First make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt and mix well. Start with 4 cups of flour and add more if needed. Next, create a little well in the flour and add in the water and oil. Mix ingredients together well.
Next, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and begin kneading. Add more flour as needed to make sure the dough isn’t too sticky. Slowly add flour into the mixture and continue kneading. The dough should be moist, but not sticky.
Add your dough ball into a lightly greased bowl, and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, prepare your perogy filling. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook potatoes until they are soft. Drain off the water and add cooked potatoes back into the pot.
Add the vegan butter, salt, and vegan cheddar to the mixture. Mash the potatoes well until they are smooth and there are no large lumps remaining. Next, add the “nooch” (nutritional yeast) and salt and pepper. Taste the filling to see if you need more salt and or pepper. Adjust if needed. Once the 30 minutes is up, grab the dough from your bowl and split it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out using a rolling pin until it’s about 1/8” thick. Using a 2” round cutter, cut the dough into circles. A cookie cutter or even a pint glass can be used.
Place 1 ½ teaspoons of each filling on each dough circle.Holding the dough in your hand, gently fold the dough over forming a little pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of each pierogi to seal it up. Make sure there are no openings or the filling could come out during the cooking process. Place perogies on parchment paper or a lightly floured baking sheet to prevent them from sticking to the counter.
Right before you start cooking your perogies, begin caramelizing your onions for the topping. Heat the pan on medium heat for a few minutes then lower it down. Let the onions and butter cook on a skillet on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally but not too often. The trick is to allow the onions to get a little brown without burning them. If you need to, add a little more butter to the pan.
To cook the perogies, add to a large pot of boiling water.Be careful not to overcrowd the pot, or they will stick together. Work in batches to ensure the best result. Boil the perogies for about 5 minutes or until they float. Once the perogies float, they are cooked. The boil time is also dependant on whether they are frozen or fresh.
Remove cooked perogies with a slotted spoon and set aside.Transfer the perogies to a non-stick pan with a little butter and fry until lightly browned and lightly crisped.
The other option is to lightly fry the cooked perogies in with the caramelized onion mixture.
Add your toppings, serve and enjoy!
If you want to freeze the perogies, place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and freeze before placing into an airtight bag/container.If they are not frozen separately on a baking sheet first, they will all stick together. These plant-based perogies can be frozen for up to 2 months.