Pierogi z Bobem

Fava Bean (Broad Bean) Pierogi with Bacon & Lovage


“Don’t miss out on the lesser-known pierogi fillings — explore the combination of fava beans, crispy fried onions, smoky bacon, and fragrant lovage in this regional pierogi recipe.”

How to pronounce it?
pierogee sbobem
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Fava Bean pierogi

Are you a Fava Bean enthusiast? If not, you’re losing out. This regional pierogi recipe makes the most out of their buttery texture and that fresh, green flavour. 

For some extra crunch, the filling is combined with crispy fried onions and smoky bacon. A spoonful of fragrant lovage lends its wonderful aroma – making these dumplings a fantastic choice for a light, summertime dinner.

For the full list of ingredients & detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. But before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know below.

Fava bean (broad bean) pierogi is a traditional dish of the Lublin region, as well as of Low Beskids & Bieszczady. 

They’re officially listed on the ‘List of Traditional Products’ of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture (it’s a similar scheme to the Protected Geographical Status of the EU).

You’ll find them on many ‘Wigilia’ Christmas Eve tables of the region, minus the bacon of course.

Do you need any special ingredients or equipment to make these Fava Bean Pierogi?

You’ll need two pounds (900 grams) of Fava Beans also known as Broad Beans. They can be either fresh (sometimes sold in pods) or frozen, but not dried.

Fava beans (broad beans), bacon, onion and dried lovage

🇵🇱 In Poland, Fava Beans are sold at bazaars, farmer’s markets and produce stalls. Their pods are already removed, but the beans remain unpeeled. For this recipe, peeling them is optional.

🌍 I hear that frozen Fava Beans can be hard to find. If that’s the case where you live, it’s worth buying more during their peak season and freezing them for later use. If you can’t find them locally, fava beans are often available at Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean food markets.

In this recipe, we’re using dried lovage, but you can replace it with dried estragon or marjoram.

Equipment-wise, you’ll need one of the following: a food processor, immersion blender or meat grinder. 

You’ll also need a large cooking pot, skillet/frying pan and a slotted spoon.

How should you serve these Fava Bean Dumplings?

In this recipe, Pierogi are covered with a touch of butter and chopped dill, with a dollop of sour cream on the side (here’s a guide to more pierogi sauce ideas)

Alternatively, you could double the amount of onion and bacon; and use half of it as your topping.

Can you make these Fava Bean Pierogi another way?

This is a traditional way to make these regional dumplings – but of course, you can make your own adjustments.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Adding cheese to the filling (twaróg, cream cheese, grated hard cheese)
  • Adding different veggies to the filling (cooked and puréed potatoes, blanched spinach, lentils)
  • Using a different pierogi dough recipe (e.g. gluten-free)

What diets are these Bean Pierogi suitable for?

This recipe is suitable for a traditional diet. To make them meat-free, skip the bacon. To remove gluten, please use this gluten-free pierogi dough recipe instead.

How long can you keep these Pierogi in the fridge?

Once served, eat them while still warm. Don’t leave them out at room temperature for more than 3 hours.

Once cooled, leftover Pierogi can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To prevent the dumplings from drying up, move them into a container with a lid. You could also keep them on a plate and just wrap it with kitchen foil (cling film).

Can I freeze these Fava Bean Dumplings?

Yes, this recipe is freezer-friendly. 

Let the Pierogi cool down first. Prepare a tray that would fit into your freezer (I use a small cutting board for this). Grease it lightly with fat, e.g. cooking oil. Place Pierogi on top, making sure they don’t touch.  Carefully place in the freezer for 2 hours. 

After that time, you can move the dumplings into a freezer-friendly zip bag. Remember to label it with a description and a date. Aim to consume within 2-3 months. For more guidance, refer to the post on how to freeze pierogi.

How do I reheat these Pierogi?

From chilled: You can give them a quick blast in a microwave, 3 to 4 minutes is usually enough to heat throughout.

A better way is to warm them up on a skillet (frying pan), that will turn them crispy:

  • Melt one teaspoon of butter and add in the dumplings. 
  • Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat, for 3 to 4 minutes. 
  • When the time is up, lift up the lid and flip the dumplings onto the other side. This time, leave them without a lid.
  • Wait for the excess water to evaporate and let pierogi fry for a minute longer to turn them golden.

From frozen: Fill up a large cooking pot with water, bring it to a boil. Throw in the frozen pierogi and continue cooking until the water starts to boil again. From that time, give it another 3 minutes to cook. Fish them out with a slotted spoon and serve. 

Alternatively, add an extra step – frying them up in butter for a bit. That way the outer shell will turn brown and crispy.

Smacznego!

Fava Bean Pierogi
Yield: 30-40 dumplings

Fava Bean / Broad Bean Pierogi with Bacon

Fava Bean Pierogi

This regional Fava Bean pierogi recipe makes the most out of their buttery texture and that fresh, green flavour. 

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 2 pounds (900 grams) fava beans (broad beans)
  • 0.5 gallon (2 litres) water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 yellow onion (5 ounces, 140 grams)
  • 7 ounces (200 grams) smoked bacon slab, or slices
  • 1 tablespoon butter, for frying
  • 1 pinch (less than ⅛ teaspoon) black pepper, freshly ground; for seasoning
  • 2 pinches (less than 1⁄4 teaspoon) salt; for seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon lovage, dried; can be replaced with estragon or marjoram

For the dough

  • 4+3/4 cups (600 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream; 18% fat or more
  • 1 egg
  • ⅘ cup (6¾ fl. ounces, 200 milliliters) warm water

For garnish

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lovage, chives or dill, chopped

Side dip (optional):

  • ½ cup (120 milliliters) sour cream

Instructions

Fava Bean Filling

If your fava beans are still in their pods, you’ll have to remove them (but don’t peel the inner shells surrounding each bean). Here’s a youtube video by Chef John, explaining how to do so.

If you’re using frozen fava beans, thaw them overnight.

  1. Place the beans on a strainer and rinse them thoroughly under running cold water. 
  2. Bring half a gallon of water (2 litres) into a boil. Add salt and sugar (a teaspoon of each) and stir it in. 
  3. Drop the beans into the boiling water. As soon as the water boils again, reduce the heat. You can cover the pot with a lid, but that’s not necessary.
  4. Usually I cook fava beans for 6-8 minutes, but for this recipe we want them to be softer - 15 minutes should be enough.
  5. Once cooked, move the beans over onto a strainer again and rinse them under running cold water. Leave on the strainer to cool.
  6. Peel the onion and dice it finely. Do the same with bacon. [Side note: you can double the amount of onion and bacon, to use as a pierogi topping / garnish]
  7. Melt a tablespoon of butter on a skillet / frying pan. Add in diced onion and bacon. Fry together on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Set aside.
  8. Grind the fava beans using a food processor, immersion blender or a meat grinder (using the smallest holes), until smooth and lump-free. I usually grind them unpeeled, but you can peel them beforehand.
  9. Combine ground beans with fried diced onion and bacon. Season with two generous pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper and a tablespoon of dried lovage. 


Pierogi Dough


The following instructions are for kneading by hand. I recommend using a food processor instead: first, blend together flour, salt, egg and sour cream - until the mass turns crumbly. Next, add water and blend everything together for 2-3 minutes, until a smooth dough forms.

  1. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add a teaspoon of salt.
  2. Make a well in your pile-up flour. Add in an egg and a tablespoon of sour cream. 
  3. Using your left hand, start combining the wet ingredients with the flour. Then gradually start pouring in warm water (that’s what our clean right hand is for :)), observing how the flour absorbs the liquids. If you feel like the dough turns too sticky, that means it has had enough water, don’t add any more.
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl to rest. Cover with a cloth and set aside for 15 minutes.
  5. Divide the dough into four parts, cover three of them with a cloth and set aside. Roll out one part thinly (1/16”-1/8"; about 2 - 3 mm), lightly sprinkling the dough with flour if necessary.
  6. Use a small glass to cut out circles. Stretch them a little between your fingers, then place one heaped teaspoon of the bean stuffing in the center.
  7. Fold in half and stick the edges together, and place on the board. Continue until you’re out of dough and filling.
  8. In a large cooking pot, bring salted water (at least half a gallon -2 litres - ideally more) to a boil. 
  9. When the water is boiling, drop in the first batch of pierogi (about 10 - 12 dumplings at the time).
  10. As soon as the water starts boiling again, reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook for about 2 minutes (counting from the time they float to the surface).
  11. Fish pierogi out, one by one, onto a plate with a slotted spoon.
  12. Plate the pierogi, covering with a touch of melted butter. Sprinkle chopped herbs on top. Serve while hot.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from "Pierogi z Bobem" recipe by chef Marcin Sikora (recipe in Polish).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

5

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 532Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 1410mgCarbohydrates: 85gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 19g

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Recipe Information

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Bibliography / References:

Listing on the official ‘List of Traditional Products’ (in Polish)
Article on Fava Bean Pierogi by ‘Trzeci Talerz’ (in Polish)

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