Sauteed Swiss Chard
A quick side dish perfect with any protein choice for your next weeknight dinner.
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl optional
- 1 large cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 10" saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves sliced or chopped
- ¼ tsp salt or seasoned salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon zest (about half a lemon) optional
- ½ lemon juiced, optional
Instructions
- Wash and chop the Swiss chard, separating the stems from the leaves. It’s okay to leave the thinner stems attached to the leaves. Peel and slice the garlic.
- Optional: If you want a strong lemon flavor, zest half of the lemon before you cut it in half and reserve the zest. Juice zested lemon half and save other lemon half for another recipe or for lemon water.
- Preheat sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil to pan.
- Add the Swiss chard stems, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pan. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the Swiss chard leaves to the pan and stir. (If you are using an 8-inch sauté pan, add the leaves in batches and stir so they wilt, and you can fit more raw leaves into the pan.) Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so all the leaves wilt evenly. (For an 8-inch sauté pan, cook for about 5 to 8 minutes.)
- In the last minute of cooking, add your lemon zest and lemon juice (if using).
Video
Notes
Tips and Tricks
What’s the best way to cut these huge Swiss chard leaves?
After washing, cut out the stem from the leaf so the leaf is still connected at the top third. Do this for all your leaves. Then stack up the leaves, roll them up from one side to the other (not from top to bottom). Then slice up the roll in ½-inch strips.
If cooking for smaller mouths, you can cut the roll into half lengthwise before cutting into strips.
Can I just add the stems and the leaves to the pan at the same time?
You could, but you will either have undercooked stems or overcooked leaves. The stems really need an extra 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time, depending on how thick you cut them. If you like softer vegetables in your stir fries, you can cook it for 4 or 5 minutes before adding the leaves.
Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?
Yes, garlic powder is a flavorful and economical substitute for fresh garlic. When using garlic powder, make sure to add the garlic powder toward the end when you add the Swiss chard leaves. DO NOT add the garlic powder at the beginning with the stems because you run the risk of burning the garlic powder, and then the whole dish will have that burnt taste throughout.