Swiss Chard Recipies

April 16, 2014 12:31 PM

The thing I do with Swiss Chard -- chopped, sauteed w/olive oil, garlic, maybe lemon juice -- is fine. But I've got some chard I want to use tonight, and I'm in the mood for better than fine. What do you do with Swiss Chard that's amazing?
posted by .kobayashi. to Food & Drink (28 answers total)

Swiss chard & cheddar quiche. I shred/chop the chard (I don't use the ribs in this application), and fry it till dark green with olive oil, salt, pepper, (American) "curry powder", ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. I do heavy on the generic curry, and a pinch on the other three, salt & pepper to taste. Then, I mix it up with beaten eggs plus cheddar, and put it into a pre-made pie crust, bake till aggs are more firm. At this point, I add more cheddar, and finish cooking. You can skip the cheddar topping, it will still be quite good.
posted by kellyblah at 12:36 PM on April 16, 2014 [4 favorites]

Creamed swiss chard!
posted by Juliet Banana at 12:37 PM on April 16, 2014 [2 favorites]

Add chick peas and dried chorizo, if you eat meat. It's not gourmet, but it is amazing and makes an easy leftover lunch.
posted by ezust at 12:37 PM on April 16, 2014

I would do something like this, subbing the chard for the asparagus. I've made that recipe with all sorts of vegetables and it's great.
posted by something something at 12:44 PM on April 16, 2014

Chopped walnuts and balsamic vinegar. With goat cheese, if you like that.

Or caramelized onions, garlic, and balsamic vinegar.
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:56 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

farçous!
posted by juliapangolin at 12:57 PM on April 16, 2014

Giada's Winter Minestrone soup with lots of Swiss Chard is AH-MAZING!

It's really divine!
posted by JenThePro at 1:05 PM on April 16, 2014

Risotto with Red Swiss Chard is pretty yummy.
posted by rocketpup at 1:13 PM on April 16, 2014

I chop and sautee with lots of garlic/olive oil/lemon, *then* add 4ish ounces of goat or cream cheese. You can serve that warm as spread on crackers or baguette rounds, or you can stir it into quinoa or rice or pasta or a white bean like a cannelloni (you can also do it with the beans and mash or food-process for a hummusy dip, I like it better than chickpeas).

I also put it, similarly sauteed, on white pizza.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:13 PM on April 16, 2014 [2 favorites]

We've done what Lyn Never does, but with feta. Wicked tasty, very easy.
posted by rtha at 1:16 PM on April 16, 2014

I give it a quick sautee and then toss it with hot noodles, a splash of cream, some goat cheese and whatever else I feel like putting in--other veggies, red pepper flakes, parsley.
posted by Lardmitten at 1:38 PM on April 16, 2014

I marinate a can of chickpeas in olive oil, lemon juice and garlic overnight. Then I slice lots of fresh chard into ribbons, stuff a pita half with a scoop of the chickpeas, as much chard as I can fit into the pita, thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced tomato, and drip some plain yogurt (doctored up with Pan-Mediterranean spices if you want) on top and scarf it down hungrily.
posted by Liesl at 1:42 PM on April 16, 2014 [3 favorites]

Chart gratin:

Sautee some onion and garlic in some oil and blanch the chart stalks for 5 minutes and the leaves for a minute. Add some butter to the onions and some floor to make a light roux.Loosen the roux with some milk then add some cream to make a white sauce. Season with salt pepper and nutmeg. Drain the chard and mix with the sauce. Cover with freshly grated parmesan and bake until nice and golden.

Good modifications include adding bacon or ham. I like to serve over a bed of noodles.
posted by koolkat at 1:54 PM on April 16, 2014

Take the recipe you're using now. Add half a dozen chopped anchovies, a little more garlic, and when everything is almost sauteed add a handful of halved cherry tomatoes (or tomato concasse if you're being fancy about it). Acidic, umami, greens... yum.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:58 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

29 years married and one of our most cherished food memories is Swiss chard with Italian sausage, onions, garlic, a tomato, potatoes, and chicken stock.
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:06 PM on April 16, 2014

This red lentil soup is amazing (ginger! fennel! coconut milk!) and really pretty when you use chard. We use Swiss chard and sauté the stems a little bit ahead of adding the greens (which will cook down a LOT, so don't be scared of a big mound). It freezes well, so we usually make a double batch.
posted by charmedimsure at 2:06 PM on April 16, 2014

Yup, agreed with others - I'd default to your normal way, but my other suggestion would be some sort of gratin, with maybe Swiss or Gruyere as the cheese, and then top with panko or maybe just broil a bit at the end so it gets nice and browned and bubbly. Mmm.
posted by agress at 2:09 PM on April 16, 2014

This swiss chard "lasagna" is basically an easier swiss chard gratin and it is so good! A keeper!
posted by purple_bird at 2:43 PM on April 16, 2014

Indian Spiced Garbanzos and Greens is amazing when made with chard. Chop the stems and throw them in right away with the onions, and then add the leafy bits later. On top of brown rice, it's hearty and filling and tastes so so so good. Plus it's good for you.
posted by vytae at 3:11 PM on April 16, 2014

Mix it with garlic mashed potatoes and sausage, then add parmesan or cheddar on top.

You can also make a great savory bread pudding! SO GOOD.

12 to 16 thick slices dry bread, cubed

2-1/2 to 3 cups milk

5 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lb steamed chard, chopped

6 ounces Fontina cheese, slivered

1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, and tarragon; or sage, thyme, and marjoram

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish -- a souffle dish works well.

Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add bread chunks, Stir to coat and let soak for 15 minutes. Add in steamed chard, cheese, and herbs. Fold mixture together and pour into buttered dish. Dot with butter. You can save some of the cheese (or add more!) to sprinkle on top if you like.

Bake in preheated oven until top is crusty brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
posted by ananci at 3:31 PM on April 16, 2014

I love Ottolenghi's chard, tamarind and chickpea stew.

Or you could get some squares of baking paper, cover each with chard leaves, place a couple of bits of haloumi or fetta in the middle, and tie each up into parcels and bake them at 180:C for 15 minutes, and serve with crusty bread.
posted by girlgenius at 5:17 PM on April 16, 2014

Nthing the gratin suggestions--- this one is a repeat player in our repertoire.
posted by MeadowlarkMaude at 5:19 PM on April 16, 2014

Last night I tried a new chard recipe and loved it. It was in a YouTube video by an Italian-American grandma named Giulia Carbonara; she calls it Swiss Chard With Beans, but it also has onion and tomato. I'd never had greens mixed with tomatoes, and found it to be a great combo. Half my batch had beans and the other had none; both were delicious. I used a whole can of tomatoes, more than Giulia seemed to be using.The chard seems to cook down even more than usual for this one.

All the ingredients: olive oil, onion, tomatoes, salt, chard, beans
posted by wryly at 6:08 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

Chips! Cut out the stem and tought part of the central vein. Cut into 2 inch or so pieces. Spray both sides with a bit of oil and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Microwave on a plate on high until they're chips. Start with two minutes and then 15 sec or so at a time until you find the right time. You don't want any chewiness at all or they'll be really chewy when they cool.

Also works with kale, collards, mustard greens, any sturdy green.
posted by sevenless at 6:42 PM on April 16, 2014

We had this for dinner tonight, and it was tasty. I seasoned it with a pinch of Berbere spice and a bit of powdered sumac, but I'm sure it would be good with salt and pepper as well. I'll probably turn the leftovers into a frittata tomorrow, as we do.
posted by SobaFett at 7:04 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

Saute, squeeze out water, mix in mild feta cheese or any cheese, roll in buttered phyllo dough sheets, and bake til cripsy and golden. BUREK!
posted by zaelic at 3:40 AM on April 17, 2014

Swiss Chard Tacos
posted by mcstayinskool at 10:31 AM on April 17, 2014

My main recommendation is to treat the stems and greens as two separate vegetables. I usually braise or gratin the stems, and my favorite way to serve the greens is with currants, nuts and a splash of balsamic (like this).
posted by cali at 3:04 PM on April 17, 2014 [1 favorite]