Vegetarian Passover Recipes For Pesach
There are plenty of Passover vegetarian recipes (or Pesach vegetarian recipes) that have been created for many types of vegetarian Passover Seders. What do I mean by "types"? Well, there are many different types or degrees of vegetarian observances. There are Passover vegetarian recipes that omit eggs, but there are other Passover vegetarian recipes that include eggs. There are Passover vegetarian recipes that omit any dairy product, but at the same time, there are other Passover vegetarian recipes that include dairy products. In addition, there are Passover vegetarian recipes that omit animal foods such as honey or gelatin, and other Passover vegetarian recipes that include those foods. One thing, though, is common for almost all Passover vegetarian recipes with the exception of a few subgroups of vegetarianism and veganism (for instance, Pollo-vegetarians and Pollo-vegans include chicken in their diet; Pesco-vegetarians and Pesco-vegans include fish in their diet): no ingredient in any Passover vegetarian recipe contains any animal flesh, including fish.
As mentioned, there are many subgroups of vegetarianism within the general framework of vegetarian philosophy whose diets consist of various combinations of plants, cereals, raw foods and/or raw blended foods (most often excluding meat), dairy products, nuts, seeds, raw fruits, sprouts, green-leafed vegetables, and sprouted seeds. Ironically, there are a few subgroups that are actually accepted by the vegetarian movement which include consuming chicken and/or fish in their diet (see previous paragraph). And there is even a subgroup known as "Breatharians" who actually follow more of a non-diet since Breatharians believe they can survive without eating at all, getting the nutrients and energy their bodies need from the air they breathe. That's one strategy for saving on your grocery bill!
Based on the above understanding that there are various definitions of Passover vegetarian recipes, to understand exactly what Passover vegetarian recipes consist of, it is necessary to differentiate vegetarian Passover recipes from its offshoots, including vegan Passover recipes. So what is the difference between vegetarian Passover recipes and vegan Passover recipes? The answer is that all vegetarians do not believe in killing animals and so they do not eat animal flesh of any kind, including fish (with the exception of the previously-mentioned subgroups and other subgroups) but they do consume dairy products and eggs. This is the most common form of vegetarianism and is known as "lacto-ovo-vegetarianism". Another vegetarian sub-group, lacto vegetarianism, has the same dietary philosophy as the lacto-ovo vegetarian sub-group, except that lacto vegetarians do not eat eggs. Veganism is an offshoot of vegetarianism and goes further than vegetarianism by also omitting all animal products of any kind, including dairy produce and eggs, honey and gelatin, and even commodities such as silk and leather and any other product that was produced using animals. Essentially, vegans do not eat or use animal products, animal by-products, or products tested on animals. So in essence, vegetarian Passover recipes might include ingredients that will not be found in vegan Passover recipes, but the ingredients in vegan Passover recipes might also be found in vegetarian Passover recipes.
What exactly does the term "vegetarian" in Passover vegetarian recipes mean?
The term "vegetarian" in Passover vegetarian recipes can mean different things to a vegetarian adherent depending on which form of vegetarianism he or she follows. The ingredients have to conform to the particular form of vegetarianism that one follows - be it the general group of vegetarianism or a particular subgroup of vegetarianism. For the general population, the term "vegetarian" in Passover vegetarian recipes usually refers to the general form of adhering to ingredients that come from a plant-based diet that also includes dairy products and eggs but which excludes all animal flesh, including fish.
What is the origin of the term "vegetarian"?
The term "vegetarian" was first used in print in 1843, but seems to have been already in fairly common use, at least amongst a small group, by that time. It was followed by the founding of "The Vegetarian Society" in Manchester, England, in 1847. This organization lasted from 1847 until 1969. The idea of living on a plant-based diet had been around for thousands of years, it was just the word that was new, along with the idea of a secular organization to promote it. As mentioned, The Vegetarian Society lasted until 1969, when it merged with the London Vegetarian Society (1888-1969, a group which broke away in 1888 from The Vegetarian Society in Manchester) and some other, smaller organizations, to form "The Vegetarian Society of the UK Ltd." In 1969, the newly merged societies were also based in Manchester, initially with a London office which closed in the 1980's, and is still generally known as "The Vegetarian Society".
So now that you have a basic education in the evolution of vegetarianism, it's time to dig into those vegetarian Passover recipes!
