Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable that is full of vitamins and nutrients. Chard can be eaten raw if the leaves are picked young or cooked. Try it as a colorful and delicious side dish or add chard to pasta, soups, salads, and more!
Swiss Chard’s Nutrition Profile
Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, vitamin E and iron. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, choline, vitamin B2, calcium, vitamin B6, phosphorus and protein.
How to Prepare Swiss Chard
Prepare Swiss chard by rinsing the crisp leaves several times in warm water. Leaves and stalks can be boiled, steamed, or roasted.
Not for Everyone
One cup of chopped chard has just 35 calories and provides more than 300% of the daily value for vitamin K. But skip this veggie if you’re prone to kidney stones; it contains oxalates, which decrease the body’s absorption of calcium and can lead to kidney stones.
Swiss Chard and Lentil Soup
- 1Tbspolive oil, plus more for serving
- 1medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1Tbsptomato paste
- 1tspdried oregano
- 1tspdried thyme
- 1cuplentils, picked over and rinsed
- 1container(14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
- 1 1/2lbSwiss chard, stalks cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, leaves torn into 2-inches pieces (keep stalks and leaves separate).
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Bread, for serving (optional)
- In a large saucepan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, and thyme; stir to combine.
- Add lentils, 5 cups of water, and tomatoes with their juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes. Add chard stalks and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves; season with salt and pepper, and cook until lentils and chard are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice; ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with bread, if desired.
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