Steamed Swiss Chard: A Guide With Step By Step Instructions

With a few simple ingredients, you can make this Simple Steamed Swiss Chard. This dish is as tasty as it is beautiful. Garlic, onions, broth, olive oil, salt and pepper can quickly transform these greens into the perfect summer side dish. Plus, we have a special version using the addition of fried bacon right before serving.

Steamed Swiss Chard Recipe

Rainbow chard is one of the beautiful sights of summer. I love the vibrant stems that complement the dark green leaves.  And, I love that it’s usually readily available at the local farmers’ market.

When preparing Sauteed Swiss Chard, be sure to remove the stems from the leaves and cook them separately.  The stems are heartier and will take longer to soften up than the tender, green leaves.

Simple Sautéed Swiss Chard Recipe

My favorite way to prepare Swiss Chard is with White Beans. (Find that recipe here.) But, it was time to find a new go-to recipe.  This one is inspired by a recipe in my Vegetables on the Side cookbook.

Garlic and onions are commonly sauteed with Swiss Chard, but this recipe uses more liquid to steam up the leaves. I chose to use vegetable broth as my liquid; however, dry white white or sherry or chicken broth would also be delicious. Or in a pinch, use water instead.

Want to learn about the health benefits of Swiss Chard? Check out this informative post!

Ingredients

• Onion
• Fresh Swiss chard leaves and stalks
• Minced Garlic
• Vegetable Broth
• Salt
• Black Pepper

How to Steam Swiss Chard

Step by Step Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add onion and chard stems and cook until softened (about 2 minutes), stirring occasionally. Then, add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
2. Add the chard leaves and vegetable broth to the skillet. Cook swiss chard over medium heat until the leaves are soft and tender, approximately 5 minutes. If the liquid cooks off before the leaves are tender, add a splash more.
3. Season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chunks of fried bacon if desired. It tastes great along side chicken breast or salmon.

For the full recipe for Steamed Swiss Chard, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• Swap dry white wine, dry sherry, or chicken broth for vegetable broth if desired in this sauteed Swiss chard recipe.
• Green onions or regular white or yellow onions can be used in this rainbow chard recipe.
• Add the garlic after sautéing the onions and chard stems. This prevents the garlic from burning and producing yucky off-flavors.
• This can easily fit the bill of a clean eating recipe if you are participating in a 30 Day Clean Eating program such as the Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy Living.  To find out more about that, click here. (I receive a small commission for purchases through this link.)
  • Use organic ingredients and sub regular salt for Pink Himalayan Salt, and omit bacon to make this a clean meal.
• For an extra delicious option, serve this as Swiss Chard and Bacon – just add fried bacon bits or chunks over top.

Recipe Variations

• Saute bacon chunks to add with the chard.
• Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice before serving.
• Stir in fresh parmesan cheese.
• For heat, add red pepper flakes.

More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

Kentucky Summer Squash Casserole

Creamed Peas and Potatoes

Braised Collard Greens and Tomatoes

How do you get the bitterness out of Swiss chard?

To reduce the bitterness of Swiss chard, you can soak the leaves in cold water for about 30 minutes before cooking. Additionally, you can add a splash of lemon juice or vinegar while cooking to help counteract the bitterness.

What is the edible part of Swiss chard?

The edible parts of Swiss chard are the leaves and the stems. The leaves are typically the main focus in recipes, while the stems can also be cooked and eaten, but they require longer cooking time to soften. Both parts offer a delicious and nutritious addition to dishes.

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