Steamed Swiss Chard Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

July 19, 2020January 8, 2021

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases.

With a few simple ingredients, you can make this Simple Steamed Swiss Chard. This dish is as tasty as it is beautiful. Garlic, onions, broth, olive oil, salt and pepper can quickly transform these greens into the perfect summer side dish. Plus, we have a special version using the addition of fried bacon right before serving.

Steamed Swiss Chard Recipe:

Rainbow chard is one of the beautiful sights of summer. I love the vibrant stems that complement the dark green leaves. And, I love that it’s usually readily available at the local farmers’ market.

When preparing Sauteed Swiss Chard, be sure to remove the stems from the leaves and cook them separately. The stems are heartier and will take longer to soften up than the tender, green leaves.

My favorite way to prepare Swiss Chard is with White Beans. (Find that recipe here.) But, it was time to find a new go-to recipe. This one is inspired by a recipe in my Vegetables on the Side cookbook.

Garlic and onions are commonly sauteed with Swiss Chard, but this recipe uses more liquid to steam up the leaves. I chose to use vegetable broth as my liquid; however, dry white white or sherry or chicken broth would also be delicious. Or in a pinch, use water instead.

Want to learn about the health benefits of Swiss Chard? Check out this informative post!

How to Steam Swiss Chard:

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add onion and chard stems and cook until softened (about 2 minutes), stirring occasionally. Then, add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
2. Add the chard leaves and vegetable broth to the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the leaves are soft and tender, approximately 5 minutes. If the liquid cooks off before the leaves are tender, add a splash more.
3. Season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chunks of fried bacon if desired.

For the full recipe for Steamed Swiss Chard, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Notes About Sauteed Swiss Chard:

• Swap dry white wine, dry sherry, or chicken broth for vegetable broth if desired in this sauteed Swiss chard recipe.
• Green onions or regular white or yellow onions can be used in this rainbow chard recipe.
• Add the garlic after sauteing the onions and chard stems. This prevents the garlic from burning and producing yucky off-flavors.
• This can easily fit the bill of a clean eating recipe if you are participating in a 30 Day Clean Eating program such as the Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy Living. To find out more about that, click here. (I receive a small commission for purchases through this link.)
  • Use organic ingredients and sub regular salt for Pink Himalayan Salt, and omit bacon to make this a clean meal.
• For an extra delicious option, serve this as Swiss Chard and Bacon – just add fried bacon bits or chunks over top.

More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes:

Kentucky Summer Squash Casserole

Creamed Peas and Potatoes

Braised Collard Greens and Tomatoes

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.