Simple Hungarian Lecsó
Lecsó is a classic Hungarian vegetable stew featuring sweet peppers, tomatoes, and onions seasoned with paprika. This versatile dish can be served as a rustic main course with bread or as a side for grilled meats. It's a simple, comforting recipe that highlights late summer produce.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Per serving
- 146 kcal
Mise en place
Ingredients
- 1 pcsyellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 pcsbell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced into strips
- 4 pcstomato, roughly chopped
- 2 tbspsunflower oil
- 3 clovegarlic, minced
- 1 tbspsweet paprika
- 0.5 tsphot paprika(optional)
- 1 tspsalt, or to taste
- 0.5 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
Equipment
large pot · wooden spoon · cutting board · knife
The method
Step by step
- 1
Heat the sunflower oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Using a heavy-bottomed pot helps prevent scorching and ensures even cooking.
- 2
Add the sliced yellow onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
About 7 min
- 3
Remove the pot from the heat briefly and stir in the sweet paprika, optional hot paprika, and minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Taking the pot off the heat prevents the paprika from burning, which can make it taste bitter.
- 4
Return the pot to the heat, add the sliced bell peppers, and stir to coat them in the onion and spice mixture.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Yellow, orange, or light green peppers are traditional and have a sweeter flavor than green bell peppers.
- 5
Cook the peppers, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
About 10 min
- 6
Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Stir everything together.
About 1 min
- 7
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender and the sauce has thickened.
About 20 min
Cook’s note: If the stew seems too dry, you can add a splash of water or vegetable broth.
- 8
Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed before serving.
About 1 min
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 146kcal
- Protein
- 3.5g
- Carbs
- 18.6g
- Fat
- 8.1g
- Fibre
- 4.9g
- Sugar
- 9.5g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.