Simple Lecso Like Mum Used to Make

When late summer brings a glut of tomatoes and peppers, it’s a shame not to make the most of them. One of the surest options is homemade lecso, which is easy to cook in a big pot and then pack into jars for the winter months. That’s exactly when it comes into its own, because you simply open a jar, heat it through, and in no time you’ve got a base for a quick meal as well as a starting point for further cooking.

This version is a family recipe we’ve been making for years. It’s not a modern, experimental twist, but an honest classic built on a handful of ingredients. The advantage is that the flavour is consistent and predictable, exactly what you expect from lecso. And you can season it to suit the moment: one day you’ll add eggs, another day a bit of smoked sausage, or you’ll use it as a vegetable base under meat or in sauces.

Ingredients to prep ahead

For a larger batch you’ll need 4 kg tomatoes, 1 kg peppers, 4 onions, a little oil for sweating the onions, 3 coffee spoons of salt, 1/2 coffee spoon of ground black pepper, and 4 coffee spoons of sweet paprika. The ratios are set so the lecso is well balanced and also works beautifully for further tweaks after you open a jar.

Step-by-step method

Preparing the vegetables

First, blanch the tomatoes with hot water so the skins slip off easily. Cut the peeled tomatoes into smaller pieces. Wash the peppers, remove the stalks and seeds, and slice them into strips or smaller pieces depending on how you like your lecso. Peel the onions and chop them finely so they quickly release their aroma and soften in the base.

The onion base that sets the flavour

Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion. On a low heat, slowly sweat it until translucent. It’s important not to let it brown, because that would push the flavour into a more fried direction that doesn’t always suit a gentle, mellow lecso.

Add the peppers and briefly soften

Once the onion is soft and clear, add the sliced peppers. Stew them briefly with the onion so they soften and release some of their aroma. They don’t need to be fully cooked yet, as they’ll continue to soften along with the tomatoes.

Use the seasonings with a light hand

Add the salt, ground black pepper, and sweet paprika. Stir everything together and keep an eye on the heat so the paprika doesn’t scorch. If it burns, it can turn bitter and spoil the whole pot.

Tomatoes add juices and bring the flavours together

Finally, add the peeled, chopped tomatoes. Mix the pot thoroughly and simmer on a gentle heat for about 30 minutes. Stir now and then so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom and the flavours meld evenly. Proper lecso should be soft, fragrant, and juicy, but not cooked down into a complete mush.

Filling the jars and safe preserving

Filling with the hot mixture

Pack the finished lecso into clean preserving jars while it’s still hot. Wipe the rims carefully so no residue remains that could compromise the seal. Then screw the lids on firmly.

Sterilising for a long shelf life

Sterilise the jars for 20 minutes. After sterilising, let them cool and store them in a darker, cooler place, where they’ll keep right through to winter. That way you’ll always have a ready-made base to warm up and finish to taste.

How to use lecso after opening

In winter, homemade lecso is perfect when you want a fast meal without any fuss. You can simply heat it and add eggs, or toss in pieces of smoked sausage. It also works well as a side for meat, or as a base for other recipes whenever you need a tomato-and-pepper vegetable mixture. That versatility is exactly why it pays to make a larger batch.

Where lecso comes from and why it’s cooked mainly in late summer

Although we think of lecso as an everyday staple, its roots reach back to Hungary. Traditional Hungarian lecsó is built on a simple combination of peppers, tomatoes, and onions, stewed in their own juices with a little fat or oil. As here, though, there isn’t one single “correct” version even in Hungary, because every family adjusts the vegetable ratios and seasoning to their own habits.

Lecso is traditionally made towards the end of summer when tomatoes and peppers ripen, and it’s often preserved in jars so it can serve in winter as a quick meal and a practical base for other dishes.

Homemade lecso is simply a proven way to make the most of your harvest, save time during the year, and keep a jar on hand that tastes like proper home cooking. If you like straightforward recipes that don’t rely on complications but on good ingredients, this classic won’t let you down.

Source: Záhrada, Jidlo.cz, Pestrazahrada.cz