Vegan Pierogi With Potato and Caramelized Onion

If you love dumplings, potstickers, gyoza, and the like — you’ll love these vegan pierogi! They’re a traditional Polish staple of dough wrapped around a variety of fillings, which are then boiled and pan-fried. Finally, they’re served up on a platter with caramelized onions, fresh herbs, and sour cream! Yes, please.

Key Ingredients for Vegan Pierogi

Pierogi are simple in theory — dough wrapped around filling, served with simple accompaniments like caramelized onions, sour cream, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. The main work comes from creating and portioning out the dough, and then individually filling and shaping each dumpling. I find the work to be very therapeutic, especially when done with friends and family!

Dough: A simple combination of flour, salt, oil, and water.

Filling: You can choose either potato and cheese (creamy) or lentil and mushroom (meaty). If you’re feeling up to it, make both and have a pierogi party!

Caramelized onions, vegan sour cream, and fresh herbs for serving

How to Make the Pierogi

This recipe goes by much faster if you make the filling the day before. Then all you have to do is make the dough and fold each individual pierogi before cooking them off.

First, make the dough. The process is somewhat similar to a semolina pasta dough — you’ll knead it for about five minutes until a smooth elastic dough ball forms, and then let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, make the filling. Both recipes are very simple. The potato cheese is essentially mashed potatoes, while the lentil mushroom just requires cooking your lentils and sautéing down the mushrooms and onions with some thyme, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.

Roll and cut the dough. After it has finished resting, roll the dough out thinly with a rolling pin or pasta roller. It should be about 1/8 inch thick. Then cut out 3-inch diameter circles using a cookie cutter or sharp-edged glass. Sprinkle flour in between each circle when stacking so they don’t stick together.

To fill and shape the pierogi, add about two teaspoons of filling to the center of a wrapper. Fold the edges together, forming a half-moon. Run a finger along the seam and press out any extra room between the dough and the filling. Make sure there are no air bubbles when sealing the pierogi, or they may burst when cooked.

Boil the pierogi in gently boiling, heavily salted water. Make sure your water isn’t at a rapid boil, or else the delicate pierogi will break apart.

Optionally, fry the pierogi in a nonstick skillet with a little bit of vegan butter. This will make your pierogi crispy and golden brown. While it’s optional, I highly recommend it!

Serve the pierogi on a platter alongside caramelized onions, vegan sour cream, and loads of chopped fresh herbs like parsley, chives, and dill.

Serving Suggestions

Classic accompaniments for perogies include sauerkraut, caramelized onions, sour cream, and loads of chopped fresh herbs. For a comprehensive list of condiments, mains, and sides, check out my guide on what to serve with perogies.

Vegan Pierogi

My family has been making vegan pierogi for generations. Choose a filling option (or do both!) and recruit some friends or family to help out — and you'll be enjoying these Polish dumplings in no time.

5 from 4 votes

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Polish

Ingredients

  

For the Dough

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 cup water

Filling Option #1: Potato and Cheese

• 2 pounds russet potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 8 oz shredded vegan cheese
• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 1/4 cup onion (finely diced)
• sea salt (to taste)
• freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Filling Option #2: Mushroom and Lentil

• 16 oz cremini mushrooms (finely diced)
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup cooked lentils
• 1 tbsp tomato paste

For Serving

• Vegan sour cream
• Caramelized onions
• Chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, and chives work well)

Instructions

 

FOR THE DOUGH:

• Combine the flour, salt, oil, and water in a large bowl, and mix until the dough forms a ball.
• On a floured work surface, knead the dough for 3 or 4 minutes or until elastic. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into two portions (one for each type of filling). Divide each half of dough into equal-sized balls. Roll each ball to 1/8 inch thickness using a rolling pin. (Alternatively, you could roll the dough using a pasta maker.)
• Use a 3–inch cookie cutter to cut out circles. Stack them, sprinkling flour in between so they don't stick.

For the mushroom and lentil filling:

• Heat a pan over medium heat and saute the mushrooms, onions, and thyme for about 10–12 minutes until very soft. Transfer to a bowl and add the salt, pepper, cooked lentils and tomato paste. Stir to combine and set aside to cool.

For the potato and cheese filling:

• Boil the peeled diced potatoes in heavily salted water for 15 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, saute the onions in the vegan butter over medium heat for 10 minutes until very soft. In a large bowl, mash together the cooked drained potatoes, onion mixture, vegan cheese and salt and pepper.

To assemble the pierogi:

• Place about 2 teaspoons of filling in each circle of dough. Fold in half and crimp the edges tightly. Make sure there are no air bubbles.
• Boil the pierogi until they float—then cook two more minutes. Drain.
• Optional (but suggested): fry the pierogies in a few tablespoons of vegan butter on medium high heat until brown and crispy.
• Serve immediately with the vegan sour cream, caramelized onions, and fresh herbs.

Notes

Make ahead: Prepare the filling(s) and caramelized onions the day before. The flavors will meld and improve overnight in the refrigerator. 

Freezing: After shaping but before boiling, lay the pierogi flat on a sheet pan and transfer to the freezer. Let them freeze fully, about eight hours. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to a labeled freezer bag and use within three months. Boil directly from frozen, no need to thaw.

Keywords pierogi