Lenten Menu for Christmas Eve: 6 Main Dishes for the Festive Table

Christmas Eve is an evening filled with a special atmosphere of anticipation, family warmth, and the observance of long-standing traditions. Before the first star appears, it’s customary to prepare Lenten dishes, and although the menu is limited, it can be incredibly varied and filling. We at joy-pup offer the best traditional Christmas Eve dishes with step-by-step recipes that will help you easily and deliciously prepare your holiday table.

Wheat or Barley Kutya

Ingredients:

• wheat or barley – 1 cup
• poppy seeds – 3-4 tbsp
• honey – 2-3 tbsp
• Raisins or nuts — optional
• Water — 1 liter

Preparation:

• Rinse the beans thoroughly and cover with cold water for 2–3 hours.
• Simmer over low heat until soft (usually 40–60 minutes).
• Pour boiling water over the poppy seeds for 15 minutes, then mash thoroughly until a milky texture appears.
• Mix the cooked beans with the poppy seeds.
• Add honey, raisins, or nuts.
• Stir and serve chilled.

Lenten Borscht with Beans

Ingredients:

• White beans — 150 g
• Beets — 1
• Potatoes — 3–4
• Cabbage — 200 g
• Carrots — 1
• Onion — 1
• Tomato paste — 1 tbsp.
• Vegetable oil
• Bay leaf, salt, pepper

Directions:

• Soak the beans overnight, then rinse and cook until tender.
• Boil water in a separate saucepan, add diced potatoes.
• Bring to a boil and add shredded cabbage.
• Fry the onion and carrot in a frying pan.
• Add grated beets and tomato paste, simmer for 10 minutes.
• Combine the sautéed mixture with the main broth, add the beans.
• Season with salt, pepper, and bay leaf.
• Let the borscht simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Mushroom gravy with homemade noodles

Ingredients for the gravy:

• mushrooms (fresh or dried) – 300 g
• onion – 1 pc.
• flour – 1 tbsp.
• Water or mushroom broth – 300 ml
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Noodle ingredients:

• Flour – 2 cups
• Water – 100 ml
• Salt – a pinch

Preparation:

• If using dried mushrooms, soak them for 1-2 hours, then boil.
• Chop the onion and fry, then add the mushrooms.
• Pour in the flour, stir, and lightly fry.
• Pour in the broth or water and bring to the desired consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Make a stiff dough from the flour, water, and salt.
• Roll it out very thinly and cut into strips.
• Boil for 3-4 minutes in salted water.
• Serve the noodles with the mushroom sauce on top.

Fish Baked in Foil

Ingredients:

• Fish (hake, pollock, pike perch, carp) — 1 kg
• 1 lemon
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• Vegetable oil
• Salt, pepper, dill

Directions:

• Clean and rinse the fish, cut into portions.
• Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Place a layer of onions and carrots on the foil.
• Top with the fish, a little dill, and some oil.
• Wrap tightly and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180°C.
• The fish will be juicy, flavorful, and tender.

Vinaigrette Salad with Peas

Ingredients:

• 2 beets
• 3 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• Pickled cucumbers — 2 pcs.
• Green peas — 150 g
• Onion — 1 pc.
• Vegetable oil
• Salt

Preparation:

• Boil the beets, potatoes, and carrots and let them cool.
• Dice all the vegetables.
• Add the peas and finely chopped onion.
• Dress with vegetable oil and mix.
• Season with salt to taste.

Lenten vareniki with cabbage

Ingredients for the dough:

• Flour — 3 cups
• Boiling water — 1 cup
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp.
• Salt — a pinch

Ingredients for the filling:

• Sauerkraut or fresh cabbage — 400 g
• Onion — 1 pc.
• Vegetable oil
• Pepper

Preparation:

• For the dough, pour boiling water over the flour, add the oil and salt, and knead into a soft, elastic dough. For the filling, fry the onion, add the cabbage, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• Roll out the dough and cut out circles.
• Add the filling and pinch the edges.
• Cook in salted water for 3-4 minutes after the dough floats to the surface.

To be continued…