Sautéed swiss chard is lightly seasoned so the mild earthy flavor of this delicious and healthful plant is enjoyed to the fullest!
Late spring and early summer is swiss chard season! This leafy vegetable with its colorful stems is a popular side dish and is frequently used in stir-fries, soups, salads, and casseroles.
What is Swiss Chard?
Swiss chard is a delicious leafy green and both the stalks and leaves are edible.
Other Names
Swiss chard is also sometimes just called chard and comes in a variety of colors. If sold by a bunch with various colors, it is referred to as rainbow chard but they are all the same ingredient.
We love swiss chard because it is a super versatile addition to stir-fries and soups, but it also stands up well on its own! Packed with vitamins K, A, C, and E, Swiss chard is a great source of minerals and an excellent source of fiber.
Flavor
Swiss chard has a mild and slightly earthy flavor. It has a very slight a bitter note as well. The leaves are broad, brightly colored, and will shrink like spinach does when it cooks down. Even the stems are edible and delicious!
Add To
This yummy green can be served on its own or added to other recipes. Substitute it where you would normally add spinach or kale (allowing extra time for it to cook). Its great in:
-
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- White Bean Soup or Zuppa Toscana
- Add it to salads or slaws
- It pairs well with sausage and it perfect in creamy pastas
To Prepare
- Wash the chard and separate the leafy portion from the thick stem. Keep the stem and leaves separate for cooking.
- Chop the stem into smaller pieces.
- Chop the leaves into pieces keeping in mind it will shrink down (like cooked spinach does).
Like spinach, the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and they will shrink considerably as they are being cooked.
How to Cook Swiss Chard
If you can sautee spinach or kale, chard is every bit as easy!
- Rinse & prepare chard.
- Briefly saute garlic in oil & add Swiss chard stems (per recipe below).
- Cook until tender, then add leaves & white wine.
- Stir occasionally. Remove from heat, add butter, salt, & pepper & serve.
Tips for Success
- For best results, choose leaves that are uniform in size, plump, bright, and clean-smelling.
- Store fresh Swiss chard loosely wrapped in paper towels in the vegetable crisper.
- After washing Swiss chard, pat the leaves dry before sauteing them.
- Chard can be a bit bitter, be sure to generously season for the best flavor.
More Great Greens
- Collard Greens
- Garlic Bacon Kale Recipe
- Creamed Spinach
- Crispy Kale Chips
- Easy Kale Salad with Fresh Lemon Dressing
- Garlic Butter Kale Rice
- Creamed Swiss Chard
Did you love this Sauteed Swiss Chard recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Garlic Butter Swiss Chard
Ingredients
- 1 bunch swiss chard
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon butter or to taste
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash chard and shake dry.
- Separate stems from leaves. Keeping leaves and stems separate, cut leaves into large pieces and cut stems into 1" pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add chard stems and cook 5-6 minutes over medium heat. Stir in leaves. Cover and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until tender stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter. Season generously with salt & pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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I whipped up your recipe and found that 1tbsp of oil was not enough (for a stainless steel pan) and so I added a drop more and then added some lemon juice onto the leaves before stirring them into the sautéed stalks. I have added your recipe to my go-to list of recipes. Thank you for sharing.
Charmaine, thanks so much for trying the recipe! I’m glad you made it work for your pan—lemon juice sounds like a delicious touch. So happy to hear it’s made your go-to list!
I was wondering what to do with the Swiss Chard we grew – sure glad I came across this! I had it with chicken and rice. I could have had a whole meal of just the rice and Swiss Chard! Yum.
That sounds delicious!
Under How to Cook you say, “add leaves and white wine.” But I don’t see white wine mentioned again. Do you like it better with the addition of white wine? How much?
It’s delicious either way Julie! I would add about 1/4 cup.