Sautéed Rainbow Chard
Rainbow chard is a growers and cooks super-veg. It grows pretty much all year around and can survive both light frosts and hot sun, though grows particularly well in the spring and autumn. As it’s a ‘cut and come again’ veg you harvest the outer leaves as needed while the plant keeps producing new growth – so there’s a continuous supply from a single planting. Added to this it’s more pest and disease-resistant than more delicate greens.
For the cook not only is it visually stunning (with pink, red, white, yellow and white stems) it’s nutrient dense packed full of vitamins A, C and K plus minerals like magnesium and iron. Chard also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Added to all these bonuses it tastes great too, and is particularly versatile in the kitchen. Think of it as a more robust spinach. It’s great in stir fries, curries, tortilla or omelettes, soups, tarts or quiches or sautéed like this recipe to serve as a veggie side. You can also eat it raw in salads, but the smaller younger leaves are better for this.
This recipe also works well with spinach (though cooks quicker), or with cavelo nero or curly kale (will take a little longer to cook). Try different flavour options, but chard can take plenty of oomph from chilli, miso, anchovies or lemon.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- A large bunch of chard leaves, 200g to 300g
- Olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt & Pepper
- Optional additions – chilli, anchovies, miso, lemon zest or juice
Method
Remove the stems and slice. Roll the leaves into a cigar like shape and slice into 1cm wide strips.
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pan, add a finely sliced clove of garlic and the chard stems. Cook for a minute or two, add fresh chilli slices or a sprinkle of chilli flakes if you like some heat. For a salty kick add a teaspoon of miso or a tinned anchovy.
Cook the sliced stems for a few minutes before adding the leaves for another couple of minutes.
Season with a splash of lemon juice, salt and pepper.
