Easy Vegan Pierogi Recipe
Vegan Pierogi | The Eastern European favourite, pierogis. A creamy vegan potato mixture inside soft pierogi dough, boiled and optionally pan fried with onion. Pierogis are great for cooking from frozen, so you can have an easy vegan dinner whenever you want.
Pierogis are a type of dumpling originating in Eastern European countries like Poland and Ukraine, made with potato and cheese enveloped, inside a soft dough. They’re boiled and then optionally fried in oil or butter, and often served with fried onion.
My grandma has been making pierogis since she was a kid and they’re always a family favourite along with her pyrizhky, another Eastern European classic.
There are a variety of types of pierogi, from the traditional potato and cheese to potato and chive, and even blueberry pierogies, which are tasty and unique.
These vegan pierogis are made with a soft flour and water dough, and the potato filling is flavoured with nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. I add a bit of plant milk and melted vegan butter to the mixture to make it extra creamy too.
Pierogis are one of the best meal prep items because they freeze nicely, and they can be cooked right from frozen. Make a batch of vegan pierogis and freeze until needed for a quick and easy dinner.
How to make vegan pierogis
First, make the pierogi dough. The easiest way is using a stand mixer, but you can also make it by hand. Mix the ingredients into a smooth round ball, then cover and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and then mash them with dairy free milk, melted butter, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper.
Then, if you want fried onions, you can heat a pan and cook the onions for 10-15 minutes.
Then roll the dough out, and cut circles out using a cookie cutter. Add a tablespoon of the potato filling to each circle of dough, and seal the pierogi by folding the dough over the filling and pinching the seam closed.
Bring water to a boil and cook the pierogis for 3-4 minutes, or until they float. Transfer to a baking sheet.
If you want to fry the pierogis, simply heat a pan with a drizzle of oil, and fry the pierogis for 1-2 minutes per side. until they’re golden brown on each side.
Pierogi cooking methods
There are mainly two ways that pierogis are eaten. Boiled, or fried. Both ways are delicious and easy! To me, boiled pierogis are comforting and nostalgic, but fried pierogis are more satisfying and tasty.
To boil pierogis, simply prep them or grab them from the freezer. Bring a pot of water to a boil with a sprinkle of salt. Boil the pierogis until they float. About 3-4 minutes for fresh pierogis, and 4-6 minutes for frozen pierogis.
To fry pierogis, first boil them. Then heat a drizzle of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Fry for 1-2 minutes per side. They should be golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Serve boiled or fried pierogis with fried onion, salt, pepper, and vegan yogurt or sour cream.
Ingredients
More about the ingredients in this recipe. The exact measurements are below.
Instructions
Mix the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Add the water and melted butter to the stand mixer fit with the dough attachment. Add the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, then knead the dough until it forms a smooth round ball. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
Peel and chop the potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Add to a large pot with a sprinkle of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Mash the potatoes with the plant milk, melted butter, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Use an immersion blender if you want a very smooth consistency. Set aside.
Melt butter in a stainless steel pan on medium low heat. Add the onion and shallot and cook for 5 minutes until slightly browned. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan. Cook undisturbed until the water cooks off, then add another splash. Repeat for 10-15 minutes, until the onions are soft and brown. Cover and set aside.
Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thick, and cut circles with a 3 inch cookie cutter. Gather the dough scraps and form into a ball. Set aside. Add a tablespoon of filling to each dough circle. Fold the bottom half over the filling.
Pinch the seam closed, making sure there are no holes. Set aside. Continue the process, then roll the leftover dough out and repeat.
Bring 3-4 inches of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Boil 4-6 pierogis at a time for 3-4 minutes, or until they float. Transfer to a baking sheet to let some of the excess water dry. Space the pierogis apart so they don’t stick together.
Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil, and cook the pierogis for 1-2 minutes per side, or until they’re golden brown.
Serve the pierogis with the fried onion, salt, pepper, a sprinkle of green onion, and a scoop of dairy free yogurt or sour cream.
Tips for making dairy free pierogis
What to serve with pierogis
Pierogis are best served with a generous amount of fried onion! You can’t go wrong with a sprinkle of green onion for vibrance. Add a dollop of cooling dairy free yogurt or sour cream.
Serve pierogis with fried vegan sausage, a classic pairing.
Serve a light green salad on the side for a well balanced meal.
For a hearty meal, serve my Lima Bean Soup with a side of pierogis.
Substitutions
Storage
Cover the pierogis in plastic wrap or store in an air tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave for 60 seconds, or pan fry on medium low heat for 4-5 minutes.
Pierogis are excellent for storing in the freezer, and they can be cooked directly from frozen. Simply boil them until they float, then pan fry if you’d like.
FAQ’s
No, pierogis are traditionally made with eggs in the dough, and a potato and cheese filling. Pierogis are easily made vegan by making a few simple ingredient swaps.
After boiling, transfer pierogis to a baking sheet, making sure they’re spaced apart. This will prevent them from sticking. Then fry them or transfer them to a freezer bag to freeze.
The best way to cook pierogis is to boil them for 2-3 minutes, or until they float, then fry them until they’re golden brown on each side.
Vegan Pierogi
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer mixing by hand works too
- 1 stainless steel pan
- 1 nonstick pan
- 1 large pot
- 1 3 inch cookie cutter
- 1 slotted spoon
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
Pierogi Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
Pierogi Filling
- 2-3 russet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons plant milk
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter melted
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 shallot sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- green onion sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- coconut yogurt mix with a squeeze of lemon juice to mask coconut taste
- oil for frying
Instructions
Make the pierogi dough
- In a medium-sized bowl mix the flour and salt.
- Add the water and melted butter to a stand mixer fit with the dough attachment. Add the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together in a rough ball. Add another tbsp of water if the dough is shaggy and not coming together.
- Knead the dough on your floured work surface until it comes together in a smooth tacky ball, about 2-3 minutes. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour.
Make the filling
- Peel and chop the potatoes into medium-sized pieces and add to a pot of water with a sprinkle of salt. Make sure the potatoes are covered in water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until you can easily push a fork through the center of the largest potato piece.
- Drain the potatoes and set them aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the melted butter, plant milk, and nutritional yeast. Mash until mostly smooth, or blend with an immersion blender to get them really smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Caramelize the onions
- Melt the butter in a stainless steel pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and shallot and cook for 5 minutes, or until brown bits of onion start to stick to the pan.
- Add a generous splash of water to the pan and scrape the onions up. They will start to become more brown and caramelized. Cook undisturbed until the water cooks off, then add another splash and stir. Repeat until the onions are tender and brown, about 10-15 minutes. Cover with a lid and set aside.
Making the pierogis
- Place the dough back onto your work surface and roll it out to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut circles out of the dough. Gather the dough scraps and form a ball. Set aside.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the potato filling in the center of a circle of dough. Fold one half over the filling, creating a half-moon shape. Tightly pinch along the seam to seal the pierogi. Set aside. Repeat the steps, using the rest of the pierogi dough. You should get around 18 pierogis in total.
- Bring 3-4 inches of water to a boil in a large pot with a sprinkle of salt. Place 4-6 pierogis into the boiling water and cook until they float, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon, and let the excess water drip off. Transfer to a baking sheet, spaced apart so they don't stick. Cook the rest of the pierogis.
- To fry the pierogis, heat about 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Make sure the pierogis aren't wet, or the oil will splash up at you. Cook 4-6 pierogis at a time, for 1-2 minutes per side. Both sides should be lightly browned.
- Serve the pierogis with caramelized onions, sliced green onion, salt and pepper, and a dollop of dairy-free yogurt.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Erika Piper
Hey there, I’m Erika. I’ve been meat-free for over a decade.
I’m here to provide delicious and affordable plant-based recipes for anyone interested.
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