With thanksgiving around the corner and Christmas right shortly after, these adorable Soujouk, Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Mini-Pies are the perfect recipe to make!
These cute Soujouk, Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Mini-Pies are not only so easy to make and addicting to eat. But they are the perfect bites to prepare in advance for your coming holidays feasts.
These hand pies are made with buttery flaky puff pastry and filled with some delicious smoky and spicy Lebanese Soujouk with an extra boost of sweetness from the pumpkin and a delicious caramelized taste from the onions. They are just an explosion of flavors and texture with each bite!
try serving my chili Tahini dipping sauce with these mini pies. And they can also be enjoyed as lunch with some salad or grilled vegetables. So good both ways!
Ingredients
Now let’s talk a little bit about the ingredients.
Soujouk or sujuk
The hero ingredient in this recipe is of course the Soujouk. Soujouk is the Lebanese cousin of the Italian sausage or the Spanish chorizo in a way.
It is a dry spicy and fermented sausage that we enjoy in Lebanon as hot mezza. The most famous type of Soujouk that we eat in Lebanon is the Armenian Soujouk !
The Soujouk is enjoyed traditionally in Lebanon with just some sautéed onions and tomatoes. But I always like to enjoy it in different unusual ways. It adds a beautiful smoky spicy taste to dishes.
Like in my delicious must try Lebanese sautéed potato and Soujouk or my Lebanese Mac&Cheese with Soujouk and Camembert so good!
Caramelized sweet onions
Other ingredients that are crucial to the success of this recipe flavors balance is the caramelized onions. Caramelizing the onions with the honey and the wine will give this dish that extra depth of sweet sour flavor.
cheese
And even if you tried the Soujouk before wait until you try it in this recipe . The cheese combination goes so good with the Soujouk inside that flaky buttery pastry. You can skip the cheese but I highly recommend that you don’t
pumpkin
And let’s not forget the pumpkin. I like always to sneak in veggies as much as I can in my family food. It is festive season pumpkin is always welcomed in recipes. In this recipe the pumpkin added a beautiful pop of color to the dark Soujouk filling and a crunchy texture with a sweet taste and of course and extra boost of fiber won’t be harmful! But if you don’t have pumpkin, don’t like it or just want to make those pies with lesser steps you can totally skip the pumpkin and they will still be so delicious.
Make sure to check my other pumpkin recipes if you are a fan! From how to make the puree at home to how to use it in delicious recipes like my air fryer kale and squash salad to my super wholesome pumpkin enchiladas and finish it up on sweet notes with my famous carob molasses and pumpkin Bundt cake and many more!
Puff pastry
To make my life and your lives easier I use in this recipe some store bought whole wheat puff pastry squares. I use these puff pastry sheets from home of switz but you can use any brand or size you want!
You can get the big sheet and cut it into smaller bite sizes like mine or you can make it a big one also. For me I use this this because it is convenient and easier to fit and cook in the air fryer because I cooked those in the air fryer. Don’t worry I will still mention for you how to cook it in the oven in the recipe below. And of course you can still also make it at home if you have a to go recipe that you do for the pastry. I just think it is one of those ingredients that I prefer buying them ready to use.
Freezer friendly
Lastly I want to mention why those Soujouk, Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Mini-Pies are perfect for holidays? Because they are freezer friendly! You can prepare a big batch and freeze and whenever you want to serve them you just air-fry for few minutes and that’s it. You have the most delicious sophisticated hot appetizers in minutes for your holidays dinners and parties.
Soujouk, Pumpkin and Caramelized Onion Mini-Pies:
Equipment
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 500 g pumpkin or squash peeled and diced into 2 cm cubes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 medium onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese grated
- ¼ cup halloumi cheese grated
- ¼ cup kashkaval cheese grated
- ⅓ cup (80ml) white wine (see notes for non-alcoholic)
- ⅓ cup (75g) honey (see notes)
- 400 g fresh Soujouk skin removed and roughly chopped
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
For the pastry:
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 5 pack puff pastry dough enough for 48 sheet
For the tahini dipping sauce:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tbsp. Laban or Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- ½ tbsp. chili paste more or less to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup warm water maybe more to loosen up the dressing
Instructions
For the filling:
- STEP 01: Preheat oven or air fryer to 200°C.
- STEP 02: in a deep bowl toss the pumpkin cube with 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- STEP 03: Roast for until golden in air fryer for 10 minutes or in oven for 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- STEP 04: While the pumpkin is roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20–30 minutes or until soft and golden.
- STEP 05: Add the vinegar and honey, stir to combine and cook for a further 5 minutes or until caramelized.
- STEP 06: Add the Soujouk, paprika and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper, cook, stirring and breaking the Soujouk into smaller piece with your wooden spatula, for a further 6–8 minutes or until the Soujouk is cooked through.
- STEP 07: Turn off the heat. Add the pumpkin and fold to combine. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes before assembly.
- STEP 08: While the filling is cooling, remove the readymade pastry sheets from freezer to defrost (or prepare the pastry dough if you are preparing at home). Grate and mix the cheeses in a bowl. Whisk your egg wash to brush the top.
- STEP 09: Place 1 tablespoon of the filling onto each of 24 of the sheets. Top it with some of the cheese mixture and Brush the edges with egg and top with the remaining rounds, pressing the edges with a perforated cookie cutter or fork to seal.
- STEP 10: Using a sharp knife, make a small incision in the top of each pie. Brush the pie tops with egg.
- STEP 11: Preheat your air fryer on 200°C. place your pies inside the preheated air fryer and bake for 7 to 8 minutes until golden and crispy (see notes for oven baking time)
For the tahini dipping sauce:
- STEP 01: Blend all the sauce ingredients in a small sauce blender or by hand. Loosen up with water as need to have a sauce consistency
Serving:
- Serve the hand pies with the sauce aside and some side salads if you like. Or check notes for freezing option.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Pumpkin: pumpkin I s a beautiful festive colorful pop of color adding to this recipe but skipping it also is possible for simpler recipe steps.
Nonalcoholic substitute for wine: wine adds a beautiful taste to this filling and the alcohol in it will evaporated in cooking, but if you still prefer not to use it, you can substitute it with some white grape or red grape vinegar or any vinegar you have in your pantry.
Honey: you can use brown sugar, white sugar or maple syrup or agave syrup instead of the honey if you don’t happen to have it in hand.
Oven version: you can bake your pumpkin in oven instead of air fryer as mentioned above in the instructions. And for the pies you can also bake them in the oven. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 15 minutes or until golden in a 200° C preheated oven.
Storing: you can prepare those pies and freeze on a tray in one layer before baking. And then store in zip lock bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftovers: you can still enjoy any leftovers cooked pie and dipping sauce for up to 3 days after cooking. Store in well closed container in the fridge and preheat when you want to eat. The pastry won’t be as flaky and crunchy as the first day but they will still be delicious.