A traditional Shabbat meal could consist of many food courses. The first course is usually soup; and what type of soup do you think most Jews eat on Shabbat? That’s right, Matzoh Ball soup in chicken broth! Usually the preparation of the soup is started the night before if the soup is being made fresh. There are also small, yellow croutons which can be used in your soup produced by Osem. They look like really tiny small crackers but they add crunchies to your soup if you like that taste.
Challah and wine is still on the table with some small appetizers.
* Small pickles
* Small pickled eggplants
* Black Olives
* Green Olives
* And sometimes pickled Okra or Grape Leaves.
Now, the above pickles are not your typical tasting Kosher Dill from Gus’s on the Lower East Side of NYC (although Gus’s was the best!). The pickles, eggplants, and olives all come from Israel and can be found canned in any store which sells Israeli food items.
If these small appetizer type foods are not on the Shabbat table, sometimes an Israeli salad is served. This is very simple to make.
Finely chopped and cubed:
Cucumbers,
Tomatoes,
Parsley,
Onions,
Some Lemon,
And a splash of Olive Oil.
Next begins the meal which can be a meat dish, side dishes, and vegetables.
Meat: Brisket, Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Stew, Cholent, Stuffed Cabbage, Meat Loaf
Vegetables: White Potato, Sweet Potato, String Beans, Cooked Carrots, Peas
Side Dishes: Cous-cous, egg noodle pudding, Rice Pilaf, Kasha
Dessert: This can range but while eating Meat dishes, NO DAIRY will be served meaning no ice cream or certain cakes or cookies which contain milk products. This is due to the Kosher laws of Judaism which will be explained in future blogs.
These are not the only foods which can be served during a Shabbat lunch or dinner but just to give you an idea of the amount of food which is served.