Jewish Recipes

This selection of delicious Jewish recipes highlights the diversity of this wonderful cuisine.

Jewish food has evolved greatly over time, shaped according to dietary laws, international influence and certain festivals and traditions.

Shabbat - the Jewish day of rest - is particularly significant. It starts when the sun goes down on Friday and ends on sundown the following day, and is a time when many traditional Jewish recipes are enjoyed, including challah bread, Gefilte fish and soup.

Jewish recipes to try

Challah Bread

Challah bread is simply delicious! Moist and slightly sweet, some people  find it is quite similar to brioche. It contains lots of eggs - including extra egg yolks - giving it a wonderful richness and beautiful color. 

It is usually served plain, but sometimes delicious extras are added - some savory, like seeds, garlic and rosemary - and some sweet, like cinnamon and sugar or toasted almonds.

If you'd like to try your hand at making it, here is the best Challah Bread Recipe to try.

Pastrami

Jewish immigration during the later half of the 19th century brought pastrami to the United States. The Jewish recipe has its roots in the Turkish pastirma, which was rather like jerky. Over time the recipe began to be made with goose meat, then adapted again by Romanian Jews who found beef a more affordable alternative. 

Most pastrami recipes now use corned beef, which is a beef brisket soaked in sugar and a variety of spices. It is then smoked - which turns it into pastrami - and is then ready for slicing and using to pile high in sandwiches.

Click here to learn how to make your own pastrami

Falafel

It may not immediately spring to mind when you are thinking of Jewish recipes, but Israel's proximity to its Arab neighbors means that new culinary influences are creeping in on both sides.

Falafel is so easy to make - a wonderful (and nutritious) mixture of chickpeas, onions, herbs and spices, blended together until perfectly smooth and then fried.

The dish can be made healthier still by baking instead of frying, but this doesn't give such a great texture. The best alternative is to air fry it instead.

Click here to try your hand at Air Fryer Falafel

Bagel and Lox

This is one of the easiest Jewish recipes to put together - it is ready in minutes and is great served for lunch. In fact, some people enjoy it so much that they just add a side salad and turn it into a complete meal.

Lox is simply raw salmon that has been brined or cured with salt. To make bagel and lox, all you need to do is toast a bagel, spread it with cream cheese and top with the salmon. Additional, optional toppings include capers, red onion, cucumber slices, sprouts and seasonings.

You could always give it a slight twist and try this Smoked Salmon, Avocado Cream Chhese Bagel instead