When you find out that one of your Shabbat or holiday guests is vegetarian — or worse, vegan — do you panic? Where among the shmaltz-laden potato kugel and roasted chicken are the dishes your dietarily restricted guest can tuck into? And when Passover rolls around, with all of its own added restrictions, does your panic hit new levels?
Cast-Iron Potato & Caramelized Onion Kugel (Micah Siva)
Worry no more.
In Micah Siva’s new Nosh cookbook (The Collective Book Studio, 2024), not only will you find enough vegetarian recipes for any dinner party, you’ll even find vegetarian friendly recipes for the classics. And what could be more classic than brisket? Well, maybe gefilte fish — and Siva has recipes for both.
Even better? Not only is every recipe that is Passover friendly highlighted as such, Siva includes what she calls a “Hearty Passover Seder” menu, complete with vegan matzah ball soup.
The metaphorical meat and potatoes of Siva’s book are not substitutes or replicas, but colorful, flavorful dishes that can slot into any course of any meal. So you can use the book to craft new menus for a plant-based diet, or simply add more vegetarian friendly options to accompany your holiday classics.
Below is a Passover-friendly recipe from Nosh, with Siva’s characteristically engaging descriptions — and you’ll find two more in the IJN’s print Passover Foods.
Make sure to check your ingredients are Passover friendly, and read recipe notes carefully for kitniyot items.
Cast-Iron Potato & Caramelized Onion Kugel
Potato kugel is comfort food at its finest. Kugels, at their core, are baked casseroles. This potato kugel casserole is crisp and golden on the outside and creamy on the inside. It reminds me of a shareable hash brown or a giant latke, and it’s served at any time of day (try leftovers at breakfast — really!). Using a preheated cast-iron pan ensures that the kugel is cooked to golden perfection, with everyone getting the best part — the crispy edges! Top your kugel with labneh, sour cream, crème fraîche or coconut yogurt with chives. Serve with eggs for a breakfast dish or alongside your meal.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 ½ tsp. salt, divided
- 2 lbs. 3 or 4 russet potatoes
- 4 large eggs
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ¼ cup matzah meal
- Sour cream, coconut yogurt, crème fraîche or labneh, for serving
- Fresh chives, chopped, for serving (optional)
Instructions
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In a 9-inch cast-iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Add the chopped onions, spreading them evenly over the bottom of the pan. Decrease the heat to medium-low and let cook, undisturbed, for approximately 10 minutes.
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Sprinkle the onions with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and broken down, 30 to 45 minutes. Once golden and caramelized, transfer the onions to a large bowl.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the cast-iron pan and place it in the oven to heat up while you prepare the potatoes.
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Fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a food processor fitted with the shredding disk, or a box grater on the largest hole, grate the potatoes. The potatoes will oxidize, so be sure to shred right before use.
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Add the potatoes to the bowl of ice water. Let sit for 10 minutes to remove excess starch.
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Drain the potatoes, transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and wring out any excess liquid. The more liquid you can remove, the better!
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Add the potatoes to the bowl with the caramelized onions. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, eggs, pepper and matzah meal and stir to combine.
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Carefully remove the cast-iron pan from the oven and spread the potato mixture in the pan, pushing it down to compact the potatoes. It should sizzle on contact with the pan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until deep golden brown on top.
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Serve with sour cream and chopped chives.
