Sauteed Swiss Chard and White Beans

Sauteed Swiss Chard and White Beans, an Italian-inspired side dish, comes together quickly with only 4 ingredients – Swiss chard, olive oil, garlic and white beans. Serve it hot with a bit of extra olive oil drizzled on top and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

After admiring the gorgeous Swiss Chard (also called rainbow chard) at our local farmers market, I finally bit the bullet and brought some home. I knew I wanted to try a healthy Swiss chard recipe, so I went to my collection of old cookbooks.

This Sauteed Swiss Chard with Garlic and Olive Oil recipe came from one of my favorite cookbooks called Vegetables on the Side. Serve this perfect side dish with any grilled meat such as Grilled Pork Shoulder Steak and the Easiest Grilled Chicken Ever.

Try our Steamed Swiss Chard recipe for a simpler side dish.

Notes About This Recipe:

• Fresh garlic is always best, but use jarred minced garlic if that’s all you have. I’ve found that jars or roasted garlic are a great substitution for the real thing, and one teaspoon of the jarred garlic equals one clove of fresh garlic.
• Do not burn your garlic.  You only need to cook it for about 30 seconds.  If you leave it there longer, it will burn and give an off-flavor.
• Sauteed Swiss chard recipe calls for white beans. Use whatever cans of white beans you have on hand, but Cannellini, Great Northern Beans or White Kidney beans all work just fine.
• I would not recommend using a coarse salt to season this recipe because it will give the dish a gritty texture.
• Sauteed Swiss Chard with White Beans recipe is served best hot, and drizzle with additional olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese to jazz up the recipe.

How to Prepare Italian Swiss Chard and Beans Recipe:

Full Recipe for Sauteed Swiss Chard and Beans can be found below. 

Wash chard carefully to remove dirt and sand. Separate the stems from the leaves.  Cut the stems into 1 inch pieces and parboil JUST the stems in acidulated water for 3 to 5 minutes or until partially tender.  Drain.

Cut the chard leaves into 1 inch strips. Cook JUST the leaves in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes in the water that clings to the leaves.  Once leaves are wilted, remove from pan and set aside.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems to the oil and saute until completely tender.  Add garlic and cannellini beans and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Stir in wilted rainbow chard leaves and season well with salt and black pepper.

Notes About Swiss Chard:

Have questions after seeing Swiss Chard (also known as Rainbow Chard) at the grocery store or farmers market? Let’s try and answer some of them!

Is Swiss Chard healthy?

Yes, Swiss chard contains high levels of iron, calcium, Vitamin A,, Vitamin K and Vitamin C.

What are the benefits of Swiss chard?

Swiss chard is a dark, leafy vegetable that is high in antioxidants and vitamins.  Adding Swiss chard to your regular diet can help prevent certain chronic illnesses.  Swiss chard is also low in calories meaning it is a great weight-loss friendly food option.

Can Swiss Chard be eaten raw?

People usually eat the leaves of the Swiss chard raw more often than the stems.  Use the Swiss chard leaves in salads and massage gently with the dressing in a similar way as you would with kale to tenderize the leaves.

What does Swiss chard taste like?

Swiss chard tends to have a slightly bitter taste and the leaves have a delicate texture similar to spinach.

How do you prepare Swiss Chard?

Prepare Swiss chard leaves and stems in two different ways. Typically, you strip the leaves from the stems. Fold the leaf in half. Grasp the bottom of the stem and pull up.  This should separate the two parts.  If it’s a bigger, tougher chard, fold in half on a cutting board and take a knife along the stem.

Traditionally you prepare Swiss chard leaves the same as spinach and are a good substitution for recipes that call for spinach.  Wash the leaves well to remove any excess dirt or sand, because you don’t want a gritty texture to your dish.  Cook the chard in the water that clings to the leaves after washing.  Do this in a skillet over medium heat until the leaves wilt, usually just 2 to 3 minutes.

Swiss chard stems can quickly turn brown. To prevent this, cut the stem in 1 inch pieces, and boil in acidulated water.

What is acidulated water?

Acidulated water is water that has lemon juice added to it, and typically, 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice added to 1 quart of water will do the trick.

Our Favorite Green Vegetable Recipes

I love this healthy Swiss chard recipe. Do you love green vegetables? Try our Tangy Wilted Bacon and Kale, Low Carb Sesame Broccoli, Crock Pot Green Beans, Simple Kale Mango Salad, and Instant Pot Braised Kale and Tomatoes. Check out Beyer Beware’s Brussels Sprouts with Onion and Bacon (made in the Ninja Foodi).