Any long-time readers know about my love of a good cheddar pierogi. Growing up in Cleveland, pierogi was a staple. Not only were they on the menu at restaurants, but they’re a pretty big deal to Clevelanders. There’s a Cleveland Pierogi Guide, an annual Pierogi Dash (a pierogi-themed community run), there’s even Pierogi Week! Yes, Cleveland is known as The Best Pierogi City in America. So I’m sure you can understand why everyone at school knew and loved Mrs. T’s classic cheddar Pierogies. Once we moved to Colorado, my mom and I would often enjoy them together as an after-school snack on early release days. We’d boil them off, top them with lots of cheddar cheese, and then melt the cheese for a quick minute in the microwave. If we were lucky, we’d have a fire going and enjoy them together. It’s one of my more special childhood memories. So now, as an adult, I love to incorporate pierogies into our fall and winter dinners. However, this is my first pierogi soup, and we’ve officially fallen hard for it. I think it’s my most delicious creamy soup to date. If you love my homestyle chicken soup, think of those flavors, but so much creamier and with the addition of soft pillowy pierogi dumplings. It’s a heavenly delicious soup!
The details
Step 1: cook the bacon Before starting the base of the soup, cook off slices of bacon and dice them up. Get them really crispy, then add some rosemary. The rosemary will fry up in the oils and turn crisp. Pull the bacon out of the pot and reserve it for topping. It’s really yummy when served atop this soup. Step 2: make the soup base This starts off just like your basic chicken soup. Cook the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme down with a touch of olive oil. Then, mix in a couple of tablespoons of butter and flour. The flour will help to thicken up the soup and give it a really beautiful creamy consistency. Now, mix in the chicken broth, or chicken bone broth, which is what I’ve switched to using for added protein in our meals. Step 3: cook the chicken Bring the broth to a boil and add the chicken. I love to use a mix of chicken breasts and thighs, but use what you and your family prefer. Simmer until the chicken shreds easily, about 20 minutes. You can then shred the chicken in the pot using two forks. At this point, you can leave the soup simmering over low up to all day, or move forward with the recipe. Step 4: finish the soup When you’re almost ready to serve, stir in the kale or spinach. Then add the milk, or try using cream for an even smoother and creamier soup. Then add the cheddar cheese. Bring the broth to a gentle boil and you can cook the pierogies directly in the soup. I do this only if I know we’ll be enjoying all of the soup at once. If you plan to save the soup for leftovers, I recommend boiling the pierogies according to package directions. Then simply add them to the soup when serving. A note about pierogies: For this recipe, I call for using frozen pierogi. It keeps the recipe quick and simple. However, you can also make my homemade cheddar pierogies if you prefer, but I’d make them in a mini size! Step 5: Top and enjoy! Ladle the pierogies and broth into a bowl, top with the reserved bacon and rosemary, then enjoy! A simple recipe for the last Monday of October. Crazy that it’s going to be November in just two days! This will be the perfect soup for November nights. If your night could use some warming soup, this should be it. It’s going to be good! Looking for other easy fall night dinners?? Here are my favorites: Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips One Pot Chicken and Sage Dumplings One Pan Roasted Herb Chicken and Wild Rice Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup Lastly, if you make this Creamy Pierogi Chicken Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
