Polish Letcho (Leczo) Recipe
Polish letcho is a rich stew of peppers, onions and tomatoes cooked with traditional smoked sausage. It is exceptionally easy to make, versatile and popular especially during summer months as a light meal using seasonal produce.
Servings 5 servings
Calories 291kcal
Ingredients
- 4 peppers deseeded, chopped, see *Notes
- 2 medium red onions finely chopped
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 14.11 ounces Polish smoked sausage
- 1 tablespoon vegetable/olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Cook onions: Heat the oil, add the onions and cook gently for about 4 minutes until softened, stirring often.
- Add peppers: Add the chopped peppers, increase the heat slightly and continue cooking for another 4 minutes stirring often.
- Add tomatoes: Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, paprika plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir thoroughly, cover and bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the vegetables have released lots of juice and the peppers are softened (but not mushy).TIP: Season the letcho lightly at this stage. You can adjust the seasoning once you’ve added the kiełbasa.
- Fry kiełbasa: Chop the kiełbasa. I like to cut it in half lengthways then cut into slices (approx. ¼inch- 1cm thick). Fry in a large non-stick pan over a fairly high heat for a few minutes until lightly browned, stirring often (kiełbasa contains quite a bit of fat so you shouldn’t need to add any oil to the pan). Remove from the heat and transfer the kielbasa to a bowl (I don’t use the fat that will have collected in the pan, but you can if you prefer).TIP: To save time fry the kiełbasa while the stew is bubbling away.
- Add kiełbasa: Stir the kiełbasa into the stew. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat, add freshly chopped parsley and serve!
Notes
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- *I used 2 red bell peppers, 1 green and 1 yellow, but you can use a different combination of peppers including Hungarian wax peppers or banana peppers.
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- For best results use ripe flavourful tomatoes. You can even add a few cherry tomatoes for extra sweetness and flavour (they worked well in my creamy cabbage soup).
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- Try not to overcook your letcho so the peppers do not become mushy.
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- I recommend using smoky, garlicky Polish sausage. Polish stores should have a good selection of these.
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- To save time fry the kiełbasa while the stew is bubbling away.
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- Best served hot. Leftover letcho can be refrigerated and consumed within 3 days.
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- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 665mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1822IU | Vitamin C: 99mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg