Lecho with tomato paste and pepper for the winter

Lecho with tomato paste and bell pepper is a simple and tasty winter salad that can be prepared in different ways. Instead of making tomato juice, we buy paste. And it is one of the main ingredients of a delicious winter lecho. Be sure to try the pasta before cooking - it should be thick and tasty, the taste of lecho depends on this. The pepper is no less important - it must be ripe and meaty.

Bell pepper lecho with finger-licking tomato paste

This lecho is prepared quickly enough and is not troublesome, but the result is a delicate sweetish taste. This preparation will surely become not only your favorite, but that of all your household members. Lecho is moderately spicy, slightly piquant and very bright in taste. Prepare - you won't regret it! This dish is considered “quickly eaten” and a favorite.

1. 
   Lecho with tomato paste and pepper for the winter is prepared quickly, so let’s immediately prepare the jars, wash them and bake them well in the oven or in a water bath for 10 minutes. We wash the pepper well, peel it, cut it lengthwise into large strips, peel the garlic.
2. 
   We take a saucepan with a volume of about 8 liters and cook vegetable broth, to do this we place the prepared pepper in it, fill it with clean water, completely covering the pepper. For 1 kg of tomato paste we need to get 3 liters of broth. Accordingly, you need to pour 4-4.5 liters of water with a reserve. Place the pan on the stove and, when the water boils, stir the pepper a little for 5 minutes.
3. 
   Using a slotted spoon, remove the pepper from the pan into a clean, dry bowl, strain the vegetable broth and place in a smaller pan, you should get 3 liters, if you still don’t have enough, add a little boiled water.
4. 
   Add tomato paste to the resulting liquid, mix and put on the fire until it boils, add seasonings and spices, finely chopped garlic. Cook for 7 minutes. We taste it to our taste, depending on the additives contained in the paste - you may need more sugar or salt, pepper will absorb most of the taste, so the filling should have a very pronounced taste. At the end of cooking, add vinegar and boil for 2 minutes, then turn off. We should have a thick tomato sauce.
5. 
   Place the peppers in jars and boil the lids.
6. 
   Using a small ladle, pour the pepper in the jars, periodically carefully tamping it down so that there is no air left in the jar; this can be done with a fork, moving the pepper in different directions, helping the sauce to distribute in the jar.
7. 
   We take one boiling lid at a time and roll up our fragrant lecho for the winter.Turn it upside down, cover it with a blanket and leave it to soak.

And the very next day you can take a sample, look at it: “lick your fingers”!

A simple recipe for lecho with tomato paste without sterilization

Try delicious bell peppers in paste and seasonings using this recipe without sterilization. In this way, lecho can be prepared in large quantities, since it is prepared very simply and quickly, and there are a minimum of ingredients; the main thing is to follow the instructions. And the taste is excellent. Everyone can prepare this simple appetizer, and in winter open a jar of bright summer and enjoy the wonderful rich taste of lecho.

Ingredients:

• Peeled bell pepper – 2 kg.
• Granulated sugar – 4 tbsp.
• Peppercorns – 7 pcs.
• Tomato paste – 200 g.
• Vinegar 9% – 50 ml.
• Vegetable oil – 100 ml.
• Coarse salt – 1 tbsp.
• Water – 1 liter.
• Bay leaf – 3 pcs. 

Cooking process:

Step 1. Cut the juicy pepper, well washed and seeded, into several parts, and then chop it to your taste: you can use it in squares or strips. Place in a plastic bag and weigh.

Step 2. Take a bowl with a thick bottom and prepare the marinade, to do this, mix salt in water with sugar, add tomato paste, 9% vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaves, immediately add vegetable oil, stir gently until smooth and boil. Add chopped pepper to the tomato marinade and cook for 15 minutes.

Step 3. That's it! Our amazing treatment is ready! Place the lecho in prepared clean and dry jars and roll up. We turn the jars upside down, cover them with a warm blanket, and don’t touch them for a day, let them saturate.

Lecho with zucchini and tomato paste

A very simple yet practical preparation.Served as an independent appetizer with main courses. This lecho will help you out a lot when you don’t have time to cook or if dear guests unexpectedly show up.

Ingredients for 4.5 l. lecho:

• Zucchini squash – 3000 g.
• Meaty bell pepper – 1500 g.
• Fresh tomatoes – 500 g.
• Tomato paste – 3 tbsp. l.
• Water – 500 ml.
• Sunflower vegetable oil – 250ml.
• Garlic – 1 head.
• Vinegar 9% – 100ml.
• Granulated sugar – 200 ml.
• Salt – 20 g.
• Peppercorns – 5 pieces. 

Cooking process:

Step 1. Cut the bell pepper, pre-washed and seeded, into centimeter-wide strips. Peel the zucchini and cut into large strips. Blanch the tomatoes and grind them in a blender.

Step 2. In a large saucepan, put zucchini, bell peppers, chopped garlic, tomatoes, salt, peppercorns and sugar, add butter. Separately, in a bowl, dilute the tomato paste with water and pour it into the vegetables. Mix the future zucchini lecho thoroughly. If you want it spicy, you can add finely chopped hot chili pepper.

Step 3. Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil at high temperature, then reduce the heat and simmer the vegetables for another 20 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, stir and cook for another 10 minutes.

Step 4. Immediately after cooking, place the zucchini and bell pepper lecho in small sterile jars with tin or screw lids. Turn over and wrap until completely cool.

Lecho with carrots and onions

This recipe for lecho with bell pepper is a simple and healthy homemade recipe. A very common and favorite option for preparing vegetables for the winter with a rich taste.

Ingredients:

• Tomato paste – 360 g (1 can).
• Carrots – 500 g.
• Granulated sugar – 100 g.
• Onions – 500 g.
• Sweet bell pepper – 2000 g.
• Garlic - 1 head (large).
• Water – 400 g.
• Vinegar 9% – 50 ml.
• Salt – 2 tsp.

Cooking process:

Step 1. Let's start preparing the vegetables. They need to be washed and cleaned. Cut the sweet pepper into strips, grate the carrots conveniently in a food processor using a large attachment or on a grater, chop the onion into half rings, you can also use a food processor or by hand.

Step 2. Place the tomato paste in a saucepan and add all the water, there should be exactly the same amount as the paste. Mix until smooth, add salt and sugar and put on fire, bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and place the carrots in the tomato mixture; let it simmer for 10 minutes. And immediately add the onion, and after another 10 minutes add the pepper last.

Step 3. All vegetables should simmer in one pot for 30 minutes, add chopped garlic, add vinegar, cook at a boil for another 5 minutes and turn off.

Step 4. Place the aromatic lecho in sterile jars, screw on the lids, and store upside down under a warm towel for a day to cool slowly.

Bon appetit!

Lecho with cucumbers

This lecho recipe is rightfully a complete salad or side dish, as you wish, which will perfectly diversify the menu of winter days.

Ingredients:

• Peeled sweet pepper – 1 kg.
• Carrots – 300 g.
• Granulated sugar – 2 tbsp. l.
• Salt – 1 tbsp. l.
• Fresh cucumber – 2 kg.
• Tomato paste – 400 g (1 can).
• Onion – 300 g.
• Water – 350 ml.
• Vegetable oil – 150 ml.
• Bay leaf – 4 pieces.
• Allspice – 8 peas.
• Vinegar 9% – 3 tbsp. l.
• Ground black pepper, coriander and paprika - to taste.

Cooking process:

Step 1. Mix tomato paste with water and dilute until smooth in a saucepan, add butter, sugar and salt.Place the pan on low heat until it boils and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 2. Add coarsely grated carrots, medium-sized chopped onions, bay leaves and peppercorns. Boil the entire contents and cook under the lid for 15 minutes.

Step 3. Add pepper, cut into small strips, to our preparation, mix with a spatula and as soon as the mixture boils, simmer for another 15 minutes.

Step 4. And now it’s time to cut the cucumber thinly into circles, and if the cucumber is large, into half rings. Place it in a saucepan. Once again, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. About 4 minutes before readiness, add vinegar and spices that we prepared in advance - paprika, pepper and coriander.

Step 5. Place the boiling lecho in sterile jars, close and wrap them, turn them over to the bottom until they cool completely.

Enjoy yourself and pamper your loved ones!

Lecho with garlic

This recipe will appeal to lovers of the spicy taste of garlic. In addition to this, if desired, you can add a couple of peppercorns and a bud of cloves to each jar. But, we will prepare this recipe in a classic version. We choose a thick tomato paste that can hold a spoon, and when diluted with water, it should be dense, not runny.

Ingredients for lecho:

• Bell pepper – 3000 g.
• Salt – 2 tbsp. l.
• Vegetable oil – 150 ml.
• Sugar - granulated - 150 g.
• Tomato paste – 700 g.
• Vinegar 9% -2 tbsp. l.
• Boiled water – 2 l.

Cooking process:

Step 1. We wash the fleshy and juicy pepper, remove the seed capsule and cut it lengthwise into approximately 8 pieces, depending on the size of the fruit into fairly large pieces.

Step 2. In a saucepan, stir the tomato paste with water along with salt and sugar, add vegetable oil and boil the whole mass.Place the prepared pepper in a saucepan and cook the lecho over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes; it should simmer slowly.

Step 3. Peel the garlic, rinse and dry on a towel. In clean and dry jars with a volume of 0.5-0.8 liters, place a clove of garlic at the bottom of each and lay out the hot lecho, filling it with juice to the very top. We screw the jars and we will sterilize them.

Step 4. Take a saucepan that can hold 2-3 jars, line the bottom with a small towel, carefully place the jars of lecho and boil over low heat for 15 minutes. The water should be “up to the shoulders” of the jar. Carefully take out the hot jars, turn them over, wrap them in a blanket and let them cool for a day and reach the desired consistency.

5. Enjoy fragrant lecho with garlic notes in winter!

Bell pepper lecho with tomato paste without vinegar

Amazingly quick and simple recipe with minimal ingredients. It will be good for those who cannot eat spicy, salty foods and who are only suitable for delicate rolls. It contains a maximum of natural ingredients. Despite the absence of vinegar, lecho is perfectly stored without refrigeration. Be sure to try it!

Ingredients for lecho:

• Bell pepper – 2 kg.
• Granulated sugar – 5 tbsp. l.
• Tomato paste – 800 g.
• Salt – 2 tsp.
• Boiled water – 800 g.

Cooking process:

Step 1. Using boiled cold water, dilute tomato paste in equal proportions, mix with sugar and salt. You can try to adjust it to your taste, since tomato paste may contain different additives.

Step 2. Pour into a container convenient for cooking and place on low heat until it boils.

Step 3.We wash the pepper under running water, cut it into two parts and remove the core along with the seeds. Place the chopped peppers into boiling liquid and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Now is a great time to prepare your jars. Wash them with baking soda and dry them well in the oven, boil the lids.

Step 5. Pour the hot, ready-made lecho into sterile jars, roll it up, and place it upside down for 12-24 hours under a warm blanket.

Lecho with beans

Lecho with bell peppers and beans is an excellent side dish for meat or fish; it is tasty both as a stand-alone vegetable stew and as an addition to soups. If you follow the given recipe step by step, everything is quite simple, but it turns out very tasty.

Ingredients:

• Bell pepper – 1 kg.
• Beans (preferably red) – 1.5 kg.
• Ripe tomatoes – 4 kg.
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp. l.
• Granulated sugar – 0.5 kg.
• Coarse salt – 2 tbsp. l.
• Onion – 1 kg.
• Sunflower oil – 250 ml.

Cooking process:

Step 1. It is preferable to take red beans, but you can also use white ones, but mixing different varieties is not recommended. Before preparing the lecho, soak the beans overnight. Cook the beans in a large amount of water until half cooked for 30 minutes, it is important that they do not boil, add salt 5 minutes before cooking and when they are ready, completely salt the water and rinse the grains under running water.

Step 2. Blanch the tomatoes, to do this we make an incision with a cross, lower them into boiling water for a couple of minutes and immediately into cold water, remove the skin towards the petiole, which we also remove. Then we cut them into small pieces.

Step 3. Peel the pepper, divide it into several parts and cut into strips. Shape the peeled and pre-washed onions into half rings.

Step 4.We put all the vegetables in a large basin, add sugar, salt and pour sunflower oil on top, mix and turn on the burner to a slightly higher heat than medium. When the salad boils, reduce the heat and cook for 1 hour, stirring from time to time.

Step 5. Add the pre-prepared beans and cook with the vegetables for another 1 hour. We taste the beans for readiness, if necessary, cook them at the same temperature.

Step 6. Place the hot lecho in sterile jars. And, upside down, we wrap it and store it for a day. After which you can move the lecho to the pantry or cellar.

In winter, this treatment will be a godsend for you!

Lecho with eggplant

Eggplants can be prepared for the winter in lecho sauce with bell pepper. The dish will be satisfying and high in calories. This dish is also called “Bulgarian Eggplant”, which is the name under which this appetizer is famous in Bulgaria.

Ingredients:

• Peeled bell pepper – 500 g.
• Eggplants – 1300 g.
• Onions – 500 g.
• Granulated sugar – 60 g.
• Apple cider vinegar – 1 tbsp. l.
• Tomato paste – 250 g.
• Coarse salt – 20 g.
• Vegetable oil – 120 ml

Cooking process:

Step 1. Let's immediately bring all the vegetables into the desired form: we will give them all the shape of a medium cube and do not mix them yet. Eggplants must be washed and the stems cut off. If the eggplants are young and strong, we do not peel the skin, cut it according to the previously agreed upon shape, and give the bell pepper without seeds and jumpers the same shape. The variety and color of pepper can be any, the main thing is that the fruits are fleshy and juicy; lecho turns out more beautiful and interesting when the pepper is multi-colored. We peel the onion, you can take the regular or red variety, wash it and cut it into the same cube.

Step 2. Take a large cauldron (saucepan) and prepare lecho.Turn on the heat a little less than medium and pour the vegetable oil into the cauldron. Let it warm up a little and add the eggplant first; it will immediately absorb all the oil, almost like a sponge. Don’t worry, he will return it during the cooking process, and we continue to fry the vegetable on an almost dry surface of the cauldron, stirring it constantly.

Step 3. After 10 minutes, add onions to the eggplants and fry the vegetables for another 10 minutes. Add bell pepper, continue cooking and make sure that the vegetables do not burn. Cover with a lid, and while the vegetables are stewing, dilute the tomato paste in a bowl with water 1:3. Choose your pasta responsibly: it is important that it is not sour and tasty! Stir the tomato liquid until smooth and immediately pour it into the cauldron with vegetables. Slowly mix everything, then the lecho should boil and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.

Step 4. Our vegetable mixture already looks decent and looks like a full-fledged dish, the finishing touches remain. After the specified time has elapsed, add salt and sugar, mix thoroughly and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add apple cider vinegar or you can take 9%, just maintain the proportion, and keep it on low heat for another 2 minutes and turn it off. If you want some seasoning, you can add peppercorns and bay leaves - according to your taste, added along with vinegar.

Step 5. Stunning, aromatic lecho with eggplant is ready! If you try lecho right away, it will seem salty, but when it cools and infuses, the taste will change.

Step 6. And so, we roll the lecho into sterile jars, turn it over and put it under the blanket for a day.

From these ingredients you get 3.2 liters of lecho.

The appetizer is good either simply with bread or as a great addition to rice or pasta!