Swiss chard is one of those underrepresented veggies, and this simple Garlicky Swiss Chard recipe does it justice. If you’re not familiar with swiss chard, it’s a big, leafy green. They are available with wide, greenish-white stems, or a fun hybrid of red, yellow, and white stems. This dish comes in at 3 net carbs, making it a great addition to any meal
Swiss chard is crazy easy to grow. I’ve grown it in everything from a traditional raised garden bed to buckets filled with dirt and put in a sunny spot. And, it’ll keep growing from spring into the fall, and when I lived in Texas, I had fresh swiss chard until the frost got to it (in January!) Versatile and hardy, I LOVE love love having fresh chard at my fingertips. If you can’t grow it, look for fresh, vibrant leaves with stems that are still firm. You’ll find it in the produce section of your supermarket, or look for it at a local farmers market.
It’s usually sold bundled up, a lot like collard greens, and always needs a good washing. Run each leaf under running water, running your finger down the stem groove to dislodge any dirt. A second washing won’t hurt – there’s nothing worse than gritty swiss chard.
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Making Garlicky Swiss Chard
Once washed, it’s important to separate the stems from the leaves, unless you’re using super-tender baby swiss chard. I usually just pile up a dozen leaves and chop the stems off all at once. The stems I cut into 1.5-inch pieces, and I’ll roughly chop the leaves.
Swiss chard cooks down like spinach, so you don’t need to fuss overly about chopping the leaves, but the stems need cooking first. Sautee the stems in some avocado oil, butter, or bacon fat for a few minutes first, until they are starting to soften.
Then, add the garlic to the pan and add the leaves. Lower the heat and move the chard around until the leaves have all wilted. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to soften up the fibers in the leaves, season with salt, and dig in! Serve this dish with your favorite meats, or add even more veggies to a feast that includes these Lemon-Oregano Chicken Kabobs.
Washed chard and garlic. Sautee the stems and the garlic before adding leaves. Chopped leaves ready for cooking. Sauteed swiss chard stems. Garlicky Swiss Chard finished and ready to eat!
Garlicky Swiss Chard
Ingredients
- 1 pound swiss chard
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- Wash the swiss chard thoroughly. Remove the stems and chop into 1.5-inch pieces. Set aside. Roughly chop the leaves. Set aside.
- Add the swiss chard stems, garlic, and oil to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the stems have softened. Add the washed leaves (with water clinging to them) to the pan and continue cooking over medium heat for another 4-5 minutes until the leaves have wilted and softened.
- Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Love this simple preparation of Swiss Chard. We always have so much of it from our CSA in the summer that I don’t know what to do with. I’ll definitely be making this a lot!
I don’t eat Swiss chard often enough, but this simple garlic stir-fry version is super easy and delicious. I need to start eating more of these. 🙂
I’ve never been a huge fan of swiss chard, but after trying this recipe, I’ve converted! It’s so delicious and we make it all the time!
I agree that Swiss chard doesn’t get enough love. It’s one of my favorite winter greens! And this is a great way to prepare it. Yum.
Love this little side dish. I served it with garlic chicken, because you can never have too much garlic. Was awesome!
Great idea