Try this classic Polish comfort food - vegan pierogies - filled with potatoes, onions, and Impossible meat! These make for a great appetizer or side dish.
I first discovered the deliciousness that is pierogies when I was living in New York City. I lived only a few blocks away from Veselka. If you are living in NYC and a pierogi-lover, then you have heard of Veselka. It graces every list when looking for an authentic pierogi. You also could have heard about Veselka from a little show called Gossip Girl (it was Dan and Vanessa's place).
Pierogies are a traditional Polish dish. They are a dumpling of sorts traditionally filled with some combination of potato, meat, cheese, and sauerkraut. First, the pierogies are assembled and boiled. Then, you pan-fry them for a slightly crispy outer crust.
In today's recipe, we will be making vegan pierogies that are filled with potatoes, onions, and Impossible meat!
Ingredients You'll Need
This recipe is full of pantry staples you might already have on hand! Here is a list of everything you need to make these yummy vegan pierogies:
- Water
- Vegetable broth
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat flour
- Canola oil
- Yukon potatoes
- Ground Impossible meat
- Yellow onion
- Salt
- White pepper
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Vegan butter
- Nutritional yeast
How to Make Pierogies
The process of making pierogies is simple but time-consuming. The dough and filling come together quickly. Then, it is all about assembling them. I find it super relaxing to form the pierogies! You can make it a fun family or friend night and enjoy some wine while everyone sits around and makes some pierogies!
Below are the steps to make these vegan pierogies:
- Make the dough - In a large bowl, combine the water, vegetable broth, and oil. Add in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Once it becomes too hard to mix with a spoon, turn out the dough on a well-floured surface and knead. Gradually add in more flour as you knead, adding up to 1 cup of flour. Knead until the dough forms and is no longer sticky (about 20 minutes).
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp kitchen, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Make the filling - Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the diced potatoes and cook until fork tender (about 20 minutes).
- While the potatoes are cooking, prep the remaining part of the filling. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the Impossible meat, ¼ teaspoon of salt, white pepper, and cumin. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then set aside in a bowl. The meat will be slightly undercooked, but that is okay as it will continue to cook once the pierogies are boiled.
- In the same saucepan, add the onions, paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the onions are fragrant and translucent.
- Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Let the alcohol burn off for 1 minute before adding back in the meat mixture. Stir well to combine, turn off the heat, and set aside.
- Once the potatoes have finished cooking, mash them in a large bowl with the nutritional yeast and butter. You want the potatoes to be as smooth as possible with little to no chunks.
- Add the mashed potatoes into the meat and onion mixture, and stir to combine.
- Assemble the pierogies - Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about ⅛th of an inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or a glass cup, cut out circles about 2-3 inches in diameter. Place about 1-2 teaspoons of filling into the center of the dough. Fold the dough over to create a pocket and pinch the edges of the dough with your fingers or a fork to seal. You can dip your fingers in some water to help seal the dough even better!
- Cook the pierogies - Bring a large pot of water to boil. Working in batches, so you don't overcrowd the pot, drop a few pierogies into the boiling water. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. The pierogies will float to the top when they are ready. After the pierogies have boiled, pan-fry them for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Serve the pierogies with sour cream, applesauce, chives, or fried onions!
Recipe Tips
What do you eat pierogies with?
These pierogies make for an excellent appetizer or side dish. They are a great dish to bring to a party because everyone can easily grab and dip this delicious finger food. I love putting fresh chives or fried onions over top of the pierogies and dipping them in sour cream or applesauce.
Why is my pierogi dough sticky?
This is probably due to too much liquid in your dough mixture. While you're kneading the dough, add more flour a little bit at a time until the dough becomes more firm.
Why is my pierogi dough tough?
This is probably due to too little liquid or too much flour in your dough mixture. While you're kneading the dough, add more water a little bit at a time until the dough becomes less tough.
How do you prevent the filling from coming out?
There is always one rogue pierogi that the filling comes out during the cooking process. It happens! To ensure as many of your pierogies make it through in one piece, make sure to seal them properly. When pinching the edges of your dough together, you should no longer see a seam. You can dip your fingers in a bit of water to help you seal the edges even better, or use a fork too! If using a fork, don't press too hard that you pierce through the dough.
Can you freeze pierogies?
Definitely! Simply complete steps 1-9 and stop before you would start boiling the pierogies. Place the pierogies in a freezer bag or container, and then when you are ready to enjoy them, complete steps 10 and 11!
What are other fillings you can use in a pierogi?
The options are endless here! Once you get the dough down you can really customize the filling to whatever you'd like (savory or sweet). Some good filling options are:
- Mushrooms and onions
- Cheese and jam
- Spinach and potato
- Potato and saurcraut
- Lentils
- Fruit
I hope you discover the same love for vegan pierogies as I have because they are:
- Savory
- Comforting
- Sharable
- Meatless
- Customizable
- A great party appetizer
- Perfect for meal prep or to make ahead of time
Let me know if you try out these vegan pierogies, and if you do, I would love it if you left a rating and review below! Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration.
In the cooking mood? Check out these other delicious vegan recipes:
- Shepherd's Pie with Beyond Beef
- Stuffed Fried Olives
- Vegan Pigs in a Blanket
- Vegan Mushroom Ceviche
- Nut-Free Vegan Pesto
- Vegan Garlic Aioli
- Grilled Tofu Burgers
- Mediterranean Buddha Bowl
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Greek Lemon Soup (Avgolemono)
- Beyond Sausage Vegan Paella
- Pumpkin Soup without Stock
- Spicy Noodle Stir Fry
- Broccoli Leek Soup
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pierogies with Potatoes and Impossible Meat
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 40-50 pierogies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Try this classic Polish comfort food - vegan pierogies! These are a great appetizer or side dish and are filled with potatoes, onions, and Impossible meat.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1-2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
For the filling:
- 1 pound of Yukon potatoes (about 2 large potatoes), cut into quarters
- 12-ounce package of Impossible ground meat
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup yellow onion, small dice
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup of dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay works best)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Make the dough - In a large bowl, combine the water, vegetable broth, and oil. Add in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Turn it out on a well-floured surface and knead once the dough is too hard to mix with a spoon. Gradually add in more flour as you knead, adding up to 1 more cup of flour. Knead until the dough forms and is no longer sticky (about 20 minutes).
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp kitchen, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the diced potatoes and cook until fork tender (about 20 minutes).
- Make the filling - In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the Impossible meat, ¼ teaspoon of salt, white pepper, and cumin. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then set aside on a plate. The meat will be slightly undercooked, but that is okay as it will continue to cook once the pierogies are boiled.
- In the same saucepan, add the onions, paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the onions are fragrant and translucent.
- Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Let the alcohol burn off for 1 minute, before adding back in the meat mixture. Stir well to combine, turn off the heat, and set aside.
- Once the potatoes have finished cooking, mash them in a large bowl with the nutritional yeast and butter. You want the potatoes to be as smooth as possible with little to no chunks.
- Add the mashed potatoes into the meat and onion mixture, and stir to combine.
- Assemble the pierogies - Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about ⅛th of an inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or a glass cup, cut out circles about 2-3 inches in diameter. Place about 1-2 teaspoons of filling into the center of the dough. Fold the dough over to create a pocket and pinch the edges of the dough with your fingers or a fork to seal. You can dip your fingers in some water to help seal the dough even better!
- Cook the pierogies - Bring a large pot of water to boil. Working in batches, so you don't overcrowd the pot, drop a few pierogies into the boiling water. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. The pierogies will float to the top when they are ready. After the pierogies have boiled, pan-fry them for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Serve the pierogies with sour cream, applesauce, chives, or fried onions!
Notes
Warm the water for the dough so it feels lukewarm, not too hot or the dough won't come together.
If you are planning on freezing the pierogies, stop right after you finish assembling them (step 9). Freeze them in a freezer bag and when you're ready to eat them continue with steps 10 and 11.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Polish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 Pierogies
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 233.5mg
- Fat: 7.5g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3.9g
- Protein: 10.4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Pin the below image so you can make this recipe again and again!
