I gave the spiel on pierogi in my potato and cheese potato and cheese filling post. This recipe is for the popular sauerkraut and mushroom filling. If you are having trouble finding dried mushrooms or if they are too expensive in stores near you, just use fresh mushrooms! Some recipes call for 1 shredded and sautéed carrot…that would be a great addition if you’d like.

Pssst…you can make this recipe vegan if make a dough with flour, water, and salt (start 3:1 ratio flour to water) and adjust as necessary).***

Reminder that once pierogi are assembled, you can refrigerate them and cook them the next day, or you can freeze them for a few weeks.

This make about 3-4 dozen pierogi.

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt

Sauerkraut and Mushroom Filling

• 24 oz sauerkraut (in salt brine, no vinegar)
• 16 oz fresh cremini mushrooms
• 1 large yellow onion (1 medium leek can also be used instead)
• 1/2 oz dried wild mushrooms
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• salt

For serving (optional)

• 1 small onion, diced, caramelized
• sour cream

Directions

Dough:

In a large bowl, add flour and salt. Then, add egg, sour cream, and water, and mix by hand or on slow speed in an electric mixer. Once incorporated, knead by hand until the dough is no longer sticky. If the dough is still sticky, add flour 1/2 tbsp. at a time until it stops sticking to your hands.

Roll the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 48 hours.

Filling: 

Place dried mushrooms in a cup and cover with cold water. Leave for a few hours, or overnight. Then, boil the mushrooms in their soaking water in a small pot on medium-high heat, until they are soft. Remove mushrooms, cut finely. (You can save the liquid for sauces or soups in the fridge or freezer).

Gently squeeze liquid from sauerkraut and add to a large pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, mixing occasionally. Put aside to cool.

Grate mushrooms, or shred in a food processor. Melt about 1 tbsp. of butter or oil on a pan over medium-high heat, and add mushrooms and pinch of salt. Mix frequently, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until much of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, and they have shrunk significantly. Add to sauerkraut.

Finely dice onion. On a pan with about 1 tbsp. of butter over medium heat, add onions, reconstituted wild mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and cook until onions are caramelized and golden.

In a large bowl, add all of the cooked onions, mushrooms, sauerkraut, and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. You will likely not need to add salt because of all the salt in the sauerkraut.

Assembly:

Roll the dough out on a baking mat or stone surface. If you have a small surface, start with half the dough. Dough should be about 1/8 in. thick. Use the top of a cup or an approximately 3 in. pastry cutter to cut out dough rounds.

Add about 1/2 tbsp. of dough to the middle of each dough round. Fold the dough over to form a half circle, and seal the edges by pinching. You may need to dab your finger in a little water, and run along the edge to ensure a better seal.

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add a few assembled pierogi at a time (be sure not to crowd the pot) and cook until the pierogi float (roughly 5 minutes). Once they float, use a slotted/colander spoon to gently remove pierogi. Put on a platter. Repeat until all pierogi are complete.

Once boiled, you can serve them. If you want to fry them, melt butter or oil on a large pan over medium/medium-high heat. Add pierogi (a few at a time so each one is touching the surface) and fry until each side is lightly browned.

Serve with optional caramelized onion on top, and optional side of sour cream.

SMACZNEGO!