Sauteed Swiss Chard and Beans Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

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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.

Table of Contents

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.

Sauteed Swiss Chard and Beans Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (3)

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.

Sauteed Swiss Chard and Beans Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (5)

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).

Sauteed Swiss Chard and Beans Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (7)

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4.50 from 2 votes

Sauteed Swiss Chard and 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 cannellini beans.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Italian Swiss Chard, Sauteed Swiss Chard, Swiss Chard and Beans

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Swiss chard
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 15.5 ounces Cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • Salt and black pepper

Instructions

  • Wash Swiss chard to remove dirt and sand

  • Remove stems from the leaves.

  • Cut stems into 1 inch pieces and parboil JUST the stems in acidulated water (1 quart water with 2 Tablespoons lemon juice added) for 3 to 5 minutes; 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.

  • In a large skillet over medium heat; add olive oil. Saute parboiled stems until tender, approximately 5 minutes.

  • Add drained and rinsed cannellini beans and garlic; stirring constantly for 30 seconds (be careful not to burn garlic).

  • Add wilted Swiss chard leaves to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

  • Serve hot. An additional drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese are optional toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 326mg | Potassium: 906mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 9247IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 5mg

Sauteed Swiss Chard and Beans Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between Swiss chard and chard? ›

Pending External Review Key Facts. Chard is referred to as Swiss chard, which is a close relative of the beet and is grown for its leaves and stems as opposed to the edible root.

Is it better to eat chard raw or cooked? ›

Like many leafy greens, Swiss chard shrinks drastically when cooked, so 1 cup of cooked Swiss chard will contain much more nutrition than 1 cup of raw Swiss chard.

Do you eat the bottom of Swiss chard? ›

Chard stems take a little longer to cook than the leaves, but the whole plant is edible and delicious. It's a little bit sweet in the stems (which have a slight celery-like flavor) and pleasantly bitter in the leaves. Some people prefer to remove the stems from the leaves and cook them separately.

How do you keep Swiss chard from being bitter? ›

4 ways to cook the bitterness out of Swiss chard
  1. Separate leaves from the midrib. Swiss chard stems tend to have more bitterness than the leaves. ...
  2. Blanching, parboiling, or braising. ...
  3. Pickling. ...
  4. Add salt, fat, or acid.

Is Swiss chard good or bad for you? ›

Health benefits of Swiss chard. Swiss chard is a highly nutritious vegetable. It is a rich source of vitamin K and may help people maintain healthy blood sugar levels and support heart health. It is also commonly known as silverbeet, spinach beet, perpetual spinach, crab beet, and mangold.

Is chard healthier than spinach? ›

Spinach have significantly more Vitamins A than chard. Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron. Spinach is a great source of Thiamin, Niacin, Zinc, Phosphorus.

Is chard a laxative? ›

Leafy greens, like spinach, chards, arugula, lettuce and kale are rich in fibers with laxative properties. They are great options for constipation relief, especially when eaten raw. These greens contain high amounts of water, which helps with stool movements.

Is chard anti-inflammatory? ›

chard is also has an abundance of antioxidants as well as phytonutrient antioxidants. Why are these phytonutrient antioxidants so special? These antioxidants have been shown to have great anti-inflammatory properties. These phytonutrients can be found in the plant's leaves, and colorful stems.

Is Swiss chard bad for gout? ›

Opting for vegetables rich in fiber and low in purines is key for managing gout. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and swiss chard are excellent choices, offering essential nutrients without significantly impacting uric acid levels.

What is chewing holes in my Swiss chard? ›

Chewing Damage

If you see holes or ragged chunks of leaves disappearing and the damage has been occurring slowly, with a little feeding each night, beetles, caterpillars, earwigs or slugs may be the culprits. To distinguish among these four look for signs, or evidence, left behind.

What to do with a lot of Swiss chard? ›

15 Best Ways to Cook Swiss Chard
  1. 01 of 15. Sautéed Swiss Chard with Parmesan. ...
  2. 02 of 15. Swiss Chard and Pecan Pesto. ...
  3. 03 of 15. Chard Tacos. ...
  4. 04 of 15. Pan Fried Swiss Chard. ...
  5. 05 of 15. Bacon and Potato Frittata with Greens. ...
  6. 06 of 15. Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans and Fresh Tomatoes. ...
  7. 07 of 15. Lentil Lemon Soup. ...
  8. 08 of 15.
Jun 30, 2021

How long does Swiss chard last in the fridge? ›

Tips for storing Swiss chard

Raw Swiss chard should be kept in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to 3 days. Rinse well in water just before using. Cooked Swiss chard will keep in an air tight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

What is eating my Swiss chard at night? ›

Caterpillars like cabbage worms and cabbage loopers are usually the first thing I suspect when I start seeing holes in the leaves of my Swiss chard plants. Then, there's slugs and snails, which have been known to eat from chard, as well.

Why does Swiss chard turn black when cooked? ›

Cooking Tip

The oxalic acid in chard will react with aluminum and iron cookware, staining the greens a dark color and lending a metallic taste.

Why does Swiss chard burn my throat? ›

Swiss chard contains oxalic acid, a component that binds calcium in your digestive tract, reducing its absorption. This is also the reason why some individuals may get a tingly or burning feeling in their mouth or throat when eating the vegetable raw.

Which chard is healthiest? ›

Swiss chard includes a high concentration of trace minerals, which are essential for a healthy endothelium (inner lining of blood vessels), healthy blood vessels, and cardiac regulation. Swiss chard helps improve blood vessel constriction, blood pressure, and nerve communication.

Does red chard taste like Swiss chard? ›

All three of these chard varieties bring a different taste to the table. The Swiss chard has an intense mineral taste to it, the red chard tends to have an earthy sweetness, and the golden chard rounds up the bunch with a mild, nutty flavor.

What is another name for Swiss chard? ›

It belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and is considered a type of beet without an edible root. You may also find chard under different names: chard, stem chard, silverbeet, spinach beet, leaf beet, white beet and seakale beet, to name a few.

Can I substitute rainbow chard for Swiss chard? ›

If you want a bit of color in your next salad then we recommend choosing rainbow or red chard (not that the color of the stalks will diminish with heat), but for the most part you can really use any variety of chard when it is called for in a recipe.

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