Pierogies

As per Groover’s request, I am posting my recipe for pierogies. It’s based on the recipe from Vegan Planet, but we got bored with the plain filling and now jazz things up. So be warned: these are not at all authentic. As long as you keep basic amounts the same, any veggies will work in the filling. It helps to have a large proportion of the filling be a mash—potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, or yam. But there is definitely room for some grated zucchini, shredded spinach, or minced mushrooms. We like to play around with different herbs and spices as well. (I talk about pierogies here and here.)

This recipe is fairly involved, and has a lot of steps. But, it doesn’t need to be done all at once. I usually make the filling one day, then put the pierogies together on another day. And if you double or triple the recipe, the pierogies can be frozen. I’ve found they work best when frozen after boiling but before frying.

These are best served up with a plate of sautéed cabbage and some sort of sauce that suits the filling flavours—anything from tomato to sweet chilli to yogurt.

Happy pierogie-ing!

Dough:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 ½ pounds vegetables—mostly potatoes, but carrots, pumpkin, yams, zucchini, etc. all work well too.
Salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced

To make the filling, peel and chop the potatoes and other very hard vegetables. Boil until tender, then drain and mash. In a skillet, sauté onions and garlic in the olive oil, along with any softer vegetables like zucchini, spinach, or mushrooms. Add the onion and veggie mixture to the potatoes and stir well, then season with salt and pepper to taste (and herbs, if you’re feeling like it). Set aside.

To make the dough, place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add water, oil and salt, then mix until combined. Knead the dough until it’s nice and smooth, then divide it in half. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 5 or 10 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out half the dough into a rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 10 x 10 cm squares.

Place a heaped tablespoon of filling onto the dough, then moisten the edges and fold over into a triangle. Press the edges with a fork to seal. If there is a whole lotta edge, cut a bit off so it's not so doughy. Repeat with the remaining half of dough and filling.

Boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the pierogies in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until they float. Drain well and set aside. Once all the pierogies are cooked, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the pierogies until they are golden on each side, and serve warm.