Polish Uszka with mushrooms are a Christmas essential in our home, always served with a steaming bowl of beetroot soup (barszcz z uszkami). These small dumplings may be delicate, but they carry deep, comforting flavours that instantly bring back memories of festive family kitchens.
Uszka are perfect for preparing ahead of time and freeze beautifully, which makes them ideal for busy holiday cooking. This recipe makes around 100 uszka, with roughly 10 per portion-just enough to gather everyone around the table.
I use a mixture of white mushrooms, onions, and dried wild mushrooms like porcini or boletus. When the season allows, I even add foraged mushrooms, but good-quality dried mushrooms work just as well. They need soaking to rehydrate, which can be done in advance along with the filling.
With Christmas approaching, making uszka together with the kids has become a small tradition in our house—messy, joyful, and absolutely worth it. Below is the full recipe, followed by tips on mushroom filling, freezing, and serving with barszcz. Smacznego!
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Guide on How to make prepare Polish Uszka for Beetroot Soup:
Polish Uszka with Mushrooms (Small Dumplings)
Equipment:
- Hybrid Non Stick Frying Pan
Ingredients:
Ingredients for dough:
- 2.5 cups All-purpose flour - (320g)
- 0.7 cups Water - (170ml) Room temp.
- 1.5 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Ingredients for filling (farsz):
- 0.7 lbs White mushrooms - (320g) fine dice
- 1.8 oz Dried wild mushrooms - (50g) Porcini or Boletus
- 1 White onion, medium size - fine dice
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil - for frying
- Salt and Pepper - to taste
Instructions:
Instructions for the filling (farsz):
- Place dried wild mushrooms in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let the mushrooms soak for about 30 minutes, or until they become soft. Drain the mushrooms and chop them finely. (Keep the water, you can add it to your beetroot soup.
- Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add finely diced white onion and sauté until it becomes translucent. Stir in finely diced white mushrooms and the rehydrated wild mushrooms. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked through and most of the moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then remove the skillet from heat, transfer filling to a large bowl and allow to cool.
Instructions for the dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour and 1 tsp of salt. Make a well in the centre and add room temperature water, and 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Mix the ingredients together until a dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10-15 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic (If the dough seems to wet add a little bit more flour). Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Assembling and Cooking Uszka:
- Divide the rested dough into 4 equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one part of the dough to about 1/16-inch thickness. Using a round cutter (about 2 inches in diameter), cut out circles from the dough.
- Place a small amount of the mushroom filling in the centre of each dough circle.
- Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape, pressing the edges to seal.
- Bring the corners of the half-moon together and press them to seal, forming a tortellini-like shape.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add the Uszka to the boiling water and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until they float to the top. Remove the Uszka with a slotted spoon and serve them hot, perhaps with a Borscht soup.
Notes:
- Freezing Uszka: Uszka are perfect for making in large batches and freezing for later use. After assembling the Uszka, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ensuring they are not touching to prevent sticking. Freeze the Uszka on the baking sheet for about 1-2 hours or until they are firm. Once frozen, transfer the Uszka to a zip-top freezer bag or an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cooking frozen Uszka: When ready to cook, do not thaw . Cook them directly from the freezer for 5-7 minutes or until they float on the top of water.
Nutrition:
Troubleshooting Uszka Dough and Filling
- Uszka dough feels too stiff or hard to roll – This usually means the dough is too dry. Let it rest, covered, for 10–15 minutes to relax the gluten. If needed, lightly wet your hands while kneading rather than adding more flour.
- Dough keeps shrinking back when rolling – The gluten hasn’t relaxed enough. Cover the dough and let it rest longer before rolling again.
- Uszka opening during cooking – This happens when the edges aren’t sealed properly or there’s too much filling. Use a small amount of filling and press the edges firmly, brushing with a little water if needed.
- Filling feels dry or crumbly – Wild mushrooms need enough fat and moisture. Add a little extra onion, butter, or some of the mushroom soaking liquid to bring the filling together.
- Uszka sticking together after cooking – Lightly toss cooked uszka with a little butter or oil if you’re not serving them immediately.
Serve with Traditional Polish Beetroot Soup
Uszka are traditionally served in clear beetroot soup (barszcz czerwony), and they truly shine when paired together. If you’re planning a proper Polish Christmas table, I highly recommend serving these dumplings with my Polish Beetroot Soup (Barszcz) recipe.
For an even deeper, more authentic flavour, you can take it one step further by adding zakwas—a fermented beetroot starter used in traditional Polish kitchens. Zakwas adds natural acidity, depth, and complexity that store-bought soups simply can’t match.
Both can be prepared in advance and will elevate your uszka into something truly special.
Few words from Chef
I hope you enjoyed making these Polish uszka as much as we do at home. They may be small, but they carry a lot of tradition, and for me they’re one of those dishes that truly mark the start of the festive season.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out or how you make uszka in your own family. Smacznego!
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