Who knew Swiss chard could be this good?! The key is to slice the chard very thinly and cook it over medium-high heat until it caramelizes on the edges. These greens are not soggy or mushy, no way.
This cooked chard is a little garlicky, a little lemony, and seriously irresistible. It’s the perfect quick and healthy side dish. The chard shrinks in volume while it cooks, so you’ll find yourself eating more greens than you realize—your body will thank you!
I love that this recipe uses leaves and stems, which are often discarded. It’s a great way to produce less waste and get more bang for your buck. Thanks to the stems, the final dish is more textural, colorful, and interesting to eat.
If you ever find kale to taste too bold, try mellow, earthy Swiss chard instead. Ancient Romans enjoyed Swiss chard and I’m just now falling in love with it, thanks to this quick side dish. I’m even feeling inspired to plant Swiss chard in our garden. Try it, and let me know what you think!
How to Cook the Best Swiss Chard
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here are the keys to cooking truly irresistible Swiss chard.
- Separate the ribs from the greens and thinly slice them both. The trick to slicing the leaves is to stack and roll them into a cigar-like shape before slicing—see my photos and the video below for visuals.
- The stems are tougher than the leaves, so we’ll cook the stems first. Cook over medium-high heat to achieve a lovely, light char. Add the olive oil and wait until it shimmers before adding the stems and salt. Cook until a fork easily pierces through the stems.
- Then, add the greens and stir every 30 seconds until they are wilted, dark green, and turning brown on the edges. Don’t stir too often because those caramelized edges are so tasty!
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir, stir, stir. We’re adding the garlic late in the game so it doesn’t burn.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice and additional salt if needed. The lemon juice adds an essential touch of brightness to these cooked greens.
Watch How to Cook Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard Selection & Storage Tips
Any variety of Swiss chard will work well for this recipe, but the red-stemmed or rainbow-stemmed varieties yield more visually appealing results. The pops of color from the stems are so pretty!
Look for chard leaves that are solid green with thick, healthy stems. Yellowing around the edges of the leaves and splayed stems indicate that the chard is growing old and losing flavor.
Swiss chard is a hardy green that will keep for up to 10 days when stored properly. When you bring Swiss chard home from the store, remove the twist-tie around the base and ensure the produce bag is open rather than tied shut to prevent rot. Store the chard in the vegetable drawer on top of the other vegetables so it doesn’t get crushed.
Swiss Chard Serving Suggestions
This recipe offers a perfectly nutritious side serving of greens. Warm sautéed chard is lovely on cooler days when leafy salads are less appealing.
The flavors complement a variety of meals, from traditional fare like Thanksgiving supper to cheesy delights like mac and cheese.
Don’t hesitate to serve these greens with any hearty meal that needs a burst of nutritious greens—I’d love them alongside Mexican dishes like enchiladas. You could substitute lime juice for the lemon if it better suits your meal.
This sautéed chard recipe stores and reheats well. Add the leftovers to your packed lunch, stir them into warm whole grains like farro or quinoa or cooked spaghetti, stuff them into quesadillas or burritos, or fold them into scrambled eggs. They’re so versatile and nutritious!
More Healthy Greens to Enjoy
If you appreciate Swiss chard, you’ll enjoy these fresh recipes. The recipes marked with asterisks could use chard instead of another green.
Please let me know how your Swiss chard turns out in the comments! I hope you find that you love chard if you don’t already.
Sautéed Swiss Chard
This quickly sautéed Swiss chard is lemony, garlicky, and truly irresistible. The key is in the method. Recipe yields 4 modest side servings. Cook another batch in another skillet if desired.
- To prepare the chard: Cut off the browned bits at the ends of the stems and discard them. Cut out the thick center ribs and slice across the ribs to make ¼-inch thick pieces. Keep these separate from the leaves.
- Stack the remaining greens and roll them up into a cigar-like shape. Slice over the “cigar” as thinly as possible (⅛″ to ¼″) to make long strands. Shake up the greens and chop across them a few times so the strands aren’t so long.
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ribs and the salt. Stir to combine and cook, stirring often, until the ribs are easily pierced through by a fork, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add all of the greens to the pan. Stir until they’re lightly coated in oil, then let them cook for about 30 seconds before stirring again. Continue stirring in 30-second intervals until the greens are wilted and dark green and some are starting to turn brown on the edges (this is delicious). This will take 2 to 4 minutes.
- Once the chard is nearly done, add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to break up the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add another pinch of salt, if desired. Serve each portion with a lemon wedge. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days. Briefly warm the leftovers in the microwave before serving.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
