Traditional Ukrainian Potato Varenyky

From the Motherland is a series where I pay homage to my Eastern European heritage and share my favorite childhood recipes. Hands-down, varenyky tops that list.

For each of us, there is one dish that defines us. It’s symbolic of childhood, our family, our ancestors, and geography. It’s a constant of our past, present, and future. Something that when we eat it, has the effect of a time machine. For me, it’s varenyky.

Varenyky (pronounced vah-REH-nee-key) are Ukrainian stuffed dumplings – better known Stateside by their Polish name, pierogi. Shaping varenyky with my mom in our Odessa kitchen is one of my earliest memories. She would expertly mix the dough, portion it, roll it out, and then hand me the little circles to fill with the oniony potato mash.

Her varenyky turned out perfectly uniform each time – each plump varenik filled with just the right amount of potato. Mine, on the other hand, were lopsided and sad-looking. I could never quite manage to use the right amount of filling, but my mom let me practice anyway… Now that I’m an adult, I’m proud to say I’ve finally mastered the technique.

Below is my family’s potato varenyky recipe, as well as plenty of tips and step-by-step photos to help you master them as well.

What Are Varenyky

These Ukrainian halfmoon-shaped stuffed dumplings can be sweet or savory, served boiled or fried, garnished with fried onions and served with sour cream, or served plain. These characteristics vary regionally and based on individual family traditions. The recipe below is how my family does varenyky: boiled, tossed with browned onions, with lots of sour cream on the side.

What’s the difference between pierogi and varenyky?

There is virtually no difference between Polish pierogi and Ukrainian varenyky. Both are halfmoon-shaped stuffed dumplings. One minor difference I have observed while sharing meals with my husband’s Polish family, though, is our commitment to sour cream.

Ukrainians love, love, love sour cream and put it on absolutely everything. We would never eat varenyky (sweet or savory) without sour cream, and if for some reason we didn’t have any and there was a zombie apocalypse and we couldn’t make it to the store, we wouldn’t even bother making them. Some Polish cooks do serve sour cream alongside their pierogi but it’s my understanding that it’s more of a nice-to-have than an obligatory condiment.

Having eaten probably thousands of pierogi in the company of fellow Ukrainians, and a decent amount with my partner’s Polish family, another difference I’ve noticed is that pierogi tend to be slightly larger than varenyky.

It’s important to note that “varenyky” and “pierogi” are both plural (“varenik” and “pierog” being the singular versions). Thus, “varenykys” and “pierogies” is incorrect.

Varenyky Fillings

There are a handful of traditional varenyky fillings aside from this potato version (my family’s favorite). For a savory version, you can do ground meat, cooked cabbage, mushrooms, or farmer cheese (aka quark). As for sweet fillings – for breakfast or dessert – sour cherries and sweetened farmer cheese are popular.

How to Make Varenyky: Step-by-Step Photos

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card below.

Step 1: Start the Dough

In a large bowl, combine an egg, water, and salt, and beat with a fork to dissolve the egg in the water.

Note: For the vegan version, see the recipe card below.

Step 2: Add the Flour

Gradually incorporate flour into the egg mixture. You can do that with the fork and then switch to mixing with your hands once the mixture gets too thick.

Step 3: Knead the Dough

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead with your hands, giving the dough a quarter turn every now and then, for about 5 minutes.

The dough is ready when it’s smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky; if it’s sticking to your hands, sprinkle on more flour as needed and continue kneading. Place the completed dough back in the bowl, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 4: Boil the Potatoes

While the dough is resting, peel and chop your potatoes, and boil them in salted water until fork-tender.

Step 5: Fry the Onions

Place the diced onions in a large skillet with plenty of oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they are dark brown and a bit crispy, about 15 minutes.

Important: These onions need to be dark and crispy, not simply sautéed or caramelized. To achieve this result, it is important not to skimp on the oil and to cook these over moderately high heat.

Step 6: Mash and Season the Potatoes

Mash the drained potatoes. Then add about a third of the fried onions, and season with salt and pepper. Note that the filling should be very peppery, so be generous.

Step 7: Portion the Dough

Cut the dough ball into 4 pieces (a bench scraper works great here). Working with one piece at a time, roll it into a log. Then cut the log into 8 to 10 pieces (these will look somewhat like gnocchi). Lightly reshape each piece into more of a ball, then roll out into a circle with a rolling pin. If the dough is sticky, dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour.

Step 8: Shape the Varenyky

Make sure that your filling has cooled to room temperature before forming the dumplings; otherwise, they will fall apart. Working with one dough circle at a time, place a heaping teaspoon of potato filling in the center. Then pinch two opposite ends closed, then pinch the sides closed.

Note: You may need to pinch slightly harder than you think. Think of the motion almost as crushing a tiny bug between your thumb and index fingers.

Step 9: Boil the Varenyky

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Then cook the varenyky in batches (to prevent them from sticking together). You’ll know they’re cooked after they’ve floated to the surface, the water has returned to a simmer, and they’ve simmered for about a minute.

Fish them out with a spider, mesh strainer, or slotted spoon into a serving bowl. Add a pat of butter (or a drizzle of oil) and toss to coat, to prevent them from sticking together.

Step 10: Serve the Varenyky

Toss the varenyky with the remaining fried onions and serve hot, alongside sour cream.

Reheating and Freezing Varenyky

Freshly-boiled varenyky are best eaten right away, while the dough is still tender and the filling hot. I recommend reheating leftovers in a skillet instead of the microwave, since varenyky are great when they’re a little crispy!

To freeze: once the dumplings are formed, arrange them on a flour-coated tray or baking sheet, and place it in the freezer. When the varenyky are completely frozen (after at least a couple of hours or overnight), transfer them to an airtight bag/container and freeze for up to 6 months. To cook, boil them as instructed, although they will need slightly more time in the pot than fresh varenyky.

My husband’s Polish family does it differently: they boil freshly-formed pierogi first, then freeze them, then fry them straight from the freezer when desired.

Cooking Tip

Homemade varenyky are a labor-intensive pursuit. Although it’s a relatively simple project, it does require a sizable time investment, so it’s easier, faster, and more fun to do it as a group – with someone on dough-rolling duty and others on filling duty. In fact, I advise doubling the recipe and freezing half of the varenyky for later (your future self will thank you!).

More Traditional Ukrainian Recipes…

• Kompot (Homemade Fruit Drink)
• Vegetarian Borscht
• Ikra (Roasted Eggplant “Caviar”)
• Vegetarian Golubtsi

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.