Simanim Inspired Menu for Rosh Hashanah
My favorite way to prepare the meals on Rosh Hashanah is by making a Simanim inspired menu. I’ve already given you some ideas in a previous post on Rosh Hashanah Simanim but here is an actual Simanim inspired menu all laid out for you. This post contains affiliate links.
Simanim are the special, symbolic foods that we eat on Rosh Hashanah as the start to a happy, sweet new year, full of good things. For example, and perhaps the most well-known, dipping an apple in honey. These two foods are used because of the sweetness of both the apple and the honey; the apple specifically, as opposed to another fruit, symbolizes Gan Eden, which our Sages believes has the scent of an apple orchard.
I love to incorporate the Simanim into the meal itself, instead of just a plate at the beginning of the seudah, for a few reasons. Firstly, preparing the Simanim in addition to a regular Yom Tov meal is a lot of extra work, something many of us busy mothers don’t have time or energy for. Second, we tend to get very full on the Simanim course alone and then don’t have much room left for the rest of the meal. By incorporating the Simanim into the meal, we get the best of both worlds! Delicious yom tov foods, with all the symbolism.
The following is a menu template for the night meals. My family only eats the Simanim at night, and we typically ate the same meal each night. Just don’t forget to add a new fruit for the second to night upon which to recite the bracha of Shehechiyanu.
Don’t forget about menu planning! There is a handy Rosh Hashanah menu planner in our incredible Tishrei Bundle, plus checklists, Sukkah art and more!
Simanim Inspired Menu
Wherever possible, I’ve included the symbolic food in parentheses next to the menu item. Refer back to my Rosh Hashanah Simanim Free Printable for a more in-depth explanation.
Please note, when it is just my family, I only serve 2 proteins at night, fish and chicken OR meat (usually chicken.) I’ve included more options here so you can choose what works for you.
Appetizer
Round Challah
Honey for dipping
Salatim (small salads and dips): Carrot salad (or tzimmes), Techina (sesame), Hummus Simanim
Beet Carrot Apple Salad with Date Vinaigrette (carrots, apple, pomegranate, dates)
Fish
Gefilte fish with carrots
Honey Sesame Salmon (honey, sesame/make sure to include the fish head)
Soup
Potato Leek Soup (leeks)
OR
Pumpkin Soup (gourd)
Entree
Pomegranate Roast (pomegranates, juicy meat)
Rosh Hashanah Chicken with Apples (apples)
Side Dishes
Tongue Spring Rolls (tongue)
Farfel (symbolic)
Pomegranate Coleslaw (pomegranate, apples)
Apple Kugel Muffins (apples)
Dessert
Honey Cake (honey)
Pomegranate Granita (pomegranate)
