Lecho is a flavorful Hungarian bell pepper and tomato stew that’s either vegetarian or made with smoked sausage. This no-fuss delicious meal is an easy weeknight dinner or lunch that’s low carb and perfect for keto or paleo diets. Best part? You only need one pot and 30 minutes to make this hearty but healthy dish.
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What is lecho
Lecho (Hungarian lecsó) is a thick stew typically made with red, orange and yellow peppers, ripe tomatoes, onions and ground sweet or hot paprika as the base. I’ve heard that the best kind of lecho is made on an open flame in a “bogrács” (a special kind of cauldron) and it’s a popular food served at festivals.
My version of lecho is the Polish rendition of this classic Hungarian dish, made with kielbasa and zucchini. “Leczo” (in Polish, pronounced "le-cho") is actually very popular in Poland, especially in late summer when peppers and tomatoes taste best. Sautéed sweet bell peppers used to be one of my very favorite things to eat as a child (next to steamed cauliflower and green beans) so this dish has a special place in my heart. I was an odd kind of a picky eater as a child but now I like pretty much everything!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Lecho is a great way to use up abundant peppers, zucchini and tomatoes from your garden (or farmer’s market).
- One-pot meal = my favorite kind of meal!
- It’s quick and easy to make, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- Healthy, nutritious and low-cal.
- Meal prep and freezer friendly.
- Vegan-friendly, if you skip the sausage.
- Low-carb and paleo friendly!
- Make sure to also try my Oven Baked Cabbage and Meatballs (Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls) for another great recipe.
What you'll need
- Bell Peppers: red, orange or yellow bell peppers will work best in this recipe. If you have green peppers, you can throw one or two in, too. Hungarian wax peppers or banana peppers can also be used.
- Tomatoes: use ripe or overripe tomatoes.
- Onions: yellow, white or sweet onions will all work.
- Zucchini: to bulk up the dish and add more veggie goodness. If you don’t have any zucchini on hand, you can use yellow squash instead or skip it.
- Garlic: fresh garlic will work best
- Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil for most recipes but light olive oil, avocado or sunflower oil are all great choices.
- Tomato Paste: I like to use tomato paste in a tube. It makes storing leftovers so much easier!
- Sausage (optional): I recommend good quality Polish kielbasa. It would also be delicious (and spicy) with anadouille sausage.
- Paprika & Smoked Paprika: there is no Hungarian food without paprika! I highly recommend authentic Hungarian paprika because its flavor is truly superior!
- Salt & Pepper: for seasoning.
How to make lecho
Step 1: Sautė the onions in olive oil in a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot. If you are using sausage, add it in with the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring from time to time.
Step 2: Add diced bell peppers and zucchini. Cover the Dutch oven/ pot partially and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
Step 3: Add the veggies: onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes more until peppers are fork tender and tomatoes are mostly fallen apart. Taste the stew and season to taste.
Step 4: Sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves, if desired and serve!
Tips for peeling tomatoes
The easiest hack for peeling tomatoes is scoring the skin on top of each tomato into a cross symbol and placing the tomatoes in a colander. Lace the colander in the sink and pour some boiling hot water over the tomatoes. Wait a couple minutes and peel the skin off with a pairing knife starting at the cross scoring. It should come right off!
Serving suggestions
Serve this delicious lecho on its own, with a piece of fresh crusty bread or baguette, or with a side of rice.
Storage and freezing tips
Store cooked lecho in an airtight container or jar for up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter at room temperature for a couple hours. To reheat, pour the contents into a skillet or a pot and warm it up on medium low heat until hot. You can also reheat it in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until heated through.
Variations and substitutions
This dish is highly customizable and you can change the proportions according to what you have available. Here are some suggestions:
- Use any color bell peppers you like. Red, yello and orange are the sweetest. Green peppers will change the flavor of lecho to less sweet but it will still be delicious!
- If you grow or have access to other pepper species, such as Hungarian wax peppers, Cubanello peppers or banana peppers, you can use those, too.
- If you don’t like or don’t want to use zucchini, you can skip it and add more peppers (or not).
- Use yellow squash instead of zucchini, if you like.
- Change the pepper – tomato – onion ratio according to your preferences. More tomatoes will make the stew more saucy.
- For a vegetarian version omit the sausage or add mushrooms instead.
- Add more garlic if you’re a garlic lover like me!
- If you don’t have smoked paprika, just use more sweet paprika.
- If you want to make this dish spicy, throw in some hot peppers with sweet peppers. Or, add a teaspoon or so of hot paprika or cayenne pepper.
- For a less traditional version use sliced chicken breast instead of sausage! Sometimes I make it this way and it’s especially good over white or brown rice. You can also use smoked chicken sausage instead of pork.
Recipe FAQs
Technically no but I definitely recommend peeling them, otherwise you will end up with tomato skins swimming in your stew which can be a bit unpleasant. If you don’t mind that, no need to peel!
Yes! Fresh tomatoes will give you best results, especially when in season but in winter months or if you don’t have access to fresh tomatoes, good quality diced canned tomatoes will work well, too. You can also use whole canned tomatoes and chop them yourself.
The Polish leczo is inspired by the Hungarian lecsó and they are quite similar. However, the Hungarian original often starts with pork lard in which onions and peppers are fried until crisp before adding tomatoes. The Polish version is a bit lighter and often swaps oil for lard and uses zucchini, too (like in this recipe).
More easy one pot meals
- Shrimp Yaki Udon
- Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Bacon and Goat Cheese
- Healing Chicken Noodle Soup (Authentic Polish Rosół Recipe)
- Spicy Lentil Potato Soup
- Creamy Zucchini Mushroom Pasta (Vegan)
- Polish Mushroom Soup (Zupa Grzybowa)
If you try my Lecho recipe, be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Lecho {Peppers and Tomato Stew}
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper diced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into half circles
- 2 small to medium yellow onions roughly chopped
- 3 large tomatoes peeled and diced
- 3 garlic cloves crushed or minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz kielbasa smoked sausage or anadouille sausage (optional), sliced into half circles or diced
- Chopped parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat up olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large pot with thick bottom. Add onions and kielbasa (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add diced bell peppers and zucchini, stir, cover the Dutch oven partially and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally on medium low.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed garlic, and all the spices. Stir, cover the Dutch oven partially and cook 10-15 minutes more, until peppers are fork tender and tomatoes are mostly fallen apart.
- Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley leaves (if desired) with crusty bread, brown rice or on its own.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Freya says
Such a delicious recipe with lots of flavour!
Natalie says
Great lecho recipe! Simple for a busy mom, but delicious and kid-friendly, thanks!
Alexandra says
So comforting and delicious- love this!
Oscar says
This looks so good. Can’t wait to try this lecho recipe.
Nora says
Easy to make and super delicious! Love it! Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca says
Delicious comfort food, thanks for the recipe.
Andréa Janssen says
Delicous and easy to make!
Luke says
Fantastic weeknight dinner and full of flavour 🙂
Marcellina says
So tasty and easy to make!
Amy says
Delicious! I added some pork and fennel sausages.