Vegan Pierogi with Potatoes and Onions
Crispy vegan pierogi are the perfect weeknight dinner- pasta with potato and caramelized onions (vegan sausage optional)- no one will complain about these! You can make them Sunday, and freeze for later in the week. Pierogi are a classic Polish dish, and are easily veganized by switching out the cow’s butter and not adding any cheese. Serve with sauerkraut, apple sauce, or vegan sour cream.
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Dad Meal: Pierogi for Dinner
My mom was the main cook growing up, but my dad cooked sometimes. He has a few specialties- homemade chocolate chip muffins were always a favorite breakfast option, and dinner was pierogi. This was back before I was vegan, and we always had Mrs. T’s Perogies, sautéed in butter with crispy onion bits. Dad always gave me extra crispy onion bits, because they were my favorites. His side of the family originally came from Eastern Europe, and so pierogi have been around my family for generations. I don’t normally try and mimic frozen foods, but I made these onion and potato pierogis to try and taste just like the ones from my childhood. And they do! Maybe even just a little bit better…
Looking for Potato Dishes? Try one of these!
- Cashew-Crusted Rosemary & Leek Vegan Potato Gratin
- Easy Air Fried Crispy Potato Tacos
- Vegan Easter (or any occasion!) Deviled Potatoes
- Perfect Vegan Oven-Roasted Potatoes
- Miso Potato Salad
- Avocado Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Gravy
Making Homemade Vegan Pierogi
Making vegan perogies is a little bit of a time intensive task, similar to making your own dumplings or ravioli, only because you have to take a few seconds to make all 60 pierogi or so. The good news is that pierogi are perfect for making a large batch and freezing them for a later date! The first step to making your vegan pierogi is to make a pasta dough, although this dough is a little softer than traditional pasta dough. Mix, kneed, and set aside to rest and allow the gluten to relax. While it’s resting, make your filling. I have vegan sausage as an optional ingredient in the filling- it’s delicious, but I also love plain potato and caramelized onion ones. You could also add finely chopped sautéed mushrooms, or whatever else you prefer.
Shaping Pierogi
In batches, roll the dough out into a thin sheet and cut circles out of it, about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. You can buy a special tool to help with cutting and crimping, but you can also use whatever you have around- a circular cookie cutter, a opened can, or a drinking glass. It’s better if it has a thinner, sharper edge, but you can make just about anything work. Add the filling to the circular pasta dough, and pinch closed, sealing it with a little water (or you could try your special pierogi tool, if you went in that direction).
Cooking and Freezing Vegan Pierogi
You now have a choice- to make your pierogi and eat them right away, or to freeze them for later. But either way, the first step is the same. Put a pot of water on to boil, and boil the pierogi in small batches. If you’re freezing them, drain them and set on a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze for a couple hours, before taking them off the sheet and moving them to a freezer bag or air-tight container until you’re ready for them.
If you’re eating them now, sauté some diced onions on a generous amount of vegan butter, and place the drained pierogi directly into the hot butter. Cook, flipping once, until all the pierogi are crispy and serve with apple sauce, vegan sour cream, and/or sauerkraut!
Vegan Pierogi with Potatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 small onions (1 large), cut into half-moon slices
- Olive oil, as needed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 russet potatoes (about 1½ lb. total), peeled and cut into small cubes
- 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp. vegan butter
- OPTIONAL: 1-2 links vegan sausage, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Start by making the pierogi dough- combine the salt and flour, whisking well. Add the oil and water, and combine until it can form a ball. Kneed on a lightly floured surface, adding a small amount of flour or water if the dough is to wet or dry. Kneed for about 5 minutes, until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Then set aside, covered with a dish cloth, for 30 minutes to rest.
- While the dough rests, start on your filling. Slice the onions into half-moons, and heat a large skillet with some olive oil. Starting on medium-high, cook the onions stirring every couple of minutes. Lower the heat as you go, so that the onions soften and turn golden, but do not turn crispy. When they are almost done, add the garlic and vegan sausage (if using, and cook until the garlic softens.
- While the onions are caramelizing, boil a pot of water. Peel the potatoes, and chop into small cubes. Place the potatoes in the boiling water, and cook for a few minutes until they’re soft and easily penetrated with a fork. Strain, add to a bowl with the vegan butter and nutritional yeast, mash roughly, and set aside. Once done, add the onion mixture and stir to combine.
- Place about ¼ of the dough on a clean, floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a thin layer. You can get a specialized pierogi cutter, or you can use a glass or opened can to cut circles out of the dough. Take the remaining scraps of dough, and add back into the doughball. Place around 1 tsp. of filling in the center of each circle, and brush a small amount of water in a semi-circle along the edge. Fold the dough in half, and crimp to close. Set aside on a clean baking sheet, and continue until you’ve used all the dough.
- Place a large pot of water on the stove, and bring to a boil. Add around 5 pierogis at a time, and boil until they float to the top. Remove from the heat. If you are eating them now, you can place them directly in a skillet of hot vegan butter and crispy, diced onions and cook until crispy. If you want to eat them later, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for a couple hours, before placing in a freezer safe bag. To cook after freezing, place the desired quantity in boiling water before adding to a skillet of hot vegan butter and crispy onions.
Notes
Serving Sugguestions: -As hinted above, pierogi are best when first boiled, and then cooked in ample amounts of vegan butter with diced onions. Try to get each pierogi cooked so it’s golden and crispy on each side. Crispy, blackened onions are highly encouraged! -Serve pierogis with vegan sour cream, apple sauce, and/or sauerkraut.
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Can this be made gluten free?
Hi Nick,
I’ve never tried a gluten free version of this recipe, but I don’t think it would work as is. The outside of the pierogi relies on gluten to bind the dough. If you do try this recipe gluten free, you may want to try adding something to help the dough bind together.
Let me know if you try it out!