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Lecsó
Hungarian summer stew of yellow peppers, tomatoes and onion
Lecsó is what Hungarian kitchens cook in late August, when markets in Szeged and Kecskemét are heaped with pale yellow wax peppers and over-ripe tomatoes. It is a soft, sweet-sour stew of peppers and tomato cooked down in paprika-scented oil; many families add smoked sausage or scramble eggs into it, but this version keeps it vegan and lets the peppers carry the flavour. Eat it hot with crusty bread or rice, or cold the next day, and jars of it are put up for winter. Chef's tip: add the tomatoes only once the peppers have softened; if they go in together, the tomato juice stews the peppers instead of letting them sweeten in the oil.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide, heavy pan over a medium heat. Add 2 onions and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft, translucent and just turning gold at the edges.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 ¾ lb yellow wax peppers (or Hungarian banana peppers) and 1 tsp salt, stir well, cover and cook for 8–10 minutes over a medium-low heat until the peppers have collapsed and turned silky but still hold their shape.
10 minStep 3: Take the pan off the heat and stir in 2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika; it should smell sweet and toasty within seconds. Common mistake: adding paprika to a very hot pan, where it burns and turns the whole stew bitter.
Step 4: Return to a medium heat, add 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoes and ½ tsp sugar, and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes break down into a thick, glossy sauce that coats the peppers.
10 minStep 5: Season with ¼ tsp black pepper and more salt if needed. Serve hot, or let it cool; it tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lecsó take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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