53 New Year’s Day Foods for Good Luck and Comfort
Who couldn’t use a lucky new year? When January 1 hits, people across the globe turn to New Year’s Day foods said to bring good fortune, long life, love, and more in the coming year. No matter the events of the previous 12 months, many of us look at the holiday as a chance for a fresh start.
Many New Year’s food traditions involve a legume: your black-eyed pea recipes, your lentils. Other New Year’s good luck food ideas stem from the belief that eating round items (like grapes or mochi doughnuts) can grant prosperity in the future.
Whatever your traditions, the recipes below include main dishes, appetizers, and brunch ideas for January 1 that, even if they don’t provide the luck you hope for, will at least bring comfort and great flavor. And who could ask for anything more?
Photo by Peden + Munk1/53New Year's Day Black-Eyed Peas
A list of New Year’s Day foods wouldn’t be complete without a serving of Southern-style black-eyed peas. This version calls for slab bacon, which is easier to find than the more traditional ham hock.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell2/53Pozole Verde Con Hongos
Pozole is a New Year’s classic in Mexico and across the Southwestern United States. This vibrant vegetarian version is made with mushrooms and a verdant mixture of poblano and serrano chiles, tomatillos, and pumpkin seeds.
Photo by Emma Fishman3/53Chocolate Grapes
In Spain, it's a tradition to eat one grape for every stroke of the clock tower in Puerta del Sol in Madrid at midnight on New Year's. Why not customize the tradition a bit by eating chocolate covered grapes that look like truffles?
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell4/53Pistachio and Pomegranate Meatballs (Kufteh-Ye Pesteh-o Anar)
In many New Year’s traditions, pomegranates symbolize abundance. Scatter pomegranate arils liberally over these perfectly round Persian-spiced turkey meatballs to double your luck on New Year’s Day.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow5/53Peppery, Creamy Greens With Eggs
It’s customary to eat hearty greens such as mustard, collards, cabbage, and more as a New Year's meal. These green items are said to bring prosperity. This dish is a great way to get some prosperity into a balanced holiday brunch.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens8/53East 62nd Street Lemon Cake
Some people eat ring cakes—such as bundts, angel food, and this citrusy number from baking legend Maida Heatter—on New Year's Day to signify that the year has come full circle. Just try not to eat the full circle of cake in one sitting.
Photo by Jenny Huang, Food Styling by Tyna Hoang and Imogen Kwok9/53Longevity Noodles
Eating longevity noodles is a Lunar New Year food tradition (which takes place a few weeks after the Gregorian New Year). The noodles taste equally great on January 1—serve them with a simple soy-and-vinegar sauce or a more elaborate chicken and pepper sauce.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell10/53Sheet-Pan Collard Greens and Crispy Tofu With Niter Kibbeh
This sheet pan meal isn’t a traditional New Year’s dinner, but it is a great (vegetarian) way to eat your greens come January 1. Inspired by Ethiopian gomen, the greens are flavored with an aromatic spiced butter. Breaded tofu is a delightful counterpoint.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton11/53Tamales con Elote y Chile Poblano (Tamales With Corn and Poblano Chiles)
In Mexico, many people close out the holiday season by making (and eating) tamales with family and friends. Ring in the first of the year with a tamaliza of your own.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton12/53Slow Cooker Chicken Congee
For many, making congee is part of the lead up to the Lunar New Year festival. Making a pot of the Chinese rice porridge on January 1 is a meditative way to start the New Year with warmth and comfort—and the leftovers are great to eat all week long.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks13/53Chai Doughnuts With Spiced Sugar
Ring-shaped foods, like these sugar-and-spice coated doughnuts are said to be lucky food for New Year's, since they represent 'coming full circle.' Serve with a glass of bubbly or a Champagne cocktail for New Year's brunch.
Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich15/53Stuffed Cabbage With Lemony Rice and Sumac
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou17/53Rice Cake With Mixed Vegetables
This stir-fry is a staple of cookbook author Hsiao-Ching Chou’s Lunar New Year menu. Korean rice cakes can be found frozen or vacuum-packed at East Asian markets.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell19/53Lentil and Chicken Soup With Sweet Potatoes and Escarole
Did you roast a chicken for New Year's Eve? Turn the leftover carcass (or opt for store-bought rotisserie) into this soul-warming soup made with lucky lentils and greens.
Photo by Alex Lau26/53Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup
This perennial favorite is a delicious, nourishing bowl made with primarily pantry ingredients. Since lentils are so quick cooking, you can have it on the table in very little time.
29/53Lucky 8 Stir-Fry
This mixed vegetable dish takes its inspiration from Buddhist vegetarian cooking and can include any combination of ingredients that represent good luck, prosperity, happiness, family wholeness, and longevity.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton30/53Easy Lamb Tagine With Pomegranate
Developed for a festive New Year's Eve menu a few years back, this dish is scattered with pomegranate arils (a.k.a. seeds), which are often eaten for good luck during New Year's celebrations in Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans.
Photo by Bobbi Lin32/53Kuku Sabzi
Kuku sabzi is a traditional food for Persian New Year, which is celebrated in the spring. Making it is a good excuse to use whatever hearty greens and herbs you like—it’s the ideal clean-out-the-fridge recipe.
Photo by Bobbi Lin33/53Roasted Black Bass with Orange-Flower Water
Cooking a whole fish is a popular tradition for both Lunar New Year and Persian New Year. This herby Persian-spiced fish roast can be a delicious part of your Gregorian New Year feast, too.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo34/53Miso-Squash Ramen
Slather miso paste on squash before roasting to amplify both the sweet and savory characteristics of the vegetable. Then blend some of the roasted squash into the broth to give it velvety, rich body.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks36/53Spiced Pavlova With Pumpkin Mousse
Pumpkin mousse, whipped cream, and pretty pomegranate syrup give this elegant New Year's dessert a jewel-like presentation that's both stunning and delicious.
Nicole Franzen40/53Collard Greens Salad with Ginger and Spicy Seed Brittle
If you're serving raw greens like collards as a salad or slaw, you can never have too much dressing. Massage the dressing into the greens for about 30 seconds to tenderize them.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell44/53Cold Soba Noodles With Miso and Smoked Tofu
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi46/53Sautéed Collard Greens with Slab Bacon
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani48/53Ginger-Scallion Ramen Noodles
Seek out fresh ramen noodles (we like the ones from Sun Noodle) for this delightful dish. Their chewy texture is the perfect match for the simple, savory, gingery sauce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell49/53Mochi Cake, Any Way You Want It
Cooking kagami mochi, a rice cake with two spherical tiers topped by a mandarin, into a savory soup or sweet porridge is a Japanese New Year’s tradition. This mochi cake is not traditional, but it is a versatile dessert that can go in any flavor direction you want, citrus zest optional.
