Let's admit it, healthy food is not always the tastiest food. But there are ways to incorporate great nutrition with great flavor. Swiss chard is high in minerals, vitamins, fiber and protein. I consider it to be a super food. Its easy to grow and adds amazing color to both your garden and your dinner plate. I like to use the stems of the chard. The colors are beautiful, it gives a little crunch and texture to the dish, and I always feel bad about throwing away so much produce.
This recipe only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, and is a great side dish or accompaniment for a protein.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch swiss chard – about 20 stems
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1 medium shallot diced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablesoons olive oil
Directions
- Make sure you thoroughly wash and rinse the swiss chard. They have a tendency to collect a fair amount of sand and silt.
- Cut out colorful ribs from chard so stems are separate from leaves
- Dice stems and sauté with garlic, shallot, and lemon zest in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 3-4 minutes.
- Cut leaves in 1 inch length
- Add leaves of chard to pan and sauté until wilted
- Add red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper and sauté until chard begins to slightly char and some of the liquid has evaporated off
- Plate chard with tongs to drain the excess liquid and drizzle with Leccino olive oil
This recipe can even be the starter to a soup. Add some potatoes and stock, and you have a healthy, hearty, winter soup.