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Vegan Lecso with tofu served
Rich Hungarian vegetable ragout served with fresh bread

Vegan Lecso with Smoked Tofu

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Main Courses Quick Meals
Lecso is the essence of Hungarian cuisine: onion, pepper, tomato. Chemically, it's a stewed vegetable ragout where the tomato's acidity and pectin thicken the pepper's juice. Here, smoked tofu brilliantly replaces the smoky flavour profile of sausage or bacon, while absorbing the savoury juices of the Lecso with its sponge-like structure. A tradition-honouring yet modern dish.
🕒 Prep Time 15 mins
🍳 Cook Time 25 mins
⌛ Total Time 40 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 310 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Deep frying pan or pot
  • Chopping board
  • Kitchen paper for tofu

Allergen Information

⚠️ Soya

Instructions

1 ✓

Drain the tofu and cut into cubes. Fry the cubes in a little oil until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Tip: Frying (Maillard reaction) deepens its flavour and gives it texture so it isn't soft like an eraser.
2 ✓

Finely chop the onion, slice the peppers into rings or strips, and cut the tomatoes into wedges.

Tip: You can peel the tomatoes by scalding if the skin bothers you, but there is a lot of flavour in the skin.
3 ✓

Sauté the onion in the remaining oil. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika powder.

Tip: 'Removing from heat' is a critical step! Paprika's sugar content burns in moments in hot oil and becomes bitter, but dissolving in fat brings out its colour.
4 ✓

Add the peppers, salt, and add a tiny bit of water. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.

Tip: Salt helps extract water from the peppers, starting to steam in their own juice.
5 ✓

When the peppers have collapsed, add the tomato and crushed garlic. Cook uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until the juice thickens.

Tip: Here we evaporate excess water to get a thick sauce.
6 ✓

Finally, stir in the fried tofu and boil together for 2 minutes.

Tip: It's the real deal with fresh white bread!

Recipe FAQ

Why put the peppers in first?
Peppers have a stronger cellulose structure than tomatoes. If you put them in together, the tomato's acidity slows down the softening of the pepper (pectin breaks down slower in acidic environments), so the tomato cooks apart before the pepper softens.

Ingredients

  • 250 g Smoked tofu (firm)
  • 600 g White peppers or yellow peppers
  • 300 g Ripe, juicy tomatoes
  • 1 large Red onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 3 tbsp Sunflower oil (or lard if not vegan)
  • 1 tsp Sweet paprika powder
  • 1 pinch Smoked paprika (for extra aroma)
  • 1 tsp Salt