Looking for a great Swiss chard recipe that doesn't require a lot of cooking time? If you like deliciously bold and fresh Asian flavors, this is the one. 🙂 This quick and easy chard recipe is a perfect side dish pairing with chicken, fish, steak or tofu.
"Terrific! This is being added to my regular rotation."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Kelly, One Happy Dish reader
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The inspiration for this dish was this Asian sesame salad dressing which I originally created as a standalone sauce. And I knew as soon as I tasted it that I just had to post this sautéed chard recipe as well. It's not only an easy lesson in how to cook Swiss chard, it's a great way to turn an ordinary side dish into an amazingly delicious, restaurant-quality side. It's seriously the best Swiss chard recipe I've ever eaten.
If you love this recipe and want to try another favorite Asian side dish, I highly recommend this roasted asparagus with maple miso glaze.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Great way to use up extra Swiss chard on hand
- Takes less than 30 minutes to prepare
- You can double the dressing to use for salads or other marinades! (it's delicious)
- Bold umami and savory flavors
- Versatile side dish that goes with almost anything
🌿 Ingredients
The main ingredient here, obviously, is Swiss chard, plus some Asian salad dressing and a little olive oil for sautéing. Note that you might find different varieties of chard when you shop like red chard, green chard and rainbow chard. They're all Swiss chard and they all work great; pick whatever looks freshest and feel free to mix and match! 🙂
For the Asian dressing, you'll also need the following ingredients:
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
To get started, wash and trim the chard leaves and then cut the thick stem out of each leaf by cutting down along each side of it.
Chop the stems into small, bite sized pieces, set them aside, and then roughly chop the leaves of the chard into larger (1-2 inch) pieces and set aside.
Next, for the Asian dressing, combine all of the dressing ingredients except for the sesame seeds in a mixing bowl, and use a whisk to incorporate them.
Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add a little olive oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the chopped chard stems and sauté them for a few minutes until they soften just a bit.
Then add the chard leaves and a little water, and cover and steam everything for a minute or two, stirring a few times so that the leaves turn just bright green (don't steam for too long.)
Finally, remove the sautéed chard from the skillet, place it in a medium serving bowl and then pour the dressing over everything and mix well to coat. I like to garnish this chard recipe with some black sesame seeds for a little extra crunch, but that's totally optional.
📋 Substitutions
Here are some substitutions you can make in this chard recipe:
- Swiss chard - use any variety or mix and match red chard, green chard or rainbow chard, or substitute other dark leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens, mustard greens or beet greens
- Olive oil - use avocado oil, sesame oil or canola oil
- Rice vinegar - use white vinegar
- Fresh garlic - use garlic powder
- Fresh ginger - use ginger powder
- Scallions - substitute chives, cilantro or just leave out altogether
- Tamari - substitute soy sauce if gluten is not a concern
- Gluten free - make sure to use tamari rather than soy sauce
- Vegan - use maple syrup instead of honey
📖 Variations
Here are a few variations you use depending on preferences:
- Garlicky - use extra garlic or garlic powder in the dressing, to taste
- Spicy - add red chili pepper flakes for extra heat and spiciness
- Kid friendly - use just a bit of garlic powder and ginger powder instead of fresh garlic and ginger; you can also leave out the scallions
🔪 Equipment
You'll need the following ingredient to make this side dish:
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- large skillet
🍱 Storage
Leftover sautéed Swiss chard will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to one day in the fridge. It does not stand up well to freezing.
🎉 Top tip
Keep your eye on your skillet after you add the Swiss chard leaves and water; they'll cook down quickly in just a minute or two. Remove them from the pan right when they've turned a vibrant bright green.
Enjoy!
💭 FAQ
The vegetable Swiss chard is a member of the beet family, but it's grown for its leaves rather than its roots. Despite the name, Swiss chard is actually native to the Mediterranean region and was given its name by Swiss botanist Karl Heinrich Emil Koch.
Swiss chard is milder in flavor than beet greens and other bitter greens, and tastes very similar to spinach but with a bit more crunch since its leaves are slightly thicker than spinach leaves.
Cooked Swiss chard is generally sautéed, steamed or braised, using simple ingredients such as olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper. A little lemon juice or sauce can be used to flavor the chard to your liking.
Yes; Swiss chard can be eaten both raw and cooked. Raw chard works best in salads, while cooked chard works well for side dishes or in soups and stews.
🍳 Recipe
Asian Sautéed Swiss Chard
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Swiss chard about 8 cups chopped (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- black sesame seeds optional, for garnish
For the Asian dressing:
- ¼ inch piece fresh ginger grated
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 scallion diced
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon honey or maple syrup for vegan, to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Wash and trim the Swiss chard leaves and then cut the thick stem out of each leaf by cutting down along each side of it. Chop the stems into small, bite sized pieces, and then roughly chop the leaves of the chard into larger (1-2 inch) pieces; set aside.
- Make the dressing: Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl and use a whisk to incorporate.
- Sauté: Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the chopped stems and sauté for a few minutes until they soften a bit. Add the leaves along with the water, cover, and steam for a minute or two, stirring a few times to mix the stems with the leaves until the leaves are just bright green (don't steam for too long.)
- Combine: Remove the chard from the skillet and place in a medium serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the chard and mix well to coat. Garnish with black sesame seeds if desired.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately, and enjoy! Leftovers will stay fresh for up to one day in the fridge.
Kelly Monaghan
Terrific! This is being added to my regular rotation.
Allison
Love that Kelly! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂