All About Swiss Chard With 2 Great Recipes

Although Swiss chard is a highly nutritious vegetable which is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking, it is a vegetable which is often overlooked. The versatility of Swiss chard is outstanding, as it can be used in salads, soups and stir-fries. It comes in many varieties and colors, including red, green and rainbow. Swiss chard makes an excellent colorful alternative to the usual spinach.

Swiss chard is high in Vitamins A, K and C, and also provides your body with other nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, Vitamin E, riboflavin, Vitamin B6, and manganese. It is also known to help with vision and lung health, prevent cancers of the digestive tract, protect the kidneys in diabetics, and support the cardiovascular system.

Swiss chard is usually in season from May through August, and beautiful bunches have been appearing in my weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share. Although I have been enjoying it in my soups and salads, I found this awesome recipe for Sicilian Swiss Chard Over Quinoa from the Vegetarian Times. I have made it several times, and it’s a real keeper. It’s also a great one-dish meal which makes an extremely colorful presentation, and even looks beautiful while cooking.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

 

SICILIAN SWISS CHARD OVER QUINOA

From Vegetarian Times

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 lb. Swiss chard, leaves cut into ribbons, stems finely chopped and set aside

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

16 pitted black olives, such as kalamata, halved

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Salt & pepper, if desired

Directions:

1. Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan. Add quinoa, and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 12 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chard stems, onion, olives, and raisins. Sauté 10 minutes, or until onion and chard stems are soft. Stir in chard leaves and red pepper flakes; sauté 6 minutes, or until greens are tender. Stir in garlic, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Divide quinoa among 4 shallow bowls. Spoon chard mixture over top, and sprinkle with pine nuts.

 

The next Swiss Chard recipe is a simple salad from Power Foods for the Brain by Dr. Neal Barnard. I love that it is made with raw chard and no oil.

SALAD LATINE WITH SWISS CHARD 

From Power Foods For The Brain

Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side

Ingredients:

1/2 small white onion

3 cloves garlic

Leaves from 1 bunch chard

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels

1/4 cup pecan halves

1 cup seedless black grapes

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Mince the onion and garlic. Smash them together a couple times with the back of a knife or with a mortar and pestle.

Wash the Swiss Chard thoroughly, as it tends to be gritty, then slice it into ribbons by tightly bunching the leaves together and slicing them with a sharp, heavy knife. Place the chard in a salad bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and toss.

 

I love this video by Dani Spies entitled Swiss Chard 101 which tells you everything you need to know about buying, storing, prepping, and cooking Swiss Chard. If you are vegan, ignore Dani’s use of Romano cheese in her recipe for chard stems.

Debby

xoxoxo