Vegan Potato and Onion Pierogi

As the holidays approach, I find that I want to do nothing but eat comfort food. To me, that’s vegan cabbage rolls, mounds of mashed potatoes, sauerkraut soups, cabbage and noodles, halušky, beet soup and yes, lots and lots of vegan pierogi. So, I couldn’t resist putting together this vegan potato and onion pierogi recipe!

While the origin of pierogi is up for debate, it’s place in Central and Eastern European cuisine is not. Pierogi are not always vegan, but there are pierogi recipes that do not use dairy or meat. Potato and onion pierogi filling is a classic combination. And for good reason, it tastes so good!

This vegan potato and onion pierogi recipe uses few ingredients. Each ingredient is important and the steps involved are important. None of it is hard. It just takes some time. And the pay off for your effort is homemade vegan deliciousness. There’s something very satisfying about that.

This recipe makes ~25-30 pierogi.

A few things…

• ・Don’t want to bake the potatoes in the oven? Use the microwave. Wrap the potatoes in parchment. Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Flip. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until very soft.

• ・The caraway seed is optional. I love it, but the filling is also good without it.

• ・Want to pan fry your vegan potato and onion pierogi? Melt some vegan butter in a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Boil the pierogi. Drain the pierogi, and then, dump the pierogi into the skillet with the melted butter. Keep the heat between low and medium-low flipping the pierogi fairly often. When they’re crisped to your preference, they’re done.

• ・Pierogi love toppings. Melted vegan butter, caramelized onions and vegan sour cream are awesome. A side of sauerkraut is next level, but I’m convinced it improves most things 😊

If you love this recipe, you may also enjoy other UVK pierogi recipes, like Vegan Mushroom Sauerkraut Pierogi, Vegan Beet Pierogi or Vegan Cheesy Potato and Bacon Pierogi 💚

Vegan Potato and Onion Pierogi

2 large Russet baking potatoes

1 batch of vegan pierogi dough

1 large onion, finely chopped (OR ~2 cups finely chopped onion)

5 Tbsp vegan butter

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp caraway seed, optional

1 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F. Scrub the potatoes until very clean. Then, pierce each potato with a fork several times.

2. When the oven is ready, place the potatoes in the center of the oven, and bake at 425º F for 50-60 minutes or until very soft. Remove from the oven, slice each potato in half, and allow to cool.

3. While the potatoes are baking, follow this recipe to make the pierogi dough.

4. While the dough is resting, get started on the pierogi filling. Add the onions, 2 Tbsp vegan butter and a dash of salt to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir around until all the vegan butter melts, and then, turn down to low heat.

5. Sauté the onions over low heat for ~20 minutes–stirring around every 3-5 minutes. The onions should turn a nice golden brown color.

6. Add the remaining 3 Tbsp vegan butter to the skillet, allow the butter to melt, and then, remove the skillet from heat.

7. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin from them, and add them to the skillet with the onions. Then, use a fork to mash them up until they are pretty smooth.

8. Add the onion powder, caraway seed (if using), and salt to the skillet. Using a spatula, mix it all together. Taste the potato and onion filling. Adjust seasonings, if needed (more salt? more onion powder?).

9. When the dough is done resting and the filling tastes just right to you, it’s time to put a large pot of water on the stove. Then, cover it with a lid, and put it over HIGH heat to bring it to boil.

10. The water will take awhile to boil. It’s the perfect time to start assembling the pierogi! Roll out the pierogi dough until it’s about ⅛ inch thick.  Use a water glass like a cookie cutter and cut out circles. Keep rolling out the dough and cutting out circles until there is no dough left.

11. Stock pile the circles on a clean plate until you’re ready to fill the pierogi. The number of pierogi really depends on the size of the mouth of your glass. I average about 25-30 each time.

12. Once you have all the circles cut out for the pierogi, it’s time to fold them. Start with one of the circles. Re-roll the circle to stretch it out again. Then, place some pierogi filling in the center. Leave ample space on all sides (see photo above).

13. Fold one side over the top of the filling until it touches the other side (see photo above). Press the two edges together until they stick, and press along the entire edge, so the pierogi is completely sealed. If it isn’t sticking, wet the edges of the dough with water, and try pressing them together again.

14. Keep filling and sealing the pierogi until all of them are done. Place the finished potato and onion pierogi on a plate or chopping board.

15. When the pot comes to a rapid boil, place 5-6 pierogi in a strainer with a handle, and lower it into pot. Then, use a spatula to very gently loosen them off the bottom of the strainer (sometimes, they like to stick!).

16. Boil for 2-3 minutes or until the vegan potato and onion pierogi float to the top. Immediately remove the strainer with the pierogi from the pot.

17. Serve these vegan potato and onion pierogi right out of the boiling water and top them with your favorite toppings (melted vegan butter, caramelized onions, vegan sour cream, sauerkraut, etc). Or pop them into a non-stick skillet with melted vegan butter, and sauté over low to medium-low heat flipping them pretty often. When they’re crisped enough for you, they are done and ready for toppings!