Swiss Chard Recipe {Side Dish + Salad} | Luci's Morsels (2024)

Published: May 13, 2020 · Modified: Jan 28, 2024 by Luci Petlack

Add swiss chard to the list of veggies I never would’ve considering enjoying growing up! What can I say? As a professed veggie lover now, I haven’t always been great about all of them. And while I wouldn’t have cared about this as a kid…one of the great things about this sauteed swiss chard recipe is its versatility – side dish, salad, add on, and so much more…

Swiss Chard Recipe

Sauteing greens is one of those crazy things that can do nothing to veggies or it can make them mouth watering and memorable. I think this recipe is the latter for sure.

On their own these greens are a delicious side dish or even a salad course (salads don’t all have to be cold)! I think the versatility of this dish, however, is second only to the flavor. For some reason, I want to add it into a bowl of grains, roasted veggies, and a poached egg or grilled chicken.

If you’re grilling meat or veggies these days, however, this would be a delicious bed of greens upon which to serve them.

How to Prep Swiss Chard for Cooking

Prepping swiss chard to eat isn’t a ton of work. The leaves need to be cleaned and you need to get rid of the stem. Give your chard a quick rinse and try to get rid of any dirt.

Next, fold your leaves in half (across the stem) and cut or pull the stem away from the leaves – the real thick part should come apart pretty easily!

Sidenote – the stem is edible, it’s just tough. If you want to add some of it in, you absolutely can. I’d recommend chopping it thinner so it cooks faster and isn’t so much work to eat. (This is a great way to avoid food waste – or at least cut back on it in your home)!

I like to cut swiss chard like basil, so I stack the leaves and then roll them together and slice them all at once. You can then do a rough chop the other way to get them into smaller pieces!

How to Store Swiss Chard

Chard, like many hearty leafy greens needs to breathe. Store unwashed/dry swiss chard in your refrigerator’s vegetable crisper drawer. Avoid sealed bags or containers as this won’t let the leaves “breathe” and will more quickly lead to wilting and spoiling.

If you buy misted greens at the market or have already washed them, ensure you dry them completely before placing them in your crisper drawer.

Alternatively, if your chard doesn’t fit in your drawer, take the dry leaves and places them in a damp cloth and an open bag (I love using these large silicone bags to avoid single-use plastic. They need some moisture but don’t like being wet or in arid climates (i.e. your refrigerator shelves).

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How to Cook Chard, Garlic, + Ginger

So all of the major players in this dish cook very quickly, which is great, but it does also mean you should watch out for any one of them burning. When you’re cooking this, give it your full attention and get it over with quickly!

More Salad Recipes

Love simple but scrumptious and healthy side dishes? Try this kale farro salad, an orange beet salad in winter, or this delicious and simple Avocado + Bean salad. If it isn’t super hot where you are these days, try roasted grape salad with burrata!

For some easy side dishes, try roasted squash side dish (full of color and flavor), roasted broccoli with grape salad, sweet potato and cherry tomatoes, and roasted rainbow carrots with peanut curry sauce!