Swiss Chard

For more info about Swiss Chard, including care and storage tips, click here.

Recipes on this page:

Jennifer’s Chard Pie     Wilted Swiss Chard with Garlic     Baked Haddock with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes     Chard Stems with Golden Onions     Chard or Spinach Quiche     Creamy Parmesan Swiss Chard Gratin     Swiss Chard Relish     Greens Croquettes

Recipes from around the web:

Chard and Ricotta Pie     Swiss Chard Stalk Pesto with Pepitas     10-Minute Sauteed Rainbow Chard     Swiss Chard Recipe     Slow Cooker Chard Lentil and Potato Soup     20 Ways to Cook Leafy Greens    Eggs Gratin Crostini with Swiss Chard     Swiss Chard Pancakes     Rainbow Chard with Maple-Vinegar Drizzle     Sausage and Chard Mini Galettes    

Jennifer’s Chard (or spinach!) Pie with Feta Cheese and Fresh Dill (return to top)

(A winner at the 2010 CSA Member Potluck!)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 1 bunch (from the farm) Swiss chard, stems removed, cleaned and coarsely chopped
  • 6 -8 ounces feta cheese, broken into small chunks
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1  9-inch deep dish pie crust, unbaked
  • 3-4 tomato slices, halved OR 16-20 black olives, halved(optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in large skillet; add onion and cook over medium-low heat until translucent.
Raise heat to medium high and add chard.  Toss and cook until all the chard is wilted and some of the liquid has evaporated, 4-5 minutes.  Turn off heat, let cool 5 minutes.  Sprinkle feta over chard.
Whisk eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl.   Sprinkle Parmesan cheese onto bottom of pie crust.
Stir chard and feta into egg mixture.  Gently pour into crust.  For an optional garnish, arrange tomatoes or olive halves around outer rim of pie, pressing them very lightly into the surface without submerging them.  Bake 40-50 minutes, until center is just set.  Do not over bake.  Let pie cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Note:  8 – 12 ounces spinach can be substituted for the chard.
If using dried dill weed, use half the amount of fresh (or adjust to taste) and rub it between your thumb and finger to release the oils.
For the potluck, I used garlic and herb feta cheese.  Our favorite is tomato and basil feta cheese, but I sometimes use just plain feta cheese.  
If I do not have a deep dish pie crust, I use a regular pie crust; I use smaller eggs or a little less milk.

Enjoy!!!!!

Wilted Swiss Chard with Garlic (return to top)
Makes 2 servings

  • 1 pound Swiss chard, washed well, stems stripped and coarsely chopped; leave wet
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh lemon juice, optional

Heat large skillet or heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add olive oil and garlic; sauté additional 15 seconds.
Add the wet chard one handful at a time. Stir after each addition. After all chard has been added, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 5 minutes or until chard is wilted but still bright green.
Remove the lid, raise heat to high and cook until all liquid has evaporated, 2- 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired.

Baked Haddock with Swiss Chard & Tomatoes (return to top)

  • 1 lb Swiss chard
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1 1/2 lb haddock fillets
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 c minced parsley
  • 2 Tbsp sliced garlic
  • 2 tsp minced fresh tarragon

Strip stems from Swiss chard leaves; slice stems crosswise.
Shred leaves and place in shallow 2- quart baking dish. Sprinkle with water.
Place fish on chard; add salt and pepper.
In nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chard stems, tomatoes, onion, parsley, garlic and tarragon. Season with salt. Cook until onion is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
Spread tomato mixture over fish, cover and bake 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees, or until fish just flakes when tested with a fork.

Chard Stems with Golden Onions and Fresh Bread Crumbs (return to top)
-Sue M.

  • About 12 large stems of Swiss Chard
  • 3 Tbsps. unsalted butter
  • 2 medium onions, minced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Trim off any bruised parts off the stems. Add the chard stems; salt to taste. Cook until the stems are almost tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve the stems. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease a 13″ x 9″ glass or ceramic baking dish.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until richly colored, about 8 minutes. Add the cream and simmer just until thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the chard stems in a single layer in the greased baking dish. Drizzle the onion mixture over the chard. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake until the crumbs are golden-brown and the cream has glazed the chard, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Chard (or Spinach) Quiche (return to top)
-Dave R.
Serves 6

  • 9” Quiche shell
  • 1 lb. Swiss chard or spinach
  • 2 T. olive oil or butter
  • 1 T. lemon juice
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1 ½ cup sour cream
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/3 c. minced onion
  • 1/8 t. cream of tartar
  • 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 c. bread crumbs

Saute chard (or spinach), drain well
Add lemon juice
Whisk yolks, sour cream, salt, pepper, and onions.  Fold in greens
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.  Fold into greens.  Pour into Quiche shell
Combine parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, and sprinkle on top
Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce to 325 and bake for 40 minutes

Creamy Parmesan Swiss Chard Gratin (return to top)
-Heather C.
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

  • 1/2 cup toasted or stale coarse breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tbs. unsalted butter; more for coating the gratin pan
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3 strips bacon (about 2-1/2 oz.)
  • 1 lb. (about 1 bunch) Swiss chard, washed and drained, stems removed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, leaves cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (to yield about 2-3/4 cups stems and 7 to 8 cups leaves)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter a shallow 5- or 6-cup ceramic gratin dish. Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and toss it with the breadcrumbs; set aside.In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and garlic to a boil (watch that it doesn’t boil over), immediately lower the heat, and simmer vigorously for 5 minutes; the cream should be reduced to about 3/4 cup.
Take the pan off the heat and remove the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon. Let the cream cool slightly, stirring occasionally to loosen. Season it with a few grinds of fresh pepper and 1/4 tsp. of the salt.
Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp and browned. Transfer to paper towels; crumble when cool. Leave the bacon fat in pan (if there’s more than 2 Tbs., drain a little off).
Add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter to the skillet and let it melt. Add the chard stems and sauté them over medium to medium-high heat until they’re somewhat softened and browned on the edges, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chard leaves and toss them with the contents of the skillet. Season them with the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. (You can add the leaves in two batches for easier handling.) Sauté until all the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the gratin dish (leave behind any excess liquid in the sauté pan), spreading them evenly.
Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and then the cheese over the chard. Pour the seasoned cream over all and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes; the gratin will be brown and bubbly. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Swiss Chard Relish (return to top)
Sue M.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, leaves reserved for another use, stems cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup chopped mint 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened. Add the chard stems and onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Stir in the raisins, vinegar, honey and half of the mint. Cover and cook until the chard is crisp-tender, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, then mix in the remaining mint.

Greens Croquettes (return to top)

  • 2 lbs. leaves of mixed greens (Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, etc.)
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup cow’s milk cheese, grated
  • 2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs, plus extra
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Oil or butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water and then add the greens.  If you are using a mix of greens, add them in order of coarseness (i.e., start with kale, end with spinach).  Cook until just wilted, no more than a minute or ninety seconds.  Drain thoroughly, gently pressing the leaves against the sides of the colander.  Allow the greens to cool, and then roughly chop.
In a mixing bowl, combine the greens, onion, eggs, cheese, pepper, and approximately half of the breadcrumbs.  If the mixture is too wet to form cakes, gradually add more bread crumbs until it is possible to mold the mixture.  Form small patties, roughly the size of a small hamburger, and set aside.
Put a plate in the oven and set the oven to low heat.  Over medium heat, cover the bottom of a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with oil or butter.  Add a few of the cakes to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it.  (The amount of cakes you add depends on the size of the pan.) Cook for approximately five minutes, or until browned, flip the cakes and cook an additional five minutes to brown the other side.  Remove the cakes to the plate in the oven and continue with the next batch.  Repeat until cakes are cooked.