Menu for Every Day of Great Lent

The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Icon from Kykkos Monastery

Orthodox Pascha and Western (Catholic & Protestant) Easter coincide this year, so Ash Wednesday is only two days after Orthodox Green Monday. No matter which tradition you follow, I hope you find this menu helpful.

For Orthodox Christians, Great Lent starts in about a two weeks. During Lent, ideally speaking, we are to fast from Meat, Poultry, Most Fish, Dairy, Eggs, and many days, Oil and Wine. For many Orthodox Christians in America that means six weeks of only PB&J for Lunch, and a tiny handful of dinner menus that repeat constantly. I've known some people that were so repulsed the repetitiveness of their Lenten menu that they wasted all their Lenten food by throwing it in the trash on Pascha! (Most Lenten food freezes very well, and after Bright Week could go to good use)

There's nothing wrong with a super simple menu like that if you feel that is the level of asceticism that is right for you. In fact, it may be the Lenten ideal.

But, if you need more variety to be able to go the distance for Lent, here is a full Lenten Menu -  a different dish for each of the 50 days - no repeats! Great Lent is "40 Days" if you count without weekends or Holy Week - adding those days in, you need a 50 day menu. Each menu here is Vegan, and nearly all of them either are oil free or have an oil free option. The vast majority are also Gluten Free, or can easily be made Gluten Free with a simple substitution, like using Gluten Free Pasta or Bread. Most are Soy-free, or can be made Soy- free easily by using a Soy-Free Soy Sauce Substitute (I understand Coconut Aminos work). Many also have make-ahead suggestions, or are freezer friendly or Slow Cooker Friendly so that cooking doesn't have to distract you from prayer : )

When serving Lenten food, if you need more variety than the meal offers, then Accessorize your Lenten Table . Although I don't list it on every night's menu, I assume that most nights you will add such things to the table as bread, salad, olives, chopped veggies & dips.

For some extra thoughts on observing Lent, and ideas for how to make your Lent more meaningful, check out my Lent post from last year.

IF you want to observe Lent, but hate to cook, check out this post, which has ideas for Lent-Friendly restaurant fare, frozen meals, and deli meals, as well as some of my simplest recipes:
40 Day Lenten Menu for People Who Hate To Cook

Here's the menu:

1 Green Monday, Family Favorite Lentil Soup, Homemade Yeast Bread      
(as leftovers, this dish is delicious over Spaghetti!)

     

2 Indian Lemon Rice with Peas (go ahead and make the double seasoning packet - pop the other half in the freezer for the Lemony Dal to come later)

3 Minestrone with Homemade Yeast Bread  and Super Simple Salad    

4 Szechuan Green Beans over Rice

5 Pasta & Sauce with Garlic Bread and Super Simple Salad

6 Black Bean Enchiladas, Chips & Salsa     

 

7 Tabouli, Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves from a Can), Olives, Hummus with Capers, White Bean Salad       

8 Greek Green Beans ( Fasolakia Yachni ) with Salad & Bread

9 Stuffed Eggplant with  Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves from a can)

10 Alphabet Soup ( Pasta e Fagioli ),  Lentil & Rice Salad

11 Greek Chickpea Stew ( Revythia ) with Chopped Raw Veggies

12  Red Lentil Soup - Sephardic Style with Salad (if you want, go ahead and double the batch as the link describes, seasoning the second half with Moroccan seasonings to serve on day 50)

13 Orzo Pilaf with Black-Eyed Pea Salad          

 

14  Tofu Tamale Pie with Chips & Salsa 

15 Greek Style Black-Eyed Peas ( Louvia ) topped with chopped raw veggies. Bread

16 Greek Bean Soup ( Fasolia Yachni ), Bread

17 Lemony Dal & Whole Wheat Naan

18 Fill Your Own Tortilla Night with Chips &  Salsa           

19 Chili Cornbread Casserole & Better than Coleslaw   

    

20 Bulgur Pilaf ( Pourgouri ) with Chopped Raw Veggies

21 Peas & Artichokes Yachni

22  Turnovers with Salad          

23 Eggplant Stew (if desired, use leftovers to top pizza on day 25)

24 Curried Chickpeas over Rice    

25 Pizza with Salad

26 Greek Giant Beans ( Gigantes ) 

27 Mediterranean Chickpeas & Vegetables over rice or quinoa with Salad

28 Split Pea Soup with Salad     

   

29 Stuffed Manicotti with Salad

30 Greek Okra & Tomato Stew ( Bamies Yachni ), Bread, Salad

31 Barbecue, Rice, Cornbread or Corn Muffins, Succotash (Lima Beans & Corn), Slaw

32 Confetti Spaghetti

33 Black Bean Soup (Slow Cooker), Chips & Guacamole        

34 Burgers & Fries Vegan Style, Fruit Salad      

35 Lentil & Rice Salad, Dolmades (purchased), Baba Ganoush ( Eggplant Dip ), Fruit         

36 Vegan Sausage Patties for Sandwiches & Baked Potato Chips      

37 Jambalaya, Better than Coleslaw        

38 Pad Thai, Simple Vegan       

39 Moujendra ( Mejadra ) with veggies       

40 Chili-Topped Potatoes, Salad      

41 Greek Stuffed Veggies ( Gemista )  with Salad

42 Teriyaki Veggies over Rice

43 Spiced Blackeye Peas over Rice, Carrot Raisin Salad

44 Lentil Shepherd's Pie

45 Philippine Style Fried Rice with Salad

46 Vegan Mock Crab Cakes with Oven Fries

47 Tofu Creole, Salad, Bread

48 Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce over Rice, Slaw, Bread

49 Mushroom Barley Soup,  (use Brown Rice in place of Barley for GF Option) and Bread

50 Moroccan Lentil Soup, Salad, Bread

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