Swiss Chard Cooking Guide
Are you looking to add more dark leafy greens to your meals? Then you should give Swiss chard, also known as seakale beet, mangold, or silverbeet, a try. It’s a cost-effective alternative to kale and spinach and offers an easy and delicious way to add greens to your diet. Keep reading to learn more about how to cook it and recipe ideas.
Also known as silverbeet, perpetual spinach, or mangold, the green leafy vegetable with a white stalk is a cultivated descendant of sea beet. Known as a delicacy by the Romans, it often features red veins and stalks and can also be called colored chard.
How to cook Swiss chard
Swiss chard is packed with nutrients and has a mild flavor that goes well in many dishes. The sturdy leaves are often used in salads, soups, and stews, while the stems are typically cooked separately.
While kale and spinach are often used raw, chard’s tougher leaves are best enjoyed cooked. Whether you fry them up with eggs for breakfast or sauté chard as a side dish, it is a versatile ingredient that can add a lot of flavor to your meals.
10 ways to use Swiss chard leaves
- Sautéd Swiss chard with garlic, chili and lemon zest.
- Steamed or blanched to retain maximum nutrients.
- As an alternative to bok choy in stir-fries to make dishes like fried rice.
- Creamed chard instead of creamed spinach.
- Add chard leaves to your favorite soup, curry, or stew to add extra nutrients. My pumpkin soup or beef stew recipes are great examples.
- Silverbeet frittata, pie, or quiche with feta. My crustless quiche works well with silverbeet.
- Use silverbeet instead of spinach in your next vegetarian lasagna or pasta dish.
- Potato and hamburger bake with extra greens.
- Green smoothie – simply replace the kale or spinach portion with chard.
- Juice – add a handful of leaves a you’re making your green juice.
How to prepare Swiss chard stalks
Chard stalks can be prepared similarly to asparagus or celery. They’re in fact considered a delicacy in French cuisine so make sure you give them a try.
- Boiled and topped with a rich cheese.
- Grated raw into sauces and stews.
- Boiled and added to a creamy fennel and leek gratin.
- Finely chopped in stir-fries.
- Roasted with olive oil garlic, and parmesan cheese.
- BBQ’ed with a lemon and garlic marinade.
- Add them to your juice.
- Finely chopped in tuna, chicken, or creamy potato salad.
- Add them to your vegetable stock paste.
- Dehydrate them and add them to your vegetable dishes as powder.
- Include them in your “mirepoix”.
- Add them to your kimchi ferment.
- Finely sliced and sautéed in olive oil. Topped with tahini and seasoned to taste.
- Fried in butter and garlic.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze chard leaves. For the best result, blanch the leaves and briefly cool them down in ice water. This way they will retain their green color. Stored in a freezer-proof container they will keep for up to 3 months.
Swiss chard is best stored in a container or plastic bag in the vegetable compartment of your fridge. You can always wrap them in a damp towel.