Swiss chard makes a quick side dish with minimal prep. Try this easy recipe for sautéed Swiss chard with garlic, olive oil and mashed red peppers.
In this recipe
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What is chard?
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how to cook
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Buy and store
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Freeze chard
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Looking for an easy way to add more greens to your diet? Try this easy sautéed Swiss chard recipe.
In the green spectrum, Swiss chard lies between spinach and kale – not as tender as spinach, not as tough as kale. But like spinach, you can easily sauté it in a little olive oil in a few minutes.
The stems can be tough. You can either remove and discard them (or cook and toss with butter), if some of the stalks are tender, just sear them first before adding the leaves to give them more cooking time.
By the way, Swiss chard is not only full of vitamins (vitamins K, A and C), it also has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps the body to control blood sugar. It’s in the same family as beets, spinach, and quinoa. Even more reasons to eat chard!
How to cook chard
For this easy sear, we’ll cook the chard in just a little olive oil with some thinly sliced flaked garlic and red pepper. We also add coriander seeds which taste amazing with the chard. If you don’t have cilantro you can omit it, but having it makes this easy chard dish extra special.
Buy and store Swiss chard
There are different types of Swiss chard, and they are almost always interchangeable in recipes. It’s their stems, not their leaves, that differentiate the cultivars. Swiss chard usually refers to chard with white stems. Red-stemmed varieties include rhubarb (other than the rhubarb used to make pies), red chard, or ruby red chard. Rainbow chard has multicolored stems. Use any variety for this recipe.
Choose Swiss chard with crisp, deep green leaves and sturdy stems. Do not buy wilted chard or chard with leaves with holes in them. To keep it fresh, store dry chard at home before wrapping in paper towels in an airtight ziplock bag for up to 7 days.
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Can you freeze Swiss chard?
Freeze uncooked Swiss chard by separating the leaves from the stems. Blanch the stems for 3 minutes and the leaves for 1 minute, then shock in an ice bath. Freeze in a freezer safe ziplock bag with the air squeezed out for up to 6 months.
Or you can make this recipe ahead of time, let it cool, and freeze it for an instant side dish.
More chard recipes to try
- Simple pasta with winter vegetables
- Chicken stew with cilantro, cilantro and chard
- No-bake lasagna
- Eggs in sautéed chard and mushrooms
- Swiss chard tzatziki (yoghurt dip)
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Plain chard
The coriander seeds are optional as not everyone has them in their spice rack. But if you do, please use it! Coriander goes wonderfully with chard.
ingredients
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1 large bunch fresh Swiss chard (7 or 8th big leaves)
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2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1 clove Garlic, cut
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prize crushed red pepper
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1/4 teaspoon all coriander seeds (Optional)
method
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Prepare chard stems and leaves:
Rinse the chard leaves thoroughly. Either tear or cut off the thick stems from the leaves.
Cut the stem pieces into 1 inch pieces. Cut the leaves into inch-wide strips. Keep the stems and leaves separate.
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Sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper:
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic slices, crushed red peppers, and coriander seeds (if using) and cook for about 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant.
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Add Stems:
Add chopped chard stalks. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add leaves:
Add the chopped chard leaves, toss in the pan with the oil and garlic. Cover and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Toss the leaves and stalks in the pan.
If the chard needs to be cooked a little longer (remove a piece and taste), cover and cook for a few more minutes.
Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 70 | calories |
| 7g | Fat |
| 2g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
