Main Page
Homemade preparations
Lecho with tomato juice for winter

Lecho with Tomato Juice for Winter

A simple, delicious vegetable relish for winter! Though lecho hails from Hungary and came to us by way of Hungarian cooking, this canned vegetable medley has become a beloved preserve in kitchens across the region. Despite how simple and easy the ingredients are at harvest time, it turns out to be a satisfying, tasty, savory dish all on its own — a fragrant, colorful relish that makes a wonderful stand-in for fresh vegetables in winter and rounds out any menu beautifully.

Snezhana

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Tomatoes

Bell pepper

Carrots

0.5

Onion

0.5

Dill

Parsley

Vegetable oil

200

Sugar

Salt

Table vinegar (9%)

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 6 % 1 g

Fats 33 % 6 g

Carbohydrates 61 % 11 g

97 kcal

GI: 45 / 0 / 55

Cooking method

Cooking time: 50 min

Step 1:

You can use store-bought tomato juice or make your own from fresh tomatoes — it's easy. Start with well-ripened tomatoes. Wash them under running water, dip them into boiling water for a few minutes, then into cold water, and carefully peel off the skins with a knife. Cut the tomatoes into several pieces.
Step 2:

Run the tomatoes through a meat grinder, or purée them in a blender until smooth. For seed-free juice, strain it through a sieve. If the tomatoes are very ripe and soft, you can simply mash them into a purée by hand.
Step 3:

Peel the onions and cut them into rings or half-rings.
Step 4:

Wash the fresh dill and parsley and dry them in a colander or on a paper towel. Cut the herbs into pieces about 3/4 inch (2 cm) long.
Step 5:

Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half, cut out the stem and seed core, and remove the white ribs. Cut the pepper flesh into half-rings or cubes. The bell peppers should be fresh, freshly picked, and juicy.
Step 6:

Wash, peel, and grate the carrots. If the carrots are young, it's enough to scrub them with a stiff brush — you don't have to peel them.
Step 7:

Add all the prepared vegetables and herbs to the tomato mixture. Set it over the heat and add the salt, sugar, and vegetable oil. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the mixture doesn't stick or scorch on the bottom. Once it boils, lower the heat to medium and cook the lecho for 10 minutes, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon. Then pour in the vinegar and stir. Let it come back to a boil and turn off the heat right away.
Step 8:

Wash and sterilize the jars ahead of time. Wash them with a baking-soda solution to remove any dirt and degrease them, then sterilize them over a water bath, in the microwave, in the oven, or any other convenient way. Wash and boil the lids and let them dry.
Step 9:

Fill the jars with lecho up to the shoulders. Seal them with lids. Let them cool upside down under a warm blanket. Move the preserve to the pantry for storage. Enjoy!