What Is Swiss Chard And How Do You Use It?

"Eat your greens" is something we've always heard, and when those greens come in such a delicious package as Swiss chard, we will willingly dig in. There is so much beautiful produce to choose from at the farmer's market that you might have overlooked this vegetable or needed help knowing what to do with it.

Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable from the same family as beets and spinach. Regardless of the name, it did not originate in Switzerland but in the Mediterranean region. You can add Swiss chard to soups, stews, frittatas, and baked pasta with a delicate and sweet flavor. You can also substitute Swiss chard if your recipe calls for kale, spinach, or another leafy green. Like many of our other favorite leafy green vegetables, Swiss chard is low in calories and packs a ton of antioxidants and vitamins, making it a healthy choice when cooking. Here's everything you need to know about how to cook with Swiss chard.

What Is Chard?

Chard is a leafy green that’s a member of the beet family. Rainbow chard is not a variety of chard but various colors of chard bunched together. Although the leaves on Swiss chard are always a dark green, the stems can be white, yellow, pink, purple, or bright red. Chard is not as soft as spinach or as firm as kale; it typically tastes milder than both. Its leaves are slightly bitter raw and sweeter when cooked, while its crunchy, celery-like stems taste slightly like beets. Keep in mind that there is no noticeable flavor difference between the colors, but when cooked with other foods, the colored stems may lend a pink or red hue to the other ingredients in the recipe.

How To Buy And Store Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is typically a cool-season crop because it grows best in the more moderate temperatures of spring and fall. Chard is quite tolerant of hotter temperatures, as well, so you may be able to find this leafy vegetable year-round. Look for vibrant colors when choosing a bunch of chard. The leaves and stems should be unbruised, free from blemishes, firm, and not wilted. Swiss chard can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator's vegetable drawer for up to five days. Wash it before using.

How To Prepare Swiss Chard

When ready to use, wash and dry the chard like any other leafy green, stack the stems together, trim the ends, and cut the leaves from the stems. Cut out any thick ribs from the leaves, then stack the leaves and cut crosswise into ribbons or pieces.

How To Use Swiss Chard

As mentioned above, you can use Swiss chard in any recipe that calls for a leafy green. Keep in mind that its thick leaves can take longer to cook than softer leaves, like spinach. If you like to toss spinach leaves into your fall soups and stews for an added punch of color and nutrition, use Swiss chard leaves cut into ribbons next time. Add whole baby Swiss chard leaves to your favorite tossed green salads for a beautiful addition. Mix chopped Swiss chard into a grits quiche for an elegant brunch, or combine it with beans for a comforting cold-weather soup.

If you have more mature chard leaves, cut them into ribbons; before adding to a salad, gently massage the dressing into the leaves with your hands to help tenderize them. You can use Swiss chard in place of, or mixed with, other greens when making a quick skillet sauté.

While the stems are not as widely used as the leaves, they are crunchy, delicious, and just as worth being eaten as their leafy counterparts. Dice stems and use them in salads along with the leaves, or sauté chopped stems on their own with garlic, olive oil, and a splash of lemon juice.