Discussions

Hi summer salad makers.  
 
I am looking for a recipe that substitutes potatoes with perogies in a cold salad.  
 
I enjoyed this treat at a picnic years ago and the cold perogies were tossed in a dressing with sour cream, possibly heavy cream, dill and garden peas. Possibly other ingredients that added some tangy flavour as well.  
This points toward Ukrainian or Polish summer salad cuisine. Does anyone have a recipe that they would share?

Without meaning insult (I don't know your level of tech proficiency), did you try Googling it? 9/10 I will find the recipe I'm looking for if I describe it to Google. Sometimes people are hesitant to Google what they perceive as ethnic or cultural recipes, but it's a valid way to explore new cuisines or to figure out "that recipe I had at that potluck that one time" lol.  
 
This was the first hit when I did it. Sounds more or less like what you're describing:  
 
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pierogi-picnic-salad-3364548  
 
Also, it sounds delicious. I think I'll have to try it!  
 
Edited by Abbysmum, 2023-07-26 20:48:40

Hi.  
No offence taken…  
 
I was looking at that recipe, and other versions too. I find that apple cider vinegar and similar additives to a salad dressing are wild cards that may not work for certain guests (little kids for one).  
In the event that my ebrandon pleas don’t produce a made in Manitoba recipe, I’ll use the recipe that you shared.  
Thanks for responding, I appreciate it.

have you tried looking on pintrest as well? there a a zillion recipes and different variations of them as well. Perogi picnic salad sounds like what you are speaking of.

I personally detest apple cider vinegar, so I completely understand.  
 
It sounds like it's a fairly run-of-the mill creamy salad dressing, so you could swap just regular vinegar if you think it would be better received. You already have a fair amount of acidity in the recipe, between the mayo, the sour cream and the mustard, so you could try just skipping that and thinning it with a bit of milk or cream until you get the right consistency. If the Dijon is a problem for your audience, you could just add a bit of mustard powder instead for the flavor (and emulsification factor). I would probably add a touch or garlic too. Just taste the dressing as you go, and add what you think it needs (salt, sweet, acid, creaminess, unami etc).  
 
My husband's grandmother used to make a cold salad from peas and carrots and it was delicious. It would have had a similar dressing. The comments on the recipe linked above mentioned making it with asparagus instead of peas one time. That would be good too.  
 
One thing about my Ukrainian grandmother, she always just made do with what was around! I think this is a recipe you can just play around with until you get something you like amd there are no hard rules about it.  
 
Let us know how it turned out!

This is our suit to taste dressing recipe that easily covers 20 - 24 perogies and a heaping 1/4 cup of cooked fresh garden peas tossed in a bowl.  
 
1/2 cup mayonnaise  
1/4 cup sour cream  
2 tbsp green onion, chopped ( we used the green stems)  
1 tsp regular Keens Mustard  
1 tbsp pickle juice  
Dill to taste  
Optional: bacon bits added to the peas to toss  
 
Summary: reception was generally good considering my perogy making skills can’t produce the soft dough texture of a seasoned veteran. Young children enjoyed the salad which was a pleasant surprise, although the dressing recipe was adjusted to accommodate them too.  
The pickle juice added a tangy side to the mayo/sour cream.  
Those of you who are creative with salad dressings are encouraged to give this recipe a try, especially if you create or have access to top end homemade perogies.