A variety of vegetable preparations for the winter are always popular among housewives. But, perhaps, it is lecho among them that comes first. Perhaps this situation has developed due to the variety of recipes that are used to make this dish. Although even in the simplest classic version, when lecho consists only of sweet peppers, tomatoes and onions, this dish brings the aromas of a hot summer and the rich taste of a fruitful autumn to the winter and spring menu. Recently, with the advent of kitchen units designed to facilitate work in the kitchen, such as a multicooker, cooking lecho can be done even in the hottest summer time. In addition, when preparing lecho in a slow cooker for the winter, you can no longer worry that some vegetables may burn and the sauce will run away from the pan.
But the taste of the resulting dishes and the convenience of cooking are the undeniable advantages of using a slow cooker.
Below are a few lecho recipes for a slow cooker, using which you can provide your family with tasty and healthy products for the winter.
The traditional recipe “it doesn’t get any easier”
If you have never cooked any preparations for the winter in a slow cooker, then it is best to use the lecho recipe below. It is so easy to prepare that even a beginner can handle it.
So, first you have to find and prepare the following ingredients:
- Sweet bell pepper – 1,5 kg;
- Tomatoes – 1,5 kg or tomato paste (400 grams);
- Onion – 0,5 kg;
- Refined oil – 125 ml;
- Greens (any according to your preferences: basil, dill, cilantro, celery, parsley) – 100 g;
- Ground black pepper – 5 g;
- Vinegar – 1-2 teaspoons;
- Salt and granulated sugar – to taste.
What is their preparation? All vegetables are thoroughly washed, all seeds with internal partitions are removed from the pepper and the tails are removed. The place where the stalk grows from is cut out of the tomatoes. The onion is peeled, and the greens are moved so that there are no yellow or dry parts left in it.
At the next stage, the pepper is cut either into rings or into strips. It will look especially beautiful in lecho cooked in a slow cooker, sweet peppers of different colors: red, orange, yellow, black.
Tomatoes are cut into small slices.
The tomatoes are then ground to a puree state using a blender, mixer, or food processor.
Onions are cut into rings or half rings. The greens are finely chopped with a knife.
Peppers and onions are placed in the multicooker bowl, which are poured with tomato puree. It should completely cover the pieces of vegetables. All other ingredients are immediately added: vegetable oil, sugar, spices, salt, chopped herbs and vinegar.
The “extinguishing” mode is turned on for about 40 minutes and the lid closes tightly. While the lecho is being prepared, it is necessary to sterilize the jars and lids in any convenient way: in the oven, steamed or in the microwave.
After the specified time has elapsed, lecho can be laid out in prepared jars. But first you should try the dish. Add salt and sugar if necessary, and check the pepper for doneness. If the latter seems hard to you, turn on the multicooker in the same mode for another 10-15 minutes. The exact cooking time for lecho depends on the power of your model.
Lecho “in a hurry”
This recipe for lecho in a slow cooker is also quite simple, although it is more diverse in composition, besides, the vegetables in it retain their taste and beneficial properties better.
What you need:
- Sweet bell pepper – 0,5 kg;
- Tomatoes – 0,3 kg;
- Onion – 0,2 kg;
- Carrots – 0 kg;
- Garlic – a few cloves;
- Vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon;
- Greens that you love – 50 grams;
- Sugar and salt to taste.
Carrots and onions are washed well, peeled and cut into half rings and strips. Pour oil into the bowl of the multicooker and place the cooked vegetables. Set the “baking” mode for 7-8 minutes.
While the carrots and onions are baking, the tomatoes are washed, cut and chopped on a grater or using a blender. Then the resulting tomato puree is added to the multicooker bowl and the “stewing” mode is turned on for 10-12 minutes.
While the vegetables are stewing, the peppers are peeled from the core with seeds and cut into rings. After the signal for the end of the program has sounded, chopped peppers are added to the rest of the vegetables, and the “stewing” program is switched on again for 40 minutes.
Garlic and herbs are cleaned of possible contaminants, washed and finely chopped with a knife or meat grinder.
30 minutes after the start of stewing the pepper, sugar with salt and garlic with herbs are added to the vegetables in the slow cooker. The total cooking time for this recipe should take exactly 60 minutes. However, depending on the power of your multicooker model, it can vary within 10-15 minutes.
If you are preparing lecho according to this recipe for the winter, then it is advisable to sterilize the jars with the finished dish before twisting: half-liter – for 20 minutes, liter – 30 minutes.
The resulting lecho is universal in terms of the way it is used – it can be used both as an independent garnish or snack, and as a seasoning for borscht, stew with meat or add to scrambled eggs.
