On Shavuot, it is customary to eat dairy foods in accordance with the saying that describes the Torah, given on the holiday, as having “milk and honey under its tongue.”
Another reason found is that the Jews learned about halachic separation of meat and milk at Mount Sinai for the first time, and the holiday cuisine emphasizes the difference between meat and milk.
Some say they could not cook on the day the Torah was given, Shabbat, others add that they had to get food on the table quickly and ritual slaughtering and koshering was too time-consuming.
Whichever reason strikes your fancy, the dairy meals are mouth-watering, although some meat lovers (and sticklers for meat on holidays) only start with dairy appetizer, say grace after meals, rewash and restart with a meat meal.
Israel National News is bringing you a dairy recipe with a difference for Shavuot. Not the traditional blintzes (crepes) or cheesecake, but a vegan – can be made vegetarian – pea soup that we hope becomes the first of a series. Let us know how it turned out and how you used it!
Lettuce Pea Soup
Ingredients:
½ kilo fresh peas (frozen work as well)
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
4 cups water
1 cup soy milk
5 shallots, diced
5 sprigs fresh mint, leaves removed and stalks discarded
2 sprigs parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
½ tsp nutmeg
Atlantic grey sea salt
pepper
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized soup pot. Sweat the shallots for one minute.
- Add the water and bring to a boil.
- Add the peas and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients and remove from the flame.
- Puree in blender or food processor until smooth.
- Garnish with large garlic croutons.
To make this soup dairy, substitute the soy milk with one cup of heavy cream and sweat the shallots in butter instead of in oil. This soup can be served either hot or cold.
Serves 6.
Our thanks to Sima Herzfeld for her permission to use this recipe from her website, Just Add Flax: Healthy Food for Healthy Living.