One of the most fun Sukkot traditions is eating meals outside in the sukkah. There are even traditional foods that go along with the holiday -- for example, many families enjoy stuffed items like grape leaves, cabbage, and kreplach, to name a few. Why stuffed food? To celebrate -- and symbolize -- the bounty of the harvest. Sukkot is, after all, a harvest festival.
Here are a few tried and true, easy, kid-pleasing, dinner ideas -- stuffed and unstuffed - to enjoy in your sukkah this holiday.
Crudites, Dips, and "Snack Plates"
An outdoor dinner comes together in a snap with large plates and platters made for sharing. With an assortment of dips, veggies, and breads, this easy to make option allows flexibility for picky eaters, dietary restrictions, and kid palettes. Plus a big veggie plate is a fabulous way to show off local produce and celebrate the "bounty of the harvest." To get started, try out some of these recipes:
Bourekas
Have you ever had a boureka? No?! You're missing out. Bourekas are a stuffed savory pastry, perfect for embracing the stuffed food tradition of Sukkot. If you're not quite ready to make your own from scratch, use premade croissant or pizza dough, stuff with sauteed veggies, and bake per the package instructions for your own "semi-homemade" version. If you're up for baking your own, try one of these recipes:
Matzo Ball Soup
Mmmm. What's more delicious than matzo ball soup? Stews, soups, and cholents are fantastic accoutrements for your meals in the sukkah because they're one-pot dishes. Let kids take charge with crock pot "throw and go" soups or try one of these easy, simple, variations on classic matzo ball soup.
Brisket
What's a Jewish holiday without brisket? This classic dish is perfect for any holiday but especially for a Sukkot table. If you don't have a classic family recipe on hand, try one of these favorites of PJ Library families:
Kugel
Looking for easy, delicious comfort food to serve in your sukkah? Try a kugel!
Stuffed Veggies
What can you stuff in a pepper or a tomato? Rice, beans, ground meat and sauce, scrambled eggs, herbs, all of the above?! There are a few explanations for the tradition of enjoying stuff foods during Sukkot: it's a way to embrace the abundance of harvest season, and some rolled and stuffed foods also resememble Torah scrolls, making them a festive addition for Simchat Torah, the holiday that takes place right after Sukkot.
Elaborate and Special Salads
Enjoy the bounty of the harvest (or your grocer's clearance veggie shelf) with a big salad. Kids can take the reigns on making one of these recipes or coming up with a salad creation of their own.
Roasted Vegetables
What's a harvest festival without veggies? Roasted vegetables are a delicious and parve side on their own or can take center stage in simple recipes like sandwiches and roll-ups or couscous. Follow the lead of the family in Fridays Are Special and visit the market as a family to let the kids pick out leafy greens and other veggies for roasting.
More
7 No-Waste Decorations to Make For Your Sukkah
A Festive Vegetarian Sukkot Menu via The Spruce Eats
Kid-Friendly Snacks for The Sukkah
Mushroom Medley Rice Recipe
Sukkot Recipes via Kosher.com
July 12, 2021