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Lecsó

Hungary’s essential summer vegetable stew — glossy peppers, tomatoes, and onions with smoked paprika.

⏱ 20 minPrep time
🔥 40 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
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Lecsó

Lecsó is Hungary’s simple summer staple — sweet peppers and ripe tomatoes melting slowly with onions and paprika into a thick, jammy stew. It’s humble, intensely flavorful, and the taste of August in a Hungarian kitchen.

Eaten as a vegetable side, spooned over rice or eggs, or enriched with slices of smoked sausage, lecsó adapts to any meal. Onion-y, sweet, and gently smoky, it’s the kind of dish that makes a crusty loaf of bread disappear.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Heat the lard in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the peppers and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes until they begin to soften.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the mixture is thick and the peppers are silky.
  4. If using sausage, add it and simmer 5 minutes more.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika (stirring it in off the heat preserves its flavor).
  6. Optional: crack eggs into wells in the lecsó, cover, and cook until just set. Serve hot with bread.

💡 Chef tips & storage

The longer you simmer lecsó, the sweeter and more concentrated it gets. It keeps well in the fridge and is even better reheated.

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Recipe details

Prep20 min
Cook40 min
Servings4
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →