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Hungarian

Lecsó

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Sweet peppers and ripe tomatoes stewed with onion and paprika until soft and saucy — a Hungarian summer staple served on its own or as a base for eggs or sausage.

Lecsó is a Hungarian stew from Hungary, ready in about 45 minutes and made with green bell pepper and tomato. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Lecsó
Photo: zeevveez / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
171

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil in a wide pan until soft and translucent.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the peppers and cook, stirring, until they start to soften.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Take the pan off the heat briefly and stir in the paprika (opens in a new tab), then add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), salt and sugar (opens in a new tab). Simmer, partly covered, until soft and saucy.

    • 15 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    For an egg version, pour in the beaten eggs (opens in a new tab) and stir gently until just set. Serve with bread.

    • 3 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Cook eggs until set for anyone vulnerable.

About this dish

Origin
Hungary · Well documentedAlso popular in Serbia, CzechiaMore food from Hungary
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Side dishes
Cooking method
Stewed, Sautéed
Taste
fresh, sweet & savoury, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-fibre
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-fibre · DASH-style · Carb-conscious
Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Lacto-vegetarian, No gluten ingredients, Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pan · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Green bell pepper · Tomato · Onion · Paprika · Sugar
Techniques
Sautéing · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

171 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 339 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 7%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 54%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy171 kcal50 kcal
Protein3.2 g0.9 g
Carbohydrate18.2 g5.4 g
Net carbohydrate12.7 g3.7 g
Sugars9.8 g2.9 g
Added sugars0.5 g0.2 g
Fibre5.5 g1.6 g
Fat11 g3.2 g
Saturated fat1.2 g0.4 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium597 mg176 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
666 mg
Calcium
44 mg
Iron
1.3 mg
Magnesium
37 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
119 µg
Vitamin C
141 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
44 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg, crusty bread / baguette.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Lecsó freezes well — make a big batch at the height of pepper season.

Common mistakes

  • Adding paprika to a very hot pan burns it and turns the dish bitter.
  • Using thick-walled bell peppers only gives a watery, less fragrant lecsó; thin-walled wax peppers are best.

Serve with

  • Serve with bread, rice or as a sauce for grilled sausages.

Storage

  • Refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 3 months.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently in a pan.

Variations

  • Kolbászos lecsó: Add sliced smoked paprika sausage with the onions.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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