Hungarian Lecsó with Eggs
Servings: 4
There are some dishes that immediately taste like home, and for me, lecsó is one of them. 🇭🇺❤️ Made with fresh peppers, ripe tomatoes, onions and plenty of paprika, it’s simple Hungarian home cooking at its best.
Every Hungarian family seems to have their own way of making lecsó — and very strong opinions about it too! 😂 I love mine finished with eggs and sometimes virsli or kolbász, with plenty of fresh bread on the side to soak up all that delicious paprika-tomato juice.
My version also includes a little smoked paprika. Since I don’t use bacon, it gives the lecsó that subtle smoky flavor I love while keeping the recipe true to the way I cook for my family.
It’s easy, inexpensive, full of beautiful summer vegetables, and one of those meals I could happily eat again and again.
This is my lecsó — the way I know it, the way I love it, and the way I make it in my Hungarian kitchen. 🇭🇺🌶️❤️
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
2–3 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
½–1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 kg (2.2 lb) Hungarian wax or sweet peppers, sliced
500–600 g (1.1–1.3 lb) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3–4 eggs, lightly beaten
Virsli, sliced, optional
Hungarian kolbász, sliced, optional
Fresh bread, for serving
Instructions:
Score the tomatoes with a small X and blanch them in boiling water for 30–60 seconds. Transfer to cold water, peel and roughly chop.
Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook briefly.
Add the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Stir briefly, making sure the paprika doesn't burn.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften and release their juices.
Add the sliced peppers. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until tender and juicy, stirring occasionally.
At this stage, the basic lecsó is ready. If using virsli or kolbász, add it and cook for a few more minutes.
For the egg version, lightly beat the eggs and stir them into the hot lecsó. Cook gently just until the eggs are set.
Serve hot with plenty of fresh bread for dipping.