Lecsó (Hungarian Pepper and Tomato Stew)
A colorful Hungarian summer dish of peppers, tomatoes and onion slowly cooked with paprika, a close cousin of Turkish menemen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
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Method
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The story of this dish
Lecsó is one of the younger classics of Hungarian cooking; it became a fixture of home tables during the 20th century, especially in late summer when peppers are cheap and plentiful. It is Central Europe's take on the same idea behind ratatouille, North African shakshuka and Turkish menemen: peppers and tomatoes cooked slowly together.
In Hungary lecsó is often cooked in lard with smoked bacon or kolbász, a pork sausage. This pork-free home version uses sunflower oil and optional beef sausage.
Hungarian Cuisine
Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyásleves)
Hungary's national soup: beef slowly simmered with plenty of onion and sweet paprika, made hearty with potatoes and carrots.
Chicken Paprikash (Csirkepaprikás)
A classic Hungarian home dish of chicken legs braised with onion and sweet paprika, finished into a velvety sauce with sour cream.