Vegan Pierogi (Varenyky) with Cashew Creme & Potato
Discover the ultimate old-world comfort food with these beginner-friendly, pillow-soft vegan pierogi. This recipe wraps a velvety, dairy-free cashew creme and seasoned mashed potato filling inside a soft, elastic all-purpose flour dough. Boiled to perfection and then pan-sautéed in vegan butter with fresh sage leaves, these comforting dumplings are finished with sweet caramelized onions, fresh dill, and a cool scoop of vegan sour cream. They freeze beautifully, making them the perfect gourmet, make-ahead meal.
Ingredients
Filling
- Water boiling
- ½ cup Cashews
- 2 tsp Lime Juice
- ¼ tsp Salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper or to taste
- ½ lb Golden Potatoes boiled
Dough
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Salt or to taste
- ½ cup Warm Water
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
Cooking
- Water to boil
- 4 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 2 medium Yellow Onions halved and thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp Vegan Butter
- 1 handful Fresh Sage Leaves optional
Toppings
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Fresh Dill
Instructions
Filling
- Soak cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Blend cashews with two tablespoons of boiling water, lime juice, salt and pepper until creamy and smooth. Add a few drops of water, if needed.
- Mash boiled potatoes, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and mix well together.
- Mix cashew creme and mashed potatoes and refrigerate until ready to use.
Dough
- In a mixing bowl add all-purpose flour, salt, water and oil and make a dough. Sprinkle water if needed. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough thin and cut in 3-inch circles (it’s okay if they are not perfect), place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the middle, fold both ends together and press edges with a fork to seal (see photo).
Cooking
- In a deep pot, bring water to boil over medium heat. Add pierogi (a few at a time) and cook for 2 minutes or until they float. Remove each one with a spoon and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the rest of the pierogi.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, add oil and sliced onions and sauté until golden brown. Take out onions with a spoon and transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan (or heat another medium size pan over medium heat), add 1 tbsp of vegan butter and allow it to melt. Then add 5 or 6 fresh sage leaves (optional) and a few pierogi. Sauté until both sides of pierogi are golden brown. Remove each with a spoon and transfer to a plate, discarding sage. Repeat with the rest of the pierogi.
Toppings
- Top pierogi with caramelized onions, a scoop of vegan sour cream and fresh dill.