Swiss Chard: Healthy and Delicious!
Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 7:15PM I discovered Swiss chard a few years ago, and it has become one of my favorite vegetables. I plant it in the fall, and with a relatively mild winter it is likely to continue growing till the following summer. I pick the leaves, and they keep developing for more harvests.
I originally planted Swiss chard for its decorative value. It grows on stalks up to two feet tall and has vibrant-colored leaves and stems.
A selection of the Swiss chard varieties growing in my garden.Only later did I learn you can eat it! I tasted it and was thrilled to discover its delicious flavor.
The easiest way to eat it is raw. Stack the leaves and cut in pieces until one reaches the stems. Add the leaves to other greens for a colorful salad. Another simple way to prepare it is to boil the chopped leaves (without stems) for about three minutes and then toss with mediterranean dressing. I also love Swiss chard soup, my favorite concoction beginning with chicken bouillon, Italian sausage, onions and little red potatoes. Chopped chard leaves are added toward the end, as it only takes a few minutes for them to cook. There are many other great ways to prepare Swiss chard. If you like spinach, you will like chard; and you can substitute swiss chard for spinach in recipes.
As beautiful and delicious as it is, Swiss chard's best qualities are the amazing nutrients it contains. It is one of the healthiest vegetables in the world. Its vibrant colors hint at its antioxidant phytonutrients. This vegetable may sound like the "snake oil" once sold by peddlers, but it is genuine. It is an excellent source of vitamins C, E, K and A and is also loaded with minerals. It promotes cardiovascular and nervous system health, and it has anti-inflammatory properties. High in fiber, it also supports removal of toxic chemicals from the body. It promotes strong bones, and it helps to regulate blood sugar. All of this, and a cup of chopped chard contains only 35 calories.
So, have you eaten your Swiss chard today?
Swiss chard, healthy foods, nutrition in vegetables
Reader Comments (21)
I think it's beautiful, so I enjoy it in ornamental arrangements! I also use it as a substitute for spinach. I have to admit I don't find it particularly flavorful, though. But it is one beautiful (and healthy) vegetable!
Dear Deb, it is awesome that you grow Swiss Chard yourself! I knew that it is considered a very healthy vegetable, but wasn't aware of all the detailed info that you provide in your post. I have to admit that I am not too keen on the taste, so I need good recipes to prepare it. Your post got me in the mood to try out a new recipe and cook with it. One thing that Swiss Chard has definitely has going for it are its good looks ;-)!
Wishing you a lovely rest of the weekend!
Christina
I've never eaten chard, but I do love spinach! I'll have to give it a try.
This year was my first year to add edibles to my landscape and found it to be great fun. I started with containers and I'm hoping to expand beyond that next year...Your encouragement is greatly appreciated.
I keep meaning to grow it, you have made me determined to do so next year!
that's a regular on our menu.
But from the supermarket.
And it looks so pretty in the garden!
The soup sounds wonderful! I grew Swiss chard my first year in this house, mainly for its decorative value, but I should try it again, even if it's my intent to give over most of my vegetable beds to herbs and flowers for cutting.
I've liked Swiss Chard since I was a kid and remember my Grandmother growing it and cooking it for us. I've only recently begun eating it again, after our local farm started growing it. I've never had it raw though. It is a beautiful plant. I wish the rest of my family liked it, and then I'd grow it myself and be able to have it more often!
One of my favourite vegetables. The stalks are good to eat too and they retain their lovely colours even when cooked, just cook them for a little longer than the leaves. I have some growing in the greenhouse as a small leaf crop for salads and in the vegetable garden, where I have them almost all year. What a nice thought that you are enjoying the same food all those miles away.
I haven't had Swiss Chard, but I had some locally grown Silverbeet that looks so similar I wonder if it is the same veg with different names in different countries. I imagine the different coloured leaves give an even greater variety of nutrients than the green variety. I don't grow it myself but I am growing some spinach in an old wheelbarrow.
Deb, swiss chard, well I have never tried it but you have made this hypochondriac think again about the supplements he shoves down his throat every day.
I'm not that fond of swiss chard - something about the sweetness. Judy really like it, though. I prefer spinach or mustard greens.
I wish I could grow it now in my garden but I will have to wait until spring....it is yummy!
You make Swiss Chard sound so delicious, Deb. I have never seen it in the supermarket, only in vegetable gardens. But now I must definitely try it soon.
Deb, The color of the Swiss Chard is amazing isn't it? I haven't got myself organized yet to try it but you have really inspired me now, especially since I saw it growing with all the beautiful flowers in England. I often wondered what you did with it - and now I know, so thank you!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
-Kate
Actually, I ate Swiss chard for the first time while I was in Europe recently. They prepared it nicely. I found their way to make it tasty and similar to spinach in a way. I think it is a very pretty plant as well.
Swiss chard is indeed delicious, and I especially love the colorful rainbow variety. I like it cooked in fritatta, stir fry and pasta dishes as well as in soups and salads. Because our summers are cool, we get to eat it pretty much all summer long.
Deb, or any others of you out there, do you know the name of the variety of the chard in the image with purple leaf/yellow rib? Please answer here or email me at Cerena at ItsAstroLogical dot com Thank you so much! I would so love to grow that chard!
Hello everyone. I appreciate your comments very much! Cerena, that particular chard was labeled 'Prima Rossa.' Deb
Hi Deb, do you know what the variety of chard is called in your photo with the dark Burgundy leaf and yellow rib/stem? I'd love to track down some seeds. Kind regards, Amber
Hi Amber, thanks for stopping by my blog! That particular Swiss chard is 'Prima Rossa.' Best wishes, Deb