Ah, sauteed rainbow chard! Although chard is one of those veggies that is really good for us, I"ll admit I have to be in the mood for it. It is a member of the same family as beets, amaranth, and quinoa, and both its stems and leaves are edible. Chard has an earthy flavor that's not for every day, but when I see a bunch that looks so gorgeous I just have to have it, this easy, basic, recipe is the way to go. (see Ann's Tips) I've added some tart pomegranate molasses to this recipe, but if you don't have any, no worries. Simply leave it out. Enjoy!
AuthorAnn Ogden GaffneyMeanwhile, prep the chard. Pull the tender leaves away from the stems and set them aside in a salad spinner. Thinly slice the stems. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and stir to mix. Cook stirring for 2 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Turn nheat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time until the onions are looking a little golden and jammy.
Meanwhile, prep the chard. Pull the tender leaves away from the stems and set them aside in a salad spinner. Thinly slice the stems. Set aside.
Stir the sliced chard stems into the onions. Sprinkle with a little salt. Add the coriander. Raise the flame to medium-high. When you start to smell the spice, add the white wine to deglaze the pan. When the wine looks syrupy, cover. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook stirring occasionally until the chard stems start to soften, about 5-7 minutes..
While the chard and onions cook, prep the chard leaves. Wash and spin dry the reserved leaves. Layer them individually on top of each other - this is best done in batches. Roll up the layered leaves. Cut the roll across into 1/2" slices, then cut the roll in half down the center. Set aside. Repeat until all the leaves have been cut. This can be done before you start cooking.
Remove the lid from the onions and chard stems. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add a handful of the chard leaves. Stir in and cook until they start to wilt. Repeat until all the leaves are used up. Stir in the pomegranate molasses if using. Cook 2 minutes. Add the chopped herbs. Cook a further 2 minutes. Taste for salt. Squeeze the lemon over everything. Stir to mix. Serve
You can use white stemmed Swiss chard in the same way.
To turn this side into a more substantial dish, Before you add the herbs, add either a can of drained white cannellini beans, or 11/2cups of soaked farro as below. Cook for 10 minutes or until heated through. Add the herbs and lemon as per recipe.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and stir to mix. Cook stirring for 2 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Turn nheat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time until the onions are looking a little golden and jammy.
Meanwhile, prep the chard. Pull the tender leaves away from the stems and set them aside in a salad spinner. Thinly slice the stems. Set aside.
Stir the sliced chard stems into the onions. Sprinkle with a little salt. Add the coriander. Raise the flame to medium-high. When you start to smell the spice, add the white wine to deglaze the pan. When the wine looks syrupy, cover. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook stirring occasionally until the chard stems start to soften, about 5-7 minutes..
While the chard and onions cook, prep the chard leaves. Wash and spin dry the reserved leaves. Layer them individually on top of each other - this is best done in batches. Roll up the layered leaves. Cut the roll across into 1/2" slices, then cut the roll in half down the center. Set aside. Repeat until all the leaves have been cut. This can be done before you start cooking.
Remove the lid from the onions and chard stems. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add a handful of the chard leaves. Stir in and cook until they start to wilt. Repeat until all the leaves are used up. Stir in the pomegranate molasses if using. Cook 2 minutes. Add the chopped herbs. Cook a further 2 minutes. Taste for salt. Squeeze the lemon over everything. Stir to mix. Serve
You can use white stemmed Swiss chard in the same way.
To turn this side into a more substantial dish, Before you add the herbs, add either a can of drained white cannellini beans, or 11/2cups of soaked farro as below. Cook for 10 minutes or until heated through. Add the herbs and lemon as per recipe.
