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Hungarian Pepper Stew with Tomatoes and Sausage (Lecsó)

Hungarian Pepper Stew with Tomatoes and Sausage (Lecsó)

“A tangle of tender peppers, hunks of sausage, juicy tomatoes and lightly caramelized onions, all bathed in a sauce that builds itself—rich, piquant and vibrantly red.”

By Courtney HillDecember 6, 2022

  • Makes
    4 to 6 Servings
  • Cook Time
    50 minutes
  • Rating

We tasted many versions of lecsó—a rustic, hearty pepper stew—throughout Hungary. Our recipe is a blend of those taught to us by cookbook author Zsófia Mautner and Tibor Rosenstein, owner and chef of Restaurant Rosenstein in Budapest. Rosenstein’s version incorporates sausage, adding depth and heft to the vegetables. To emulate robustly smoky and savory Hungarian sausage, we call on two grocery store staples: bacon for rich smokiness and kielbasa for texture and spice. Sweet and subtly hot, Hungarian wax peppers are the traditional go-to, though hard to find in the U.S. In their place, we opted for an easier-to-source blend of yellow bell peppers and mildly spicy banana, cubanelle or Anaheim peppers. Like other classic Hungarian dishes, such as paprikash, lecsó is seasoned with a healthy dose of paprika. Its earthy-sweet notes complement both the peppers and sausage, while giving the stew an especially luscious consistency. We love serving this with crusty bread, but it also is delicious spooned over rice, mashed potatoes or nokedli, Spätzle-like Hungarian dumplings.

Tip

Don’t add the tomatoes until the end of cooking. Their freshness and bright acidity balance the richness of the stew.

Ingredients
  • 8

    ounces kielbasa or other smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch half-moons

  • 1

    tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 2

    ounces bacon, chopped

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

  •  

    Kosher salt

  • 2

    medium yellow bell peppers (about 1 pound total), stemmed, seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces

  • 4

    banana peppers or 3 cubanelle or Anaheim peppers (about 1 pound total), stemmed, seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 4

    teaspoons sweet paprika, divided

  • ¾

    teaspoon hot paprika or ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1

    pound ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped

Step 1

In a large Dutch oven over medium-­high, combine the sausage and oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate; set aside.

Step 2

Reduce to medium, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add both types of peppers, the garlic, 1 teaspoon of the sweet paprika, the hot paprika and ½ cup water. Scrape up any browned bits, then cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the peppers begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1½ cups water, cover partially, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are fully softened, 12 to 15 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in the tomatoes, sausage and remaining 1 tablespoon sweet paprika. Cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes release their juices but have not broken down, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt.

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