Classic Pepper Lecho for Winter (Finger-Licking Good)
Very quick, very tasty, and simple - made from everyday ingredients! A recipe tested for years. Classic pepper lecho for winter will become your favorite as soon as you make it. This appetizer is not spicy - just pleasantly tangy and mildly sweet. In our home it never makes it to February - it’s eaten first.
Updated : 17 December, 2025
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
1200 grams
Bell pepper
1 kilograms
Tomato
20 grams
Basil
20 grams
Hot chili pepper
10 grams
Garlic
60 grams
Sugar
10 grams
Salt
20 grams
Vegetable oil
20 milliliters
Vinegar
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make finger-licking-good tomato and pepper lecho for winter? Prepare all the ingredients from the list. Which vegetables are best? Use seasonal, juicy tomatoes and large, meaty sweet peppers. A mix of red, yellow, and orange peppers makes it especially bright and tasty. Wash the vegetables well.
Step 2
Cut the tomatoes into 4 parts. If you like, remove the stem ends. Rinse the basil. If using dried basil instead of fresh, reduce the amount by 3-4 times to taste.
Step 3
Put the tomatoes and chopped basil into a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 4
For perfectly smooth tomato purée, press it through a sieve. You can skip this step if you prefer.
Step 5
Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the stem and the seeded core. Cut each half into 2-3 more wedges.
Step 6
Put the peppers into a pot, pour in the tomato mixture, and set on the stove. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook the lecho for about 10 minutes. Judge by the pepper variety: if your peppers are thick-walled and very meaty, simmer 5-10 minutes longer. The peppers should soften a bit but not turn mushy.
Step 7
Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. Peel the garlic; rinse it together with the hot pepper under running water. I used dried chili and reduced the amount because kids enjoy this lecho too. Adjust the amount of hot pepper to your taste.
Step 8
Add sugar, salt, garlic with hot pepper, vegetable oil, and vinegar to the pot. Stir carefully so you don’t break the pepper pieces. Taste and adjust the salt. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Step 9
Fill sterile jars with the finished lecho right up to the top and close with lids.
Step 10
Turn the jars upside down and keep them under a warm blanket at room temperature until completely cool. Store the lecho long-term in a cool place.
Step 11
From this amount of ingredients, I got 1600 ml (1.6 L / about 1.7 qt) of finished lecho. I sealed 3 jars of 500 ml (about 2.1 cups) and had a small bowl left to taste.
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