It’s a chilly, damp, autumn day here in Pennsylvania, the kind of weather that makes you want to curl up with your favorite cozy blanket and a bowl of creamy soup. Creamy Pierogi Soup hits all the notes – dumplings, ham, cheese, and fresh veggies – in just 45 minutes.
A little background…
In northeast Pennsylvania, you have a mashup of Pennsylvania Dutch, Eastern European, and Italian recipes. Over the years, many of the traditional recipes have been adapted based on personal preference, availability of ingredients, and changing family needs. Generally speaking, most of the recipes were thrifty. Families used local ingredients (heavy on the meat and potatoes) that were on hand. Meals were hearty and filling, meant to feed your family after a hard day’s work on the farm or in one of the many factories, quarries, or coal mines that were prevalent throughout the region.
Creamy Pierogi Soup is one of those delicious mashups. Not quite potato soup, not quite pot pie, it falls somewhere in the middle. Similar to ham pot pie, the pierogi gently cook in the broth to create wonderful dumplings while the potato filling flavors and thickens the soup.
You may raise an eyebrow and ask, “Pot pie?” There is much debate over the term “pot pie” here in northeast PA! For the rest of the country, “pot pie” is literally a meat pie with a top and bottom pie crust. For the Pennsylvania Dutch, “pot pie” is similar to chicken and dumplings, where you make square “pot pie” noodles to simmer in the soup. There are beef pot pies, chicken pot pies, and ham pot pies. And there are MANY variations that each family cherishes!
I hope you try my Creamy Pierogi Soup! It’s a family pleaser and it is budget friendly too! Perfect on a damp day! Serve with warm bread and enjoy!
How to Make Creamy Pierogi Soup
- Take pierogi out of the freezer and set on the counter for 10 minutes to partially thaw. While pierogi are thawing, prep your vegetables and ham.
- Clean and chop the onion, cabbage, and carrots. Dice the ham.
- Cut each pierogi into 8 pieces and set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter.
- Add onion, cabbage, and carrot. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened but not brown.
- Add ham, chicken broth, pierogies, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.The potatoes from the pierogies will naturally thicken the soup.
- Add the milk and cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Creamy Pierogi Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 box frozen pierogies partially thawed (about 12 pierogies)
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cups green cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
- 2 cups ham bite size dice
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Instructions:
- Take pierogi out of the freezer and set on the counter for 10 minutes to partially thaw. While pierogi are thawing, prep your vegetables and ham.
- Clean and chop the onion, cabbage, and carrots. Dice the ham.
- Cut each pierogi into 8 pieces and set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter.
- Add onion, cabbage, and carrot. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened but not brown.
- Add ham, chicken broth, pierogies, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. The potatoes from the pierogies will naturally thicken the soup.
- Add the milk and cheese. Cook and stir over low heat until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 more minutes.
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