This Easy Swiss Chard Recipe Will Get Everyone to Eat Their Greens (2024)

Side Dishes
Gluten-Free
Vegan
Vegetarian
Skillet

A quick side with minimal prep, this simple sautéed Swiss chard is tasty and versatile.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated January 31, 2024

26 ratings

In This Recipe

What Is Swiss Chard?
How to Cook It
Buying and Storing
Freezing Swiss Chard

What Is Swiss Chard?

In the spectrum of greens, 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 some olive oil in just a few minutes.

The stems can be tough. You can either remove them and discard, or boil and toss with butter: if some of the stems are tender, just sauté them first before adding the leaves, to give them more cooking time.

By the way, not only is chard packed with vitamins (vitamins K, A, and C), it also is anti-inflammatory and helps the body manage blood sugar. It's in the same family as beets, spinach, and quinoa. Even more reasons to eat chard!

What Is Swiss Chard and How to Cook ItREAD MORE:

This Easy Swiss Chard Recipe Will Get Everyone to Eat Their Greens (4)

How to Cook Swiss Chard

For this easy sauté we are cooking the chard in just a little olive oil with some thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. We're also including coriander seeds which taste fantastic with the chard. If you don't have coriander, you can skip it, but if you do have it it will make this simple Swiss chard dish truly special.

Buying and Storing Swiss Chard

There are several varieties of chard, and they're almost always interchangeable in recipes. It's their stalks, not their leaves, that differentiate varieties. Swiss chard usually refers to chard with white stems. Red-stalked varieties are rhubarb (different from the rhubarb used to make pies), red, or ruby chard. Rainbow chard has multicolored stalks. For this recipe, use any variety.

Choose chard with crisp, deep green leaves and stems that are firm. Don't 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 air-tight zipper bag for up to 7 days.

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 zipper bag with the air pressed out for up to 6 months.

Or you can prepare this recipe, let it cool, and freeze it for an instant side dish.

More Swiss Chard Recipes to Try

Easy Pasta With Winter Greens
Chicken Stew With Coriander, Cilantro, and Chard
No-Bake Lasagna
Eggs Nested in Sautéed Chard and Mushrooms
Swiss Chard Tzatziki (Yogurt Dip)

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Easy Sautéed Swiss Chard

Prep Time8 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time18 mins

Servings2to 4 servings

The coriander seeds are optional because not everyone has them in their spice rack. But if you do, please use them! Coriander iswonderful with chard.

Ingredients

1 large bunch fresh Swiss chard (7 or 8 large leaves)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (optional)

Method

Prep the chard stalks and leaves:
Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Either tear or cut away the thick stalks from the leaves.
Cut the stalk pieces into 1-inch pieces. Chop the leaves into inch-wide strips. Keep the stalks and leaves separate.
Sauté the garlic and crushed red pepper:
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan on medium high heat. Add garlic slices, crushed red pepper, and coriander seeds (if using), and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the stalks:
Add the chopped Swiss chard stalks. Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the leaves:
Add the chopped chard leaves, toss with the oil and garlic in the pan. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes. Turn the leaves and the stalks over in the pan.
If the chard still needs a bit more cooking (remove a piece and taste it), cover and cook a few more minutes.
Serve immediately.
Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
70	Calories
7g	Fat
2g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	70
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 79mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 2g	1%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 8mg	41%
Calcium 28mg	2%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 245mg	5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

This Easy Swiss Chard Recipe Will Get Everyone to Eat Their Greens (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook chard so it is not bitter? ›

Cooking bitter greens like chard and kale long and slow in animal fats, as in stews or soups, tends to get rid of the bitterness. The simple best way to get rid of the tanic acid in cooking chard greens only is the cut up the greens and bring them to a Rolling Boil and boil them for 3 min.

Learn More ›

When should you not eat Swiss chard? ›

Kidney stone:

As a result, anyone with kidney stones should avoid Swiss chard because oxalates may increase symptoms in certain people.

Read On ›

What is the best way to eat Swiss chard? ›

Swiss chard (also known simply as chard) is a leafy green vegetable that is related to beets and spinach. It is rich in vitamins A, C and especially K, and it is also a good source of magnesium, iron and potassium. Chard can be steamed or sauteed, and it's great in soups, stews, casseroles, frittatas and quiches.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the difference between green chard and Swiss chard? ›

All chard is Swiss chard; it's just stalk colors and names that vary! The stalks and leaf veins of Swiss chard vary in color from yellow to pink and deep red to white. Chard with red stalks is called Rhubarb, Red, or Ruby Chard.

View Details ›

What kills the bitterness of greens? ›

Use salt.

Salt is a friend to bitter greens, whether you plan to eat them raw or cooked. Mellow the bitter flavor with a sprinkle of salt on endive or radicchio, or include anchovies or cured meat (like bacon, pancetta, or proscuitto) along with mustard, beet, or collard greens.

Tell Me More ›

Why is my Swiss chard so bitter? ›

Chard will usually bolt in any extreme temperature conditions like freezing and in extremely dry hot weather.” Doyle noted that the plant might continue to produce the typical chard leaves, and that the smoother leaves are still flavorful but more bitter than others.

Do you eat the stems of Swiss chard? ›

Chard stems are edible, too, so don't toss them when you're cooking the leaves! If I'm making sautéed Swiss chard, I simply add the stems to the pan a few minutes before I add the leaves so that they have a chance to soften.