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Hungarian Lecsó – Pepper and Tomato Stew

Hungarian Lecsó is a stewed mix of peppers, tomatoes and onions. It is sometimes called “Hungarian ratatouille”.

Lecsó comes in many variations and it can be served on its own, as a side or as a main dish, at any time of the day. It is a healthy breakfast recipe, it might be topped with a fried egg or two or scrambled along with them.

For lunch or dinner, it is usually eaten on its own with bread, or supplemented with a sausage, rice, meat, noodles, etc. In addition, lecsó can be stored in jars and preserved for consumption later in the year, when fresh ingredients are not in season.

It is a nice vegetarian and vegan meal if you serve it without eggs and sausage, but meat lovers prefer cooking it with smoked meat. Quick, easy, healthy recipe to make, done in 30 minutes.

Can I use bell peppers?

Yes, you can use bell peppers. But traditionally, Hungarians make lecsó with yellow wax peppers. In North America, these are often called Hungarian sweet wax peppers or sometimes banana peppers. Use those if you can find them!

What is the best paprika to use?

Paprika is essentially air-dried peppers ground into a fine powder. In Hungary there are eight types of paprika varying in colour and pungency. I prefer using sweet paprika that has a rich red color. I never use smoked or spicy paprika, you can make your dish spicy after you serve, you add as much heat to the dish as you want.

I mainly use paprika from Szeged, but Kalocsa Paprika is also wonderful. Cooking tip: do not burn your paprika, or it becomes bitter.

How to store paprika?

Paprika can go flat if it’s old. Make sure you taste test your paprika before cooking with it in this recipe. Paprika, as it gets older, will lose its aroma and become less pungent. If your paprika doesn’t have a strong flavor or has no smell, it’s no longer good. Store your paprika in an airtight container in a cool, dark spot, either in a spice drawer or the refrigerator.

How do you serve Hungarian Lecsó?

You can have it plain with some fresh white bread. You can pour beaten eggs over and fry together with the pepper stew, this is my favorite version.
You can have it with rice: when you add the peppers to the tomatoes, add some more water, pour uncooked rice in and cook until the rice absorbs the moisture and get tender.

You can make your Lecsó with sliced smoked paprika sausage. Add them to the lecsó just before it is ready, and cook for a few minutes.

Hungarian yellow wax bean stew (Zöldbabfőzelék)

This is a wonderful summer vegetarian meal made with freshly picked yellow wax beans, a good portion of sour cream, minced garlic and a pinch of paprika powder. It goes so well either by itself or as a side with fried eggs. Főzelék is a special category in Hungarian cuisine, a type of thick Hungarian vegetable stew. Főzelék is often eaten as the main course for lunch or like a garnish for different meat courses. This is a delicious summer dish, quick and easy recipe to make, done in 30 minutes. It can be served at room temperature, warmed, or my favorite — cold. Here is my recipe:

Recipe

Ingredients for 4 people:
500 grams (17.5 ounces) of yellow wax beans – ends removed and cut into 3-4 cm (1,5 inch) long pieces
800 ml (3,5 cups) of water
2 good tablespoons of rice flour
250 grams (1 cup) of sour cream
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 coffee spoon of sweet paprika powder
salt to taste

Directions:

Cook the beans in salted water until tender.

In a bowl whisk together the sour cream, the paprika powder, the minced garlic and the flour. Slowly begin to add spoonfuls of the water of the beans to the sour cream-flour mixture, stirring until smooth. When the it is possible to pour, add it to the beans, stirring constantly, to avoid clumping. (You cannot add the sour cream-flour mixture directly to the hot liquid, as it will cause it to curdle. You need to temper the sour cream first.)

Bring it to a boil, it will thicken up. Simmer for another 1 minute and it is done. Salt to taste.

Enjoy!