These delicious and soft creamy cheese and chive dumplings are filled with ricotta cheese, parmesan, and chives. Swirled in a buttery sauce, they're the ultimate indulgent pasta dish.
Tvorog Vareniki from Kachka
These creamy cheese and chive dumplings are like soft pillows that ooze gooey goodness. They were inspired by Kachka, which is a local restaurant here in Portland. Their menu is comprised of a myriad of delicious food from the former Soviet Union.
Their dumplings, called tvorgo vareniki, hit the spot. They are filled with farmer's cheese and chives and are tossed with melted butter and a splash of vinegar. I ordered them with the garlic broth and OH MY GOSH. These were the best dumplings I have ever eaten, hands down. The hot, salty broth and the creamy, tangy cheese dumplings warm me from the inside out. It was perfect.
How to Make Cheese and Chive Dumplings
Overall, these creamy cheese and chive dumplings were pretty simple to make.
- Blend together the cheese filling.
- Make the basic dumpling dough and knead it until you sweat.
- Rest the dough for an hour, then divide it into eight balls and roll them out to fit your dumpling maker.
- Fill the dumplings, seal them, and boil them.
Before you know it, you'll have more dumplings than you know what to do with! Well, when you taste these bad boys, you'll know exactly what to do with them. 🙂 They taste wonderful tangy, creamy, luscious, and savory.
Recipe Variations
I chose to eat my dumplings with sliced vegan chorizo sausage. The sausages add color, a little spicy flavor and extra protein. These dumplings are delicious with Kachka's garlic broth (especially if you're eating them outside on a cold windy day!) And they are scrumptious with any type of sliced sausage.
Just before serving, mix each serving of the hot dumplings some melted butter, white vinegar, salt. The melted butter makes the dumplings saturated in goodness and prevents them from drying out. The splash of vinegar brightens the whole dish. Add some extra chopped chives and a dollop of sour cream, pesto, or a side of breadsticks, and you might just find yourself in dumpling bliss, my friend.
More Pasta Recipes
- Gochujang Pasta
- No Boil Pasta Bake
- Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti
- Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles
- Beet Ravioli with Goat Cheese
- How Long to Boil Spaghetti?
Cheese and Chives Dumplings
Ingredients
Dumpling Filling
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- ? cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon milk
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup minced chives
Dumpling Dough
- 3½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup cold water
Dumpling Sauce & Toppings
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (4 Tbsp)
- ½ cup white vinegar (4 Tbsp)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- minced chives, for garnish
Instructions
Make the Dumpling Filling
- Blend ricotta cheese, egg, Greek yogurt, milk, parmesan, flour and salt in a food processor or blender until it is smooth, after a couple minutes. Alternatively, you could mix it in a large bowl by hand until smooth.
- Stir in the minced chives. Set aside.
Make the Dumpling Dough
- In a large mixing bowl,, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Whisk the egg into the flour mixture until it's well-incorporated. Slowly add the water while mixing the dough, until it forms a sticky mixture.
- Knead the dough for about 8 minutes with a stand mixer, or about 15 minutes by hand, until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for one hour.
Assemble the Dumplings
- Lightly dust a baking sheet with a little flour to place the shaped dumplings on later.
- Divide the dough into eight even balls. Keep the dough balls that aren't being used covered until plastic wrap or a damp towel, so they don't dry out.
- Option 1 - Use a dumpling maker: Dust a clean work surface with a little flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out the first dough ball slightly larger than the size of your dumpling-maker. Drape the dough over the dumpling maker and use your hands or a dumpling press to make a little wiggle room for the filling.Re-flour your work surface as needed, and roll out the second ball of dough, to prepare the top layer. Fill the dumplings with about one heaping teaspoon of the cheese and chive filling. Drape the second sheet of dough on top, and use a rolling pin or the blunt end of a wood spoon to press the two dough layers together to seal the dumplings.
- Option 2 - Without a dumpling maker: If you don't have a dumpling maker, simply divide the dough into four even balls and roll it out to the same thickness as fresh pasta. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter or a drinking glass to cut rounds of dough. Fill the rounds with one heaping teaspoon of the cheese filling.Brush the edges of the dough with water and fold them into half-circles. Press the edges to seal the dumplings.
- Carefully transfer the filled and sealed dumplings onto the floured baking sheet. Spread them out so none overlap and stick together.
- Repeat the steps to roll out the dough, fill them with the cheese filling and seal the dumplings closed.
Boil & Serve the Dumplings
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add about 10 dumplings at a time, so you don't crowd the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any dumplings that get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Boil the dumplings for about 5 minutes, until the noodles are al dente and the cheese filling is gooey and hot.
- Mix the melted butter, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. As the dumplings are cooked, toss them in the melted butter mixture.To serve, top with extra minced chives. Enjoy!!
crystalsandcurls
These look delicious, but I confess to being super lazy in the kitchen . . . when it comes to dumplings, I'm definitely an order them kinda gal! xx
strawberryandcream
After making them at home I'm realizing I'm more in the same boat as you girl! 😂 It was fun and a learning experience to make them from scratch but maybe next time I'll let a pro do the work and I'll just buy them hahah 🥟
Have you ever tried making dumplings or ravioli at home?
Yum-number1
I tried Kachka dumplings before and you're so right! They are absolutely delicious!
I'd totally give these a try to make at home as a way to test your culinary skills :p
strawberryandcream
It helps if you have a dumpling maker!
And YES Kachka dumplings are sooo delicious! Have you tried anything else from their menu? 🤤
Happy Panda
These look so good - yumm! Reminds me of cheese filled ravioli! <3
strawberryandcream
Thank you! â¤ï¸ I suspect my $3 dumpling maker from the thrift store is actually a ravioli maker... 😂 I don't know the difference but noodles filled with cheese is good no matter what you call it, right!? 😋
Happy Panda
Definitely!! <3
thewheelchairteen
These look absolutely delicious. My family is Jamaican, so we're pretty big dumpling eaters. I showed this to my sister and she seemed smitten by it. Thanks for sharing.
strawberryandcream
Thank you!! â¤ï¸ I feel like a newbie to the dumpling world and I can't wait to try more types of dumplings from around the world! I feel like so many cultures and regions have their unique take on the dumpling. What do Jamaican dumplings taste like?
jimerzen
вкуÑные - Delicious! Dumplings look oh so yummy!
strawberryandcream
СпаÑибо (according to google translate, this means thank you in Russian) 😋
InspiresN
This looks so inviting and tasty! I loved to see the way you made them .
strawberryandcream
Thank you!! 🥰 I hope you get to try making them too! 😀
infinitelyadaydreamer
Oh my goodness. These look beyond delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking about them! What a great pick. I'll have to set aside a day just to cook these dumplings and then make a nice dessert! The perfect meal 😠thank you so much for sharing x
strawberryandcream
Hehe thank you!! â¤ï¸â¤ï¸ I definitely recommend trying them! If you don't have a dumpling maker, you can form them by hand â˜ºï¸ What dessert do you think would go good with these cheese dumplings? ðŸ§ðŸ°ðŸ®ðŸª
infinitelyadaydreamer
Hmm.. honestly, I have no idea. My go to is cheesecake but that probably wouldn't pair so well with more cheese! Haha. What would you recommend?
strawberryandcream
Haha!! Cheese + Cheese = A Good Time 😠Hmm maybe something like and fruity like sorbet? ðŸ§ðŸ˜‹â¤ï¸
infinitelyadaydreamer
Ah yes! That could work well. I'll have to experiment and see! (:
strawberryandcream
Hehe let me know how it goes! My family asked me to make these dumplings for them, so let me know if you try a dessert that goes well with this and I'll probably make the same!! ☺ï¸ðŸ¥°
infinitelyadaydreamer
Oh, for sure! Glad they were a success. Hopefully mine go equally well! x
Markus + Micah
Wow, that looks like a dream. It was very cool for the restaurant to share their recipes, too. I have not tried any Russian food but have always been curious since I saw Vladimir Mukin on Chef's Table. Your post certainly added to it. Now I am hungry.
strawberryandcream
I've seen a few episodes of Chef's Table - it's incredible what those chefs create!! It's more like art! And yes, I love when restaurants share their recipes, so we can bring the magic home! ðŸ˜
Markus + Micah
Chef's Table is the best. The makers know what they are doing. Yes! Love how you put that - so we can bring the magic home. This is how I started cooking, too, wanting to recreate delicious food we had while traveling.
strawberryandcream
My favorite episode is the one about Christina Tosi because (1) I LOVE milk bar and (2) you don't have to read subtitles 😂 I love y'all's travel blog! My DREAM is to try food around the world!! 🌎 🌠Ultimate question - which country has the best food that you've visited so far??
Markus + Micah
My sister showed me that episode! My favorite is the Alex Atala episode and Jeong Kwan. There is a theme on the episodes I like, no? But I honestly really enjoy that series because I love food and watching it. Best food so far is Bali. It inspired me to cook more and learn more about the food, especially where it came from. Eating at the small family-owned shops is also a lovely experience. You?
strawberryandcream
I haven't seen that one, I'll have to check it out! Wow Bali is definitely towards the top of my travel bucket list!! What was one of your favorite dishes from there?
I actually used to live in Germany growing up and we got to travel in Europe on long weekends on holidays! I think my favorite would be crepes in France. There's something so amazing about a simple crepe batter cooked to perfection and just Nutella and powdered sugar or just fruit (and I have a massive sweet tooth) 😋 Bit maybe going back as an adult, my opinion would change, since we were there when I was in elementary school 😂
Deeksha Pathak
Such a delicious preparation, I am again hungry..
strawberryandcream
Hehe thank you!! Make some dumplings so you won't be hungry!! 😋
Deeksha Pathak
Right now we are in festive mode for five days, later I will sure try!!
strawberryandcream
Oh nice!! What is the festive mode for? 😀
Deeksha Pathak
We are celebrating 5 days festival of Deepawali. Main festival is on Saturday. From today festival starts and in each house kitchens will be having wonderful aroma of home- made sweets and snacks😀
strawberryandcream
Wow, that is so fun! Happy Deepawali! ☺ï¸
Deeksha Pathak
Thank you very much 😊