Sautéed Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is a leafy green that many people are unfamiliar with. I actually don’t see it in the grocery stores where I live, at least not on a regular basis. When I do get my hands on some, it is from a local farmer or at one of our specialty stores in town.

There are many varieties of chard, but we commonly use “Swiss chard” as a catch-all term. Chard stems are a variety of colors, so you may also see the term “rainbow chard” when the colored stems are bunched together.

The flavor of chard is slightly bitter and very earthy – sort of like beets. You can eat chard raw or cooked. The leaves are hearty enough to use as wraps in place of tortillas when left raw. When chard is cooked, the bitterness lessens. My preferred cooking method is to sauté chard with aromatics. I love sweet and sour flavors, so I use vinegar with a little honey or sugar to provide that.

Chard is prevalent at farmers markets in Southern Illinois during the summer, so I find myself experimenting with recipes frequently. I recently found a recipe in an old Clean Eating cookbook that I adapted to fit my family’s taste buds. Spice and heat is provided from Aleppo pepper flakes. I also gave the chard a bit more tang with cider vinegar.

I like my dark greens wilted but not mushy. If you prefer more crunch, a shorter cooking time will keep the bright green color and result in a crunchier green. They are also more bitter this way, so I sacrificed pretty green color for less bitter flavor.

Do you like Swiss chard? How do you like to prepare yours?

Sautéed Swiss Chard

Recipe by Niki Davis

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

0

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Calories

kcal

Total time

10

minutes

Changing the earthy flavor of Chard to a spicy sweet and sour with this recipe adapted from Clean Eating. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot

• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey or white sugar

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon minced or puréed garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried Aleppo pepper

• 1 bunch Swiss Chard including stems chopped (about 4 cups)

Directions

• Sauté the shopped shallots in the olive oil in a pan over medium heat until they just begin to soften. Add the chopped chard stems and continue to cook. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, tomato paste, garlic, and pepper and set aside. Add the chopped chard to the shallots and stems and toss to combine. Pour the sauce over the chard and toss everything to coat. Cook for 2-5 minutes until the chard reaches the desired consistency.  

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