After a day of reflection and fasting, the Yom Kippur break fast meal is often a time to enjoy with family and friends. Despite being just after sundown, it’s the first meal of the day and often features traditional brunch type foods. Growing up, it was almost always the same (lox, bagel, whitefish, potato salad, and apple cake). As we got older, we discovered many less traditional options. We share all of our favorites here.
Our traditional Yom Kippur break fast menu
For us, lox and bagel is always the star. It’s light, classic, and easy. All we need is:
- Bagel
- Cream cheese
- Sliced lox
- Onion slices
- Capers
And putting it together is simple. While normally, we start by carefully cutting the bagel into two. On Yom Kippur, we do this the day before. For some reason, cutting bagels is a dangerous pastime. As a solution, there is now a bagel guillotine option.
About half our lot like the bagels toasted, although I prefer them in their natural form, especially if they are our homemade bagels. Regardless of whether or not we toasted the bagel, we spread cream cheese on both halves, ultimately treating each as an open-faced sandwich.
Although, if toasted, I let my toasted bagel cool enough that the cream cheese won’t melt. Once covered, we add a few capers and onions, then top with a layer of lox, which will hold the capers and onions in place. The exception is for photos. It’s more visually appealing if the onions and capers are on top of the lox.
Our typical Yom Kippur break fast menu also includes a whitefish spread (when we are in the USA), some potato salad, and an apple cake.
Do you have a favorite recipe? Why not share it with us? Whether you’ve got traditional Jewish food or anything gluten-free, we’d love to see what you can create.
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Tips for preparing your Yom Kippur break the fast menu
- Prepare in advance. You will not regret this as there is nothing worse than cooking a feast whilst fasting. Also, if you’re spending the day at shul, you will not be home to prepare.
- Know your guests and how strictly they follow Kosher eating rules. Prepare for the strictest person by either choosing dairy or meat plus pareve dishes.
- If you do choose to serve milk dishes as well as meat dishes, be sure they are well labeled, and even better if you can keep them separate. The same goes for traif, although personally, we avoid traif during the holidays.
What is pareve?
It’s a Yiddish word for Kosher certified foods that are neither dairy nor meat. Pareve foods can be eaten with either. This includes certain fish, eggs, and all items that grow from the ground. Parve is also a correct spelling.
Less traditional Yom Kippur break fast menu ideas
Yom Kippur Break Fast Menu Ideas
Looking for something different for your Yom Kippur break fast this year? We have pulled together a list of all our favorite light and delicious salads, pasta, light mains, and desserts, any of which can stand on their own or complement that traditional lox and bagel sandwich.
Our collection satisfies every diet and we have identified gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options.
Salads
From greens to seeds or fruits, there are many salad combinations that contribute to outstanding meals for Yom Kippur break fast.
Spinach Blueberry Salad with Candied Cashews
Dairy
The candied cashews and fresh blueberries add sweetness to this spinach and red onion salad, with a cheesy surprise.
Gluten-free
Easy Tomato Cucumber Salsa Quinoa Salad
Pareve
Healthy and delicious, it's full of surprises like corn, peas, quinoa, and more. Another perfect addition to your break the fast menu.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan
Easy Dairy-free Coleslaw Recipe
Pareve
This classic coleslaw recipe makes a great side dish for whatever else you are serving. It is easy to make and a family favorite.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan option
Strawberry Cucumber Salad
Dairy
A light and fresh salad sweetened by the flavors of strawberry and mint.
Gluten-free
Chopped Thai Salad with Peanut Sauce
Pareve
This salad is quick to make and includes an Asian accent with the addition of a peanut sauce.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan
Easy and Delicious Vegan Chickpea Salad
Pareve
Chickpeas and big pieces of avocado make this salad both colorful and delicious.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan
Veggie Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Dairy
The flavors of the Mediterranean make this salad tangy and filling for your break fast meal.
Chicken Quinoa Salad ~Sweet & Savory
Meat
This dish combines chicken with the nutty flavor of quinoa, creating a hearty meal.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Pasta dishes
Pasta makes a great side dish, can often be made gluten free, and we believe it is one of the best foods for breaking a fast.
Cherry Kugel
Quick, easy, and delicious, this cherry noodle kugel ticks all the boxes for a perfect pasta side dish. Or, try it with whipped cream for a wonderful dessert.
Lemon Caper Pasta with Toasted Almonds and Parmesan
Dairy
A light and tasty pasta accented with garlic, citrus, and tangy capers.
Tahini Pasta
Pareve
A variation on typical pasta dishes, this recipe includes the nutty flavor of tahini along with garlic.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan
Vegan Chickpea Florentine Pasta - 30 Minute One Pot Meal
Pareve
Creamy and tangy, this pasta meal satisfies young and old alike.
Gluten-free option, Dairy-free, Vegan
Jewish Sweet Noodle Casserole - Lokshen Melba Kugel
Dairy
This sweet noodle dish is a main meal and a dessert in one serving.
Vegan Spinach Noodle Kugel
Pareve
A savory dish that is filling and gets a kick of protein from tofu.
Dairy-free, Vegan
Instant Pot Stuffed Shells
Dairy
This dish introduces Italian flavors and cheese, making it a filling meal.
Main dishes
While we traditionally had only lox and bagel sandwiches or white fish salad for our break the fast mains, we now like to branch out. Although, we always keep it light after a fast.
Low-Carb Shiitake Mushroom Fried Rice
Pareve
A delightful combination of vegetables, ginger, and rice makes this dish a tasty crowd-pleaser.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan option
Lemon Pepper Tilapia Sheet Pan Dinner
Pareve
An easy one-pan meal that is colorful and well balanced.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Hummus Veggie Wrap
Pareve
We love being able to pick this wrap up with our fingers.
Dairy-free, Vegan
Baked Salmon with Capers and Lemon
This easy-baked salmon with capers recipe is a healthy, flavorful dish perfect for a Mediterranean diet
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Meat
Chicken with a twist, the Mexican flavors accent this low-carb dish.
Gluten-free
Instant Pot Blintz Souffle
Dairy
This recipe turns a favorite Jewish treat into a meal.
Sweets and desserts
I don't know about your family, but around here, desserts are always a highlight.
Eggless Dorset Apple Cake (perfect with Custard or Ice Cream)
Dairy
Spiced apple cake is a traditional end to a breaking the fast meal.
Chewy Spiced Applesauce Cake
Pareve
This spiced cake has apple flavor through and through.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan option
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dairy
A gluten-free alternative for Toll House cookie lovers.
Gluten-free
Hazelnut Citrus Torte
Pareve
A lovely blend of hazelnut with lemon and orange makes this dessert a winner.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan
Easy Halva: Israeli Candy
Pareve
A favorite at our house, we were surprised at how easy it is to make halva at home.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan
Macaroon Coconut Cookies
Pareve
A perfect sweet treat perfect for any breaking the fast Yom Kippur meal.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Final thoughts on Yom Kippur break fast menu
Until I pulled it all together, I hadn’t realized how strongly both the Mediterranean and Israeli food styles had infiltrated our diet. The food presented here, while all excellent foods to break a fast, are also great light meals on their own.
We hope you enjoy these foods as much as we do. Thanks to all who contributed recipes to this page.
Don’t miss these tips for preparing your home for services if you are participating in the high holidays via zoom this year.
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Will you be breaking the fast with traditional foods, or will you add something new to your Yom Kippur break fast menu?
More Jewish-style recipes you might like, or check out one of our favorite Jewish cookbooks.
So many delicious recipes, especially those bagels!
Lox bagels are one of my favorite breakfasts! Looking forward to check out the rest of these recipes too–they all look so good (especially those desserts *-*)!
Break Fast is my favorite! The stuffed shells particularly catch my eye…
Some nice ideas and I learned a few things too. I am a great fan of bagels and cream cheese for breakfast.
All of these recipes look absolutely delicious!! I think my kids would love the hummus veggie wrap – that might become a staple for our lunches every week!
So many great options here! I’m especially curious to try those salsa chicken lettuce wraps.. yum!
What a vast collection of recipes it is! I have already chosen a couple of them to make! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
These are such great recipe ideas! Will have to try some of these out 🙂
This is such a great collection of recipes. The One Pan Veggie and Maple Cajun Baked Salmon looks really good!