Pelmeni Soup is comforting and healthy. Keep some of our homemade pelmeni on hand for this quick lunchtime favorite.
Pelmeni soup is comprised of veggies, chicken broth, and you guessed it, pelmeni! Never had pelmeni before? In short, they are the Russian version of boiled dumplings. Stuffed with ground beef, chicken or pork, onions and spices, they are a wonderful savory treat.
Before you get started on your soup, head over and learn how to make my family’s recipe for pelmeni. Double up the recipe and eat a batch fresh and freeze the other to have on hand for this amazing soup. Trust me, you won’t regret the extra work.
This simple soup is loved by children and adults alike. Think of it as an Eastern European spin on Chinese wonton soup. It’s slurpy and chock-full of meaty morsels. YUM!
What are Siberian Pelmeni?
Pelmeni are sometimes referred to as Siberian Pelmeni, because they originated from Siberia. Traditionally, these are meat dumplings that are stuffed with a combination of beef and pork. Sometimes they can be lightened up with ground turkey or chicken.
My husband, Tim, was born in Siberia and immigrated to the United States at the age of 9. Pelmeni have always been a staple in his home and are expected to be in abundance at all his family parties.
Tips for Pelmeni Soup
- This soup is very versatile — use the veggies you like most! Mix things up or add what you have on hand. Bok choy, carrots, corn, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, kale and spinach are all great substitutions/additions.
- If you don’t have any homemade broth on hand, pick a flavorful store bought variety. Better than Bouillon broth concentrate is a staple in my fridge. It has such a rich flavor and lasts forever!
- If you don’t have the time or energy to make pelmeni from scratch, no worries! You can easily find frozen pelmeni at any Eastern European supermarket.
- Only add your frozen pelmeni when all the veggies are cooked so they don’t turn soggy. You will want to turn off the soup as soon as they float to the top.
- This soup is taken to the NEXT LEVEL with a sprinkling of fresh dill right before serving. This extra burst of flavor takes me right back to my childhood! If you must, use dried dill, but the fresh stuff tastes the best!
Trader Joe’s Pelmeni
If you have a Trader Joe’s close by, pick up their frozen pelmeni. Coming from an Eastern European, these are pretty authentic and amazing when used for this soup. They are packed full of herbs and super tasty!
More Childhood Soup Recipes
Here’s more slurpy goodness straight from the motherland:
- Cabbage Soup: One of the most satisfying, low-calorie soups out there! It’s so nice to have on hand as a quick and healthy lunch during the hectic work week!
- Split Pea Soup: Made the old-fashioned way with ham hock, this creamy and classic soup is perfect for a cold winter day.
- Russian Borscht Recipe: Borscht is a sour and savory cabbage and beet soup. If you haven’t tried it before, you must!
- Fish Soup aka Ukha: Calling all seafood lovers! Warm up to this classic Ukrainian soup and be prepared to go back for seconds (and thirds).
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium carrots
- 1/2 large onion
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 3 qt chicken broth
- 1 lb pelmeni
- 1/2 cup green onion chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley diced
Instructions
- Dice onion and carrots into very tiny pieces. Preheat the pot with olive oil, place onions and carrots. Saute until golden brown.
- Add corn and chicken broth to the pot. Bring broth to a boil.
- Add dumplings and green onion, and cook for about 20 minutes. All dumplings should float to the top once they are cooked.
- Add parsley to the soup. Serve hot.
Where can I find a recipe for the Pelmeni Dough? I was watching an episode of Diners Drive Ins & Dives, he was at a Russian restaurant where Pelmeni Soup was made, the cook didn't finish stating the ingredients for the dough. Can you help?
Hi there! I will link my Pelmeni recipe for you here. https://momsdish.com/recipe/7… the dough recipe is there for you.
Wishing you the best of luck!
Hi, I am making my pelmeni from scratch and adding it to the soup. Do you recommend cooking them separately and serving them separately until time to eat to avoid sogginess? I also was wondering if you recommend only boiling the pelmeni or also pan frying them for this dish. Thank you!
Hi Andrea, I am excited that you are going to try this recipe! I hope you love it. As for when to add the dumplings in, only add your frozen pelmeni when all the veggies are cooked so they don’t turn soggy. You will want to turn off the soup as soon as they float to the top. I hope this is the answer you were looking for.
Both my husband and I really enjoyed this soup. Lots of chopping of vegetables in the beginning, but went quickly after that. I used salted chicken broth, but next time will use no salt added hicken broth. Excellent soup!!
Hi Christine, I love how you and your husband just about made a date night out of making this dinner together, how special! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and feedback. Enjoy it dear!!
Hi! Love your recipes. Reminds me of childhood, only my grandma and mom just never wrote down their recipes. I scour the internet looking for those close to it so i can recreate. You have a lot! Question: with leftovers, will the pelmeni soak up a lot of broth sitting in fridge for a few days? Should they be stored separately?
Hi Inna- that's a great question! I haven't tried storing this soup for very long, so I'm not sure. I do suspect the pelmeni dough would start to sort of disintegrate after sitting in liquid though. So storing separately might be a good idea 🙂
Can I use sweetcorn?
Hi Sheeidan - You sure can! That sounds super good.
Made this last night and everyone loved it (husband and two kids - 4 and 7)! We are living in the Baltics and new to Pelmeni (but they are everywhere here!) - I had only ever served them boiled/pan-fried before but wanted to try them in a soup. Your recipe was so easy and so delicious!! I made a very quick chicken broth in the morning with some leftover bones I had in the freezer, and when I was making the soup later that afternoon I substituted in frozen peas for the corn. I also added the fresh dill at the end - we all loved it! I also love how simple it is - using ingredients we almost always have on hand, in addition to the frozen pelmeni and frozen peas. So simple, yet so nourishing.
Hi Vittoria- I'm so glad you enjoyed this dumpling soup! I love that about soup- it's usually the simplest ingredients but they come together beautifully. Thank you for the feedback.
I made Pelmeni soup all the time, but not this way. Honestly, your way is very tasty, fulfilling, and healthy. Now, this is my recipe, too. Thank you.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Valentina! Thank you, I'm so glad this recipe has become a staple 🙂
Just made this soup used random pelmeni from Russian store and it came out delish😋 so yummy and comforting. Thank you! I also tried your Nutella crèpe cake recipe and it came out great! It had the perfect amount of sweetness without being too sweet being a Nutella cake 🙃 Thank you!
Oh, this comment made me smile huge! So happy to hear that you are enjoying the recipes. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
And I born in Siberia.Usolje- Sibirskoje
Really cool! this must remind you of home.
These vegetable Dumplings are like flavors packed in a pocket. I cant resist not trying it. Thanks for your amazing recipe.
Hey, I am happy you loved them! Thanks for sharing!
Turned out amazingly good, my kids now request Pelmeni in every soup 😆
Hey Tanya, I am so happy to hear this! It has made my day! Thank you for taking the time to share this.
I needed this tonight! It was so fun to make and to eat!
Hope you loved them Sarah!
This looks so great. I love all the veggies and that I can add what I have on hand. This would be a great soup to make when you need to use up some produce before it goes bad. Thanks!
Hey Krissy, for sure! Enjoy it!
This looks incredible. I can't wait to try it. I love trying new foods like this.
Hey Alisha, yes, we love this soup. You can also other dumplings that you may have on hand. Enjoy!
This is what I was looking for. Trader Joe's sells pelmeni filled with chicken and mushrooms. I plan to make a lot of this soup to take to church on Sunday. Thanks
Oh, really cool. I hope everyone loves it!
As I'm pinteresting simple soups, (since I'm sick and need something quick and easy and soupy) this came up so I had to whip it up! So delish! Thanks so much missy! All your recipes have not disappointed and next time I will momdishing instead of pinteresting for quick and flavorful recipes :))
All directions lead to one location? Lol 🙂 I am actually fighting a flue. I made chicken broth and have been drinking it. It helps me with soothing my throat. I use to think it's nasty and now I love it 🙂 thanks for saying hi!!! Hope you get well soon!
Made this today, really yummy! You're the bomb ?
Hey Zhanna, Thanks for feedback. We haven't had this soup in a while, I think it's time. Glad you guys loved it!
I have tried your recipe and it is light and delicious!
Thank you Oxana! Glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Love your site. Thanks for the time you put into it. I made the pizza dough yesterday and will be making this tonight for my sick hubby.
Thank you for sweet support! People like you make it all worth it 🙂
Welcome!! Thank you so much, you are sweet. Let me know how you like the food you try 🙂
Very nice site! Espeially the receipes of sweets. 🙂