Sephardic Rosh Hashanah meals are rich with beautiful tradition. The menu might include roast chicken or lamb cooked with dried fruits; festive rice or couscous fresh or roasted beet salad; and sweet potato, pumpkin, or leek patties.

Of course, the dinner meals begin with a Rosh Hashanah seder, the eating of symbolic foods along with the recitation of short blessings for sweetness, peace, prosperity, and other good things we hope to enjoy in the new year. (Click here for your own printable simanim card that includes all the blessings and explanations behind this meaningful Rosh Hashanah tradition. Some families enjoy incorporating these symbolic foods into the foods they serve for the meal.

Whether your heritage is Sephardic – or it’s not, but you enjoy preparing recipes from other cultures – read on for our roundup of delectable Sephardic-style additions to your Rosh Hashanah menu.

Appetizers

1. Beef Pizza with Sausages and Tahini Drizzle by Chef Yisrael Doudex

   

2. Charred Eggplant Dip with Maple Drizzle by Kim Kushner

   

3. Syrian Pumpkin Patties (Kibbet Yatkeen) by Gil Marks

   

4. Moroccan Carrot Chickpea Salad by Dahlia Abraham-Klein

   

5. Yemenite Pumpkin and Carrot Soup by Amelia Saltsman

   

6. Crispy Mini Meatless Pies by Ruth Fox and Vicky Cohen

   

7. Sephardi Saffron Chicken Soup with Fragrant Matzo Balls by Tracey Fein

   

 Mains (It’s All About the Meat)

1. Rosh Hashanah Plov with Barberries, Pomegranate, and Quince by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford

   

2. Lamb Shoulder Roast by Jennifer Chetrit

   

3. Tagine of Veal, Dried Prunes and Squash with Cardamom by Jennifer Chetrit

   

4. Brisket with Date Syrup by Jennifer Chetrit

   

5. Pomegranate Roasted Cornish Hens by The Peppermill

   

6. Persian Meatballs with Beet Sauce by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook

   

7. Moroccan Chicken by Naomi Nachman

   

8. Baharat and Fig Top of the Rib by Shifra Klein

   

9. Khoresh-e Fesenjān (Fesenjoon) by Mike Benayoun

   

10. Gondy: The Persian Matzo Ball by Reyna Simnegar

    

     

Sides

1. Couscous with Dried Fruits by Sabrina Ovadia

   

2. Tahdig- Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots and Crispy Potato Crust by Janna Gur (follow directions for the non-dairy version)

   

3. Braised Fennels by Jennifer Chetrit

   

4. Moroccan-Style Couscous by Estee Kafra

   

5. Syrian Spinach Salad (Salata Sabanigh Ma Rumman) by Gil Marks

   

6. Leek Patties by Yael Dagan

   

7. Artichoke Halves Stuffed with Ground Meat (Medias Shawki) by Poopa Dweck

   

8. Rice with Vermicelli (Riz wa Sha’riyya) by Poopa Dweck

   

9. Classic Tahdig by Charlene Aminoff