Asian Sautéed Swiss Chard

Deliciously bold and fresh Asian flavors infuse this sautéed Swiss chard, making this side dish a perfect pairing with chicken, fish or tofu.

The inspiration for this dish was this Asian salad dressing which I originally created as a standalone sauce. And I know as soon as I tasted it that I just had to post this side dish recipe simply because it makes eating a large amount of super healthy, fiber and antioxidant-rich Swiss chard so easy and tasty!

This recipe is both an easy lesson in how to cook with Swiss chard, and a great way to turn an ordinary side dish into a super healthy and delicious one.

Jump to:

• 🌿 Ingredients
• 📝 Instructions
• 📋 Substitutions
• 📖 Variations
• 🔪 Equipment
• 🍱 Storage
• 🎉 Top tip
• 🍳 Recipe

🌿 Ingredients

The main ingredient here, obviously, is Swiss chard, and the rest of the ingredients listed will go into the Asian dressing.

• Swiss chard, any variety (green chard, red chard, rainbow chard, or mix and match)
• olive oil
• water
• black sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

For the Asian dressing:

• fresh ginger
• garlic
• scallion
• reduced sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
• toasted sesame oil
• olive oil
• rice vinegar
• honey or maple syrup

See recipe card below for exact quantities.

📝 Instructions

To start, 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, set them aside, and then roughly chop the leaves of the chard into larger (1-2 inch) pieces and set aside.

What is Swiss chard?

In case your wondering at this point, "what is chard?", it's actually most closely related to beets and spinach, and it's dark leafy greens are very similar in texture and taste. In fact, you can substitute either of those in this recipe if you don't have chard on hand (just use the beet greens, not the beets themselves.)

Next, for the dressing, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup or small bowl and use a whisk to incorporate.

Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add some olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the chopped chard stems and sauté them for a few minutes until they soften a bit.

Then, add the leaves, a little water, and cover and steam for a minute or two, stirring a few times so that the leaves turn just bright green (don't steam for too long.)

Remove the sautéed chard from the skillet, place it in a medium serving bowl and then pour the dressing over everything to mix to coat. Garnish with black sesame seeds if desired, and serve immediately.

📋 Substitutions

Here are some substitutions you can make in this recipe:

• Swiss chard - use 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
• Scallion - substitute chives, cilantro or just leave out altogether
• Gluten free - use tamari instead of wheat-based soy sauce
• Vegan - use maple syrup instead of honey

📖 Variations

Here are a few dressing variations you can use:

• 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 just leave out the scallions

🔪 Equipment

You'll need the following ingredient to make this side dish:

• cutting board
• chef's knife
• small mixing bowl
• whisk
• large skillet

🍱 Storage

Leftover sautéed 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!

🍳 Recipe