Swiss Chard (Chard) is a green leafy vegetable that has multiple health benefits, in addition to being very tasty. It is best eaten fresh, but can be frozen. Chard can be stored up to 2 or 3 weeks in the refrigerator but is best eaten within 2 to 3 days. 

Chard can be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw, it is usually best to select the younger, smaller leaves. These can be included in salads, much like you would add spinach. Other common ways of eating raw Chard are in sandwiches, wraps, and smoothies. 

The University of Nebraska Extension provides this nice list of different ways you could use Chard. 

Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Swiss Chard

1. One‐Pot Dish: Dinner couldn’t be easier with one pot stir fry featuring Swiss Chard. 

2. Ravioli filled with Swiss Chard, part ricotta, and a touch of parmesan cheese. Finish your your favorite sauce. 

3. Scrambled eggs or omelets: replace spinach with Swiss Chard. Add fresh tomato for a burst of flavor. 

4. Soup. Whether it’s minestrone, beef barley, or vegetable, Swiss Chard makes a 

   scrumptious addition to any soup. 

5. Pasta: Layer Swiss Chard in your lasagna or toss if with pasta in a light olive oil and lemon sauce. Finish with freshly cracked pepper.

6. Quiche. Substitute Swiss Chard for spinach in your favorite quiche recipe. It pairs beautifully with egg whites and a little pancetta. 

7. Stir Fry. For extra nutrition and flavor, add fresh Swiss Chard to stir fried brown rice just before serving.

8. Stew. Try adding Swiss Chard to stews. It boasts an elegant balance of sweet 

   and savory.

9. Pizza. Swiss Chard makes a delicious … and unexpected … pizza topping. Try adding it to your pizza marinara sauce.

10. Steamed. Steam the stalks of Swiss chard and eat them as you would asparagus. 

Very Simple Swiss Chard Cooking Preparation (basically steaming)

1. Place Swiss Chard in a pan

2. Add a small amount of water

3. Cook on medium heat until wilted and stalks are soft

Eat with butter, salt, and pepper to taste. 

Variations: 

• Instead of water, use olive oil. 

• Add garlic to taste (most recipes suggest 2-3 cloves, minced)

• Salt and pepper

• Red pepper flakes

• Juice of a ½ a lemon

The University of Purdue Extension has a delicious recipe that uses another favorite vegetable I wrote about earlier this year, the Sweet Potato. It also features black beans. 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew with Swiss Chard 

This hearty main dish combines the sweetness of orange sweet potatoes and the robustness of black beans, with the surprise addition of Swiss chard and a light touch of cumin. Serve over brown rice or whole-wheat couscous for a warm delight!

Recipe adapted from the What’s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl

Website (https://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/) 

.

Prep 20 min Cook 40 min Total Time 60 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 small whole, dried New Mexican chili pepper

• 1 1/4 cups fresh onion (diced)

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into half-inch cubes)

• 6 cups (about 3 cans) low-sodium black beans (drained and rinsed)

• 3/4 cup orange juice

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 cups fresh Swiss chard (stems removed and chopped)

Directions

1. Dice onion.

2. In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and whole chili pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes. 

3. Add cumin and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add sweet potatoes, black beans, orange juice, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to low. 

5. Simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).

6. Remove chili pepper and discard.

7. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper. 

8. Add Swiss chard, cover, and continue cooking until chard is tender. Serve hot.

9. May serve over brown rice or whole-wheat couscous.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 cup

Nutrients

Amount

Total Calories: 222

Protein: 10g

Carbohydrates: 43g

Dietary Fiber: 12g

Total Fat: 4g

Photo Credit: Chezlouloufrance.blogspot.com (all creative commons) (1)