In a Venn diagram, we would see some definite overlap between this vegan cabbage and wild mushroom pierogi recipe and this one. If you like one, you’ll likely enjoy the other, because they involve some of the same key ingredients. And yet, one has potatoes and another has cabbage. One uses only white mushrooms and the other uses them with dried porcini mushrooms. We go down a slightly augmented path, end up somewhere else, and yet, still just veganizing and riffing a bit on a very classic Polish filling for pierogi. If you don’t like potatoes or would like a change of pace, then this is the one for you!
This recipe makes ~25-30 pierogi.
A few things…
- This cabbage and wild mushroom pierogi recipe takes ~3-4 hours to execute. It can be a nice shared activity for a holiday or a stretch of time with no other obligation.
- Would this be good without the dried porcini mushrooms? It won’t taste nearly as rich, but it would be ok.
- Sometimes, my water glass doesn’t go through the dough all the way, so I use a very sharp knife to trace the outline from the glass.
- After filling all the pierogi, you might have some filling left over. Serve it on the side of the pierogi or enjoy it as a baked potato topping.
- I served these cabbage and wild mushroom pierogi topped with fried white mushrooms, fresh dill, and vegan sour cream. Maybe a little additional sauerkraut. It was fantastic. Do what suits you!
- Not able to eat them all in one sitting? Take the assembled pre-cooked pierogi and put them on a plate in the freezer. Once frozen, add them to a container and store in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat them, follow the directions for boiling them below. Because they’re frozen, they likely take more a bit more time to cook.
Please enjoy! And discover other delicious UVK recipes like Vegan Beet Pierogi, Vegan Potato and Onion Pierogi, Vegan Sauerkraut and Apple Pierogi, Vegan Cheesy Potato and Bacon Pierogi and more.
Cabbage and Wild Mushroom Pierogi
1 batch of vegan pierogi dough
0.5 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, thoroughly rinsed to remove any grit or sand
1 large onion, finely chopped (OR ~2½ cups finely chopped onion)
3 Tbsp vegan butter
6 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cup coarsely chopped white mushrooms
Black pepper, to taste
2 tsp white wine vinegar
¾ cup drained sauerkraut (+ brine, to taste)
3 Tbsp fresh dill
Salt, to taste (I added ¼ tsp)
1. First, you’ll make the vegan pierogi dough for the cabbage and wild mushroom filling by following this recipe.
2. While the dough rests, add the rinsed dried porcini mushrooms to a small bowl. Fill with lukewarm water until the porcini are submerged. Wait 15 minutes. Drain and rinse them. Then, submerge them in boiling water for 1 minute, and drain. Chop them up and set aside.
3. While you wait on the porcini and dough, add the onion, 2 Tbsp vegan butter and a pinch of salt to a large skillet. Stir around over high heat until the onion softens. Then, turn down to medium-low heat and stir every few minutes until they are a deep golden brown.
4. Stir in 4 cups of cabbage and another pinch of salt into the skillet. Stir until it cooks down. Then, add the remaining 2 cups of cabbage. Stir constantly over high heat until it caramelizes (or browns slightly on the outside).
5. Once the cabbage caramelizes, add 1 Tbsp vegan butter, porcini mushrooms, white mushrooms and black pepper (to taste) to the pierogi filling. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms sweat out.
6. Stir the white wine vinegar in and scrape any bits off the bottom of the skillet. Then, add the drained sauerkraut and fresh dill to the cabbage and mushroom pierogi filling. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed (more salt? maybe some brine from the kraut?). Set aside.
7. When the pierogi dough is done resting and the vegan cabbage and mushroom filling is made, fill a very large pot with water, cover with a lid and set the burner to high.
8. Water takes awhile to boil, so start assembling your pierogi. Roll out the dough to ~⅛” thickness. Use a water glass to to cut out circles (see photo on the left). Place the circles on a plate and cover with a paper towel. Keep cutting out circles until there is no dough left. I usually average between 25-30 circles, but it will depend on the size of your glass’s mouth.
9. Place one of the circles down, reroll to stretch it back out and wet the edges with water. Spoon the cabbage mushroom pierogi filling into the center (see the middle photo above). Leave lots of space around the edges.
10. Fold one side over the top of the filling until it touches the other side (see photo on the right). Press the two edges together until they stick, and press along the entire edge, so the pierogi is completely sealed.
11. Keep filling and folding the pierogi until all of them are done. Place the completed cabbage mushroom pierogi on a clean plate or chopping board.
12. When the pot of water is rapidly boiling, place 5-6 pierogi in a strainer with a handle, and lower it into pot. Then, use a spatula to lightly loosen them from the bottom of the strainer (they can stick!).
14. Boil for 3 minutes or until the cabbage and wild mushroom pierogi float to the top. Remove the strainer with the pierogi from the pot.
15. Serve right out of the boiling water and topped with your favorites (melted vegan butter, vegan sour cream, sautèed mushrooms, sauerkraut, etc) or pop them into a non-stick skillet on the stove with some vegan butter and crisp them up on the outside. Enjoy!