans - black, pinto, Cannelini, kidney, chickpeas, etc.
Potatoes
Winter squash - butternut, acorn, spaghetti, etc.
Any Biblically clean meat or fish
Dairy - yogurt, cheese, milk, butter, sour cream, etc.
Eggs
Corn tortillas
Nuts
Salad dressings made with balsamic or apple cider vinegar
Gluten free soy sauce, called tamari
Ice cream
Desserts like cheesecake, creme brulee, flourless chocolate cake, and macarons

Meal ideas:
Beef or chicken fajitas with corn tortillas, black beans, guacamole, and onions and bell peppers
Stir fried broccoli, carrots, cabbage, peppers, etc. over fried rice with tamari
Baked salmon with roasted butternut squash and spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and goat cheese served with matzah
Baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese
Spaghetti squash with marinara sauce
Coconut curried vegetables over lentils
Matzah spread with cream cheese, topped with smoked salmon, arugula, and cucumber slices
Lettuce salad topped with chicken, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, carrots, tomatoes, etc. and salad dressing from apple cider vinegar
Lots of soups: black bean, vegetable, lentil, potato cheese, etc. served with matzah
Fruit smoothies
Apples with peanut butter
Hummus with veggies and matzah
Yogurt with fruit or jam
Trail mix with mixed nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chips

Here's more than 40 recipes that are Kosher for Passover.

Exodus 12:15-20 explains that the Festival of Matzah is an ongoing instruction that should be celebrated by every generation of YHWH's people. Matzah doesn't have to be the only thing we eat, but it does say that we should eat it so have some each day and make it a central part of the Feast!

Have a wonderful Feast of Unleavened Bread!