Mushroom Pierogi “Uszka” for Borscht

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In Poland Mushroom Pierogi called “Uszka” are traditionally served in Borscht on Christmas Eve. They’re made from both dry and fresh mushrooms, and a simple pierogi dough of flour, water, milk, and butter. They’re beautiful and easier to make than you’d think.

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Mushroom Pierogi Uszka on a board

Mushroom Pierogi “Uszka” Served on Christmas Eve in Poland

Borscht with Uszka is a classic soup that almost everyone in Poland serves for Christmas Eve dinner. While a minority of the households instead elect to go with mushroom soup for Christmas Eve, even some of those will serve a Borscht with Uszka. Like most Poles, I’m very much from the Borscht with Mushroom Pierogi camp and serve it for my family every year.

There’s something magical about a beet soup with mushrooms. They pair so well together. If you’re skeptical, try my borscht recipe with these uszka and I’m certain you’ll be convinced. The focus of this post is just on Uszka, the small superstar of this soup.

Mushroom Pierogi Uszka with Borscht in blue bowls

How to make these little “Uszka”

Ingredients needed to make Mushroom Pierogi:

  • Dry Porcini Mushrooms;
  • Fresh Baby Bella and/or White Mushrooms;
  • Yellow onion;
  • Butter;
  • Flour;
  • Water;
  • Milk;
  • Salt and pepper.

Mushroom Filling:

Step 1: Place dry porcini mushrooms into a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook mushrooms for about an hour. Once cooked, you need to use a slotted spoon and gently remove them from the boiling water. Dry mushrooms tend to be very dirty and have a lot of sand, so this is an important step. Most of the dirt/sand will fall to the bottom of the pot, but you should also move the mushrooms into coriander and wash them really well under running water. Once cleaned, set them aside.

Step 2: In a frying pan heat up some butter and add chopped onions. Cook until translucent. In the meantime, clean and slice your fresh mushrooms. Add mushrooms to the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes until soft and fully cooked.

Step 3: In a food processor, combine cooked dry mushrooms with sauteed fresh mushrooms and pulse a few times. Check for seasoning, and salt and pepper as needed. Pulse a few more times. Do not over-process the mushrooms! You want to have little pieces of mushrooms in the filling, as opposed to a paste. Set aside.

Process shots of making mushroom filling for uszka

Process shots of making mushroom filling for pierogi

Process shots of making mushroom filling for Polish uszka

Pierogi Dough:

If you don’t have a stand-up mixer, you can make your dough by hand as I show you in this recipe for Sauerkraut and Mushroom Pierogi from Scratch. However, my husband bought me this beautiful stand-up mixer as a gift last Christmas and I don’t know how I lived without it. Making pierogi dough now is a breeze.

Step 1: Attach a dough hook to your mixer. Add flour into the bowl. Add melted butter and warm milk, and then start mixing on low speed.

Step 2: Start adding warm water a little bit at a time. For 3 cups of flour, you should use 1/2 cup of milk and approximately 3/4 cups of water. But sometimes the flour absorbs more moisture and you will need to add more water. In the end, your dough should be elastic and not sticky to the bowl.

Step 3: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for a half-hour.

Step 4: Divide your dough into four pieces. Flour your working surface and place 1/4 of the dough on it. Cover the rest of the dough with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it’s thin but not see-through.

Process shots of making pierogi dough

Process shots of making dough for pierogi

Assembling Pierogi:

Step 1: Using a 1.5 inch in diameter glass, (ie. a shot glass), cut out the rounds from the dough.

Step 2: Working with one circle at a time, add 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the middle, wet one half of the circle, and cover it to meet the other side of the circle. Stick the edges together.

Step 3: Grab the opposite endings of the pierogi and stick them together to create an “ear” shape dumpling.

Step 4: Continue with the rest of the dough and filling.

Step 5: Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it generously, and add no more than 10 pierogi at a time. Boil for about 2 minutes once they come to the surface.

Step 6: Remove pierogi to a dry surface (cutting board or cookie sheet) in a way that they don’t touch each other.

Step 7: If serving immediately, place pierogi in bowls and cover with borscht.

Process shots of making mushroom pierogi uszka

Process shots of assembling pierogi

Process shots of cooking mushroom pierogi

How to store pierogi

If you don’t use your pierogi right away, or you want to make them ahead of time, here’s my tip on how to freeze them and make sure that they don’t stick together.

  • First, you’ll need to make sure that your Uszka are dry on each side (any moisture on a dough will cause them to stick). When you take them out of the water and place them on a dry surface, let them sit there until the top is totally dry.
  • Then use a different dry board or cookie sheet and flip the Uszka onto the other side to have the bottom dry out.
  • Once they’re totally dried, then place them on another cookie sheet. Make sure they don’t touch one another. Place the cookie sheet in a freezer and let the pierogi freeze.
  • Once they are frozen, you can remove them from the sheet and place them into a Ziploc bag, and store them for up to 2 months in the freezer.
  • When you’re ready to eat them, place them straight from the freezer into boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Serve in bowls with borscht.

Mushroom pierogi Uszka on a board

If you don’t want to freeze them, because you’ll be using them within the next few days, you can this method:

  • Melt some butter;
  • Once the Uszka are dry, then place them in a bowl, drizzle butter over, and ensure that all of them are coated.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and store in a fridge.
  • Once ready to serve, then place them in boiling water for a minute or 2 and you’re good to go.
  • Serve in bowls with borscht.

Borscht with Uszka in bowls

Equipment needed to make pierogi

  • Frying Pan
  • Cutting board
  • Set of knives
  • Cookie sheets
  • Food Processor
  • Standup Mixer
  • Rolling pin
  • Glass bowl
  • Large Pot

Mushroom pierogi uszka for borsht

Other Traditional Polish Recipes:

Mushroom Pierogi Uszka on a board

Mushroom Pierogi "Uszka"

In Poland Mushroom Pierogi called "Uszka" are traditionally served in Borscht on Christmas Eve. They're made from both dry and fresh mushrooms, and a simple pierogi dough of flour, water, milk, and butter. They're beautiful and easier to make than you'd think. 
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: Polish
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 201kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

Mushroom Filling

  • 1 oz Dry Porcini Mushrooms
  • 16 oz Fresh Mushrooms Baby Bella and White Button, sliced
  • 1 Sweet Onion medium size, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Butter unsalted
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Pierogi Dough

  • 3 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Milk warm
  • 1 tbsp Butter unsalted, melted
  • 3/4 cups Water warm or more if the dough needs it
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

Mushroom Filling

  • Place dry porcini mushrooms into a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook mushrooms for about an hour. Once cooked, you need to use a slotted spoon and gently remove them from the boiling water. Dry mushrooms tend to be very dirty and have a lot of sand, so this is an important step. Most of dirt/sand will fall to the bottom of the pot, but you should also move the mushrooms into coriander and wash them really well under running water. Once cleaned, set them aside.
  • In a frying pan heat up some butter and add chopped onions. Cook until translucent. In the meantime, clean and slice your fresh mushrooms. Add mushrooms to the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes until soft and fully cooked.
  • In a food processor, combine cooked dry mushrooms with sauteed fresh mushrooms and pulse a few times. Check for seasoning, and salt and pepper as needed. Pulse a few more times. Do not over process the mushrooms! You want to have little pieces of mushrooms in the filling, as opposed to a paste. Set aside.

Pierogi Dough

  • Attach a dough hook to your mixer. Add flour into the bowl. Add melted butter and warm milk, and then start mixing on low speed.
  • Start adding warm water a little bit at the time. For 3 cups of flour, you should use 1/2 cup of milk and approximately 3/4 cups of water. But sometimes the flour absorbs more moisture and you will need to add more water. In the end, your dough should be elastic and not sticky to the bowl.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for half hour.
  • Divide your dough into four pieces. Flour your working surface and place 1/4 of the dough on it. Cover the rest of the dough with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's thin but not see-through.

Assembling Pierogi

  • Using a 1.5 inch in diameter glass, (ie. a shot glass), cut out the rounds from the dough.
  • Working with one circle at the time, add 1/2 teaspoon of filling in the middle, wet one half of the circle and cover it to meet the other side of the circle. Stick the edges together.
  • Grab the opposite endings of the pierogi and stick them together to create an "ear" shape dumpling.
  • Continue with the rest of the dough and filling.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it generously and add no more than 10 pierogi at the time. Boil for about 2 minutes once they come to the surface.
  • Remove pierogi to a dry surface (cutting board or cookie sheet) in a way that they don't touch each other.
  • If serving immediately, place pierogi in bowls and cover with borscht.

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2.1mg
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10 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Just wanted to say that my use of dried mushrooms became much more frequent when I discovered that they will rehydrate very quickly and easily in the microwave – no need for an hour of simmering. Just put them in a microwave-safe glass container – I use a Pyrex measuring cup – cover them by an inch or two of water (which will become a delicious mushroom broth once you’re done, and would taste great as part of your barszcz, btw), leaving plenty of room at the top of the container so it doesn’t boil over, cover tightly and microwave on the high setting for a few minutes just until it comes to a boil. Set aside to soak for about 10 minutes and you’re ready to go. They may need to soak a bit longer if you have a large quantity or the pieces are large, and you need to make sure to be using enough water to cover all of them, but it definitely is a time-saver!
    Your recipe sounds great, and my Mama used a shot glass to cut them as well. She taught us kids how to assemble them when we were very young, since our little fingers made it easier to keep the uszka small and dainty, the way she liked them! Do you ever add either dill or parsley to the filling? I seem to recall one or the other (maybe both?), but am not at home right now so I can’t check the recipe…

    1. Thanks for letting me know!. For uszka I don’t usually add herbs but I think parsley would work really well. Dill would work well with potato and cheese piergoi. 🙂

  2. Is there a milk type that works better? Our traditional dough doesn’t use milk. I am looking forward to trying these.

  3. 5 stars
    Mushroom Pierogi is the best! It’s incredibly satisfying and comforting. The filling is perfect, not too salty or bland, and the dough is just the right thickness to hold together but still has a nice crispy outside crust. I’ve never had anything like it before!

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