So, you want to try Swiss chard? You're in the right place! Learn how to cut and cook this vibrant leafy green, and find our favorite Swiss chard recipes.
We all go crazy over spinach and kale, but when was the last time you cooked Swiss chard? This vibrant leafy green is one of my favorite vegetables to work with. It’s endlessly versatile – my go-to Swiss chard recipes range from smoky Mojo bowls to a lemony pasta – and its stems are just as edible as its dark green leaves. Because I think we could all be cooking it more often, I wanted to share a little Swiss chard 101 today. If you’ve never worked with chard before, I hope these tips and recipes will encourage you to try it. And if you’re already a Swiss chard pro, I hope a recipe here will inspire you to prepare it in a new way. There’s no limit to what Swiss chard can do!
But first, what is Swiss chard?
Good question! Swiss chard is a leafy vegetable that’s closely related to beets. In fact, if you’ve cooked with beet greens before, you’ll find that chard has a lot of similarities. The mature leaves are lush and relatively coarse when they’re raw, but they wilt down beautifully when they’re braised or sautéed. Their earthy flavor pairs really well with garlic, nuts, dried fruits like currants and raisins, and acids like lemon juice and vinegar.
Chard stems are edible, too, so don’t toss them when you’re cooking the leaves! If I’m making sautéed Swiss chard, I simply add the stems to the pan a few minutes before I add the leaves so that they have a chance to soften. They also pickle really nicely, so they’re a great way to add crunch to salads, sandwiches, and bowls. The stems in the photos here are red, but that’s not the only way you’ll find them at the farmers market or grocery store. Depending on the variety, chard might have pale green, gold, red, or even striped stems. All are delicious!
How to Cook Swiss Chard
When I buy a big bunch of green, red, or rainbow chard, I almost always cook the leaves. For me, they’re a little spongy and tough to use raw in salads, though baby chard, if it’s available, is a great salad base.
The simplest way to cook chard is to sauté it. Here’s my easy method:
First, prep the chard.Slice the leaves off the tough stems, and cut the stems into 1/4-inch slices. Stack the leaves on top of one another and coarsely chop them.
Next, cook the stems.Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they start to soften.
Then, add the leaves, some sliced garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook until the leaves wilt, about another 2 minutes.
Finally, season and serve.Squeeze the wilted chard with lemon juice and serve it as a side dish. Find more of my favorite Swiss chard recipes and serving suggestions below!
Other Favorite Swiss Chard Recipes
Simple sautéed Swiss chard is an easy, healthy, and delicious side dish, but there are plenty of other ways to serve this green. These Swiss chard recipes and serving suggestions are some of my favorites:
- Pair it with pasta or polenta.Sub chard in for the kale in my Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Kale, or serve simple sautéed chard over a bed of creamy polenta with red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.
- Add it to a soup. Use chard in my brothy Cannellini Beans and Greens or this Sustenance Sweet Potato Soup. You could also sub it in for the kale in my Many-Veggie Soup or Instant Pot Lentil Soup.
- Stuff it into tacos. Find my greens and beans tacos on page 145 of The Love & Lemons Cookbook!
- Use it in a grain bowl, like the Mojo Black Bean Bowls on page 199 of Love & Lemons Every Day.
- Add it to eggs. Fold it into a simple scramble, or use it in your next veggie frittata.
How do you like to use Swiss chard? Let me know in the comments!
More Vegetable Basics
If you love this simple Swiss chard recipe, try cooking one of these vegetables next:
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Fennel
- Green Beans
- Leeks
- Spaghetti Squash
Sautéed Swiss Chard
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Serves 4
This simple Swiss chard recipe is an easy, healthy, and delicious side dish! You could also toss it with pasta or serve it over creamy polenta to make it a meal.
Instructions
Slice the stems off the chard leaves and chop the stems into ¼-inch slices. Coarsely chop the leaves.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add the chard leaves, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted.
Turn off the heat, squeeze a little lemon juice over the chard, and toss. Season to taste and serve.
FAQs
It has a slightly bitter taste, but that can be resolved with adding a little acid, like lemon juice. Swiss chard is generally served cooked, as the leaves brighten nicely when sautéed in a bit of oil.
What is the best way to eat Swiss chard? ›
Swiss chard (also known simply as chard) is a leafy green vegetable that is related to beets and spinach. It is rich in vitamins A, C and especially K, and it is also a good source of magnesium, iron and potassium. Chard can be steamed or sauteed, and it's great in soups, stews, casseroles, frittatas and quiches.
What are the side effects of Swiss chard? ›
Can you eat too much Swiss chard? Although Swiss chard is extremely healthy, it should be eaten in moderation. Eating too much can lead to side effects such as: Kidney stones: Swiss chard contains antinutritive oxalates, which may increase urinary oxalate excretion and increase the risk of calcium oxalate stones.
Do you eat the stems of Swiss chard? ›
Chard stems are edible, too, so don't toss them when you're cooking the leaves! If I'm making sautéed Swiss chard, I simply add the stems to the pan a few minutes before I add the leaves so that they have a chance to soften.
Is it better to eat raw or cooked Swiss chard? ›
It is an excellent source of vitamin K, and a good source of vitamin A, magnesium, manganese, and copper. Swiss chard may be more nutritious when cooked.
Is chard anti inflammatory? ›
chard is also has an abundance of antioxidants as well as phytonutrient antioxidants. Why are these phytonutrient antioxidants so special? These antioxidants have been shown to have great anti-inflammatory properties. These phytonutrients can be found in the plant's leaves, and colorful stems.
Is Swiss chard a laxative? ›
Dark leafy greens like kale, collards, Swiss chard, and spinach contain magnesium, a mineral that helps soften stools, making them easier to pass.
What can I add to reduce bitterness? ›
Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.
What does Swiss chard do for your body? ›
Chard contains 3 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and 44 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A. This vegetable can help to combat cancer, reduce blood pressure, and enhance performance in sports. Swiss chard can be eaten raw or cooked.
Is Swiss chard hard on stomach? ›
Broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage are among the most challenging to digest due to their complex fibers, which tend to ferment in the gut, causing gas and bloating. Alternative nutrient-rich foods that are easier on the gut include dark leafy greens like kale, spinach and Swiss chard.
I just sauté it in a pan with garlic, onion a splash of apple cider vinegar and a few red pepper flakes. You can also cook some bacon before hand and then cook it up with that in the bacon grease.
Is any part of Swiss chard poisonous? ›
Swiss chard is an annual leafy crop and the leaves and petioles (leaf stalks) may be eaten. Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable and the leaves are poisonous; we only eat the petioles.
Does Swiss chard raise blood pressure? ›
This vegetable's anti-inflammatory components, phytonutrients, and antioxidants work together to help lower blood pressure and indirectly improve the functioning of your cardiovascular system.
Which is healthier spinach or chard? ›
Spinach have significantly more Vitamins A than chard. Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron. Spinach is a great source of Thiamin, Niacin, Zinc, Phosphorus.
Will Swiss chard grow back after cutting? ›
Swiss chard is a cut-and-come-again plant, so as long as you keep the plant healthy and harvest a few leaves at a time regularly, you'll get leaves again and again and again.
What is the healthiest way to eat Swiss chard? ›
Boil Swiss chard for a healthier side dish.
Add the chopped stems from 3-4 leaves, and cook for 2-4 minutes until they're mostly tender. Place the leaves in the pot, and cover for 1-2 minutes. The leaves should be wilted. If they're not, cook them another 1-2 minutes.
How to cook Swiss chard so it is not bitter? ›
Cooking bitter greens like chard and kale long and slow in animal fats, as in stews or soups, tends to get rid of the bitterness. The simple best way to get rid of the tanic acid in cooking chard greens only is the cut up the greens and bring them to a Rolling Boil and boil them for 3 min.
How do you mellow bitter greens? ›
Blanch Them
Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.
How do you soften bitter taste? ›
Squeeze in some vinegar or lemon juice.
Try squeezing some fresh lemon juice or adding a spoonful of vinegar to bitter dishes to neutralize the flavor a bit.
What kills the bitterness of greens? ›
Sautéing greens in oil with lots of garlic and/or onions works well to counteract the bitterness of mildly bitter greens. Counterbalancing with acid, salt and strong flavors. A bitter salad green like arugula (rocket, rucola) demands a rather strong tasting dressing.
