Hungarian Lecho Recipe

Lecho is a classic summer recipe that makes perfect use of fresh peppers and ripe tomatoes from the garden or farmers' market when these vegetables are at their peak. Got a craving for lecho? Let’s cook it!

Although the original recipe comes from Hungary, the dish is also popular throughout Central and Eastern Europe, especially in the Czech Republic or Poland. 

MY TIP: Fan of European meals? Try Haluski, fried cabbage and noodles (it tastes fantastic!)

➜ Pronunciation

The Czechs call this meal "lečo," the Hungarians "lecsó," and the Poles "leczo." Pretty similar, isn’t it?

To give you an idea of how the Czech word "lečo" sounds in Czech, I have recorded a short audio clip for you.

➜ What is lecho?

Lecho is a traditional Hungarian dish, prepared on an onion base of sweet peppers and tomatoes. The stewed vegetables are thickened with eggs. Small pieces of pan-fried sausage make a great addition to this recipe.

Serve lecho as a light main course, it goes nicely with boiled potatoes or a slice of fresh bread.

➜ Ingredients

For homemade lecho you need:

• Peppers; summer peppers picked up in the garden or fresh from the market. A good choice is sweet bell pepper red, yellow, white; or green banana peppers, and other sweet paprikas. Just the ones that are available and you won't pay a fortune for them. In Europe, most of these veggies peak in July or even August.
• Tomatoes; fresh
• Onions
• Eggs; to thicken the dish. Don't worry if lecho releases liquid when cooked. It's not always possible to thicken it fully with eggs, but that's okay, a little lecho sauce on the plate is fine!
• Sausage; it can be spicier, we like spicy Hungarian sausage, or use any Polish sausage. These sausages are available in delis that specialize in European foods.
• Lard; or vegetable oil - sunflower or Canola works the best, alternatively olive oil.
• Salt and black pepper; for seasoning

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

➜ Instructions with photos

STEP 1: Clean tomatoes and peppers, halve the paprikas and scoop out the seeds. Cut into strips or wedges. Peel and finely chop the onion.

STEP 2: In a large pot, heat the fat on medium heat and fry the onions until golden brown.

STEP 3: Add the chopped vegetables. Pepper and salt, stir. Turn down the heat, cover with a lid and let stew for 10 minutes.

STEP 4: In the meantime, slice the sausage into rounds and fry them in a little fat in a frying pan.

STEP 5: Add the eggs to the stewed vegetables, remove the pot from the stove, and stir. Mix eggs until curdling, or return the pot to the heat for a few more minutes, or until the eggs have thickened.

STEP 5: Stir the fried sausage into the lecho and serve.

➜ Serving

A perfect side dish for lecho are boiled potatoes or fresh bread. Garnish the dish with a sprig of green parsley for a nicer look!

➜ Useful tips

• If you prefer a stronger flavor, add a dash of chili pepper to the veggie blend while making it.
• Always cook the cut sausage in a skillet first; this will significantly enhance the flavor of the lecho.
• Do you have an abundance of vegetables? Make lecho in bulk and preserve it in jars for later use! Only one change is required: do not add eggs or sausage to the canned lecho.

More Hungarian recipes:

• Langos flatbread
• Szegedin goulash
• Chicken paprikash