The Best Ways to Cook Chard (Plus How to Pick and Prep Them)

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Delicious and nutritious ways to prepare chard
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Chard is an extremely healthy green vegetable that closely resembles spinach in form and function but comes from the same family as the beet. Unlike beets, chard bulbs are inedible. Instead, the leaves and stems of chard are meant to be consumed. Raw chard has a stronger and more bitter flavor than spinach, but cooking the chard neutralizes the bitterness. Cooked chard is common ingredient in ethnic Mediterranean dishes, but has many different applications and cooking methods.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Steaming Chard

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  1. Steaming is one of the most common methods of cooking chard and other leafy green vegetables. Start by bringing a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Salt raises the boiling temperature of the water, helping the chard to cook faster when you put it in.
    • Placing a lid over your pot will help it boil faster.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Prepping the chard will depend on the type and age of the chard. Once it is ready, place the prepared chard in your steamer basket. This basket will be fitting on top of your pot of boiling water.
    • If you separated the leaves and stems of your chard because the stems were thick, only insert the stems for now.
    • If this is the case, you'll lift the lid and insert the leaves after 1-2 minutes of the stems steaming.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Remove the lid from your pot, place your steamer basket down in its place, and then place your lid on top of the steamer basket. You need to make sure that the lid covers the steamer basket in order to keep the steam in.
  4. Steam the chard for 3-5 minutes. The exact cooking time varies. In most cases, thick, old chard is tougher and will take longer. Young and tender chard may take as little as three minutes to start to wilt and grow soft.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Take the lid off of the steamer basket and place it to the side. Turn off the heat and withdraw the steamer basket from the pot. Allow any excess water to drain off.
  6. At this point the chard is cooked and ready. It can be used in a recipe or seasoned and served. There are many different ways to season chard. A popular and simple method involves lightly dashing with lemon and olive oil or salad dressing.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Sauteing Chard

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  1. You'll start by heating a pan over medium heat. Both nonstick pans and stainless steel pans work fine for this.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Add several tablespoons worth of olive oil to the pan. If the oil gets super smoky, your pan is too hot. If you want a slightly tastier and less healthy variation, you can use butter instead of the oil.
    • If you wish to add minced garlic or onion to the dish for flavor, now would be the time as well.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Place your prepared chard in the pan. You can pile it up high, even into a mound. When the chard cooks it will lose a lot of volume and fit in the pan. Add as much as you can fit without spilling.
    • Make sure that your chard is dry before you put it in the pan.
    • The water on wet chard will cause splatter when it makes contact with the oil.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    You will saute the chard for a total of 6-8 minutes. Start by cooking the chard for about 2 to 3 minutes, then gently stir and rearrange the leaves so that the top leaves move to the bottom of the pan. As the leaves cook, they will start to wilt, soften, and darken.
  5. As it cooks, the chard will turn dark green. It will also lose a lot of volume. The chard is done when it is tender and soft but not mushy. Once your chard is done, remove it from heat and turn off the stove.
  6. However, if you wish to serve plain sauteed chard, you can add a squeeze of lemon, salt, pepper, or even red pepper flakes. This is especially tasty if you sauteed using butter and garlic.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Boiling Chard

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  1. Bring a large (3qt or more) pot of water to a boil. Salting the water will help raise the boiling temperature. While the water is boiling, make sure that the tough bottoms of your chard stems are removed.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Once the water has reached a rapid boil, add your prepared chard leaves. Do not put a lid on top of the pot, you are boiling the chard rather than steaming it.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Cook the chard in boiling water for three minutes. You can stir or press the chard down to make sure that it cooks evenly. It should cook down and turn dark green when it is about ready.
  4. Use a colander to strain and press out excess water from the chard. There should be a fair amount of excess water so be sure to do this thoroughly.
  5. Chard has dozens of uses in various recipes, but if you are planning to serve the chard on its own, be sure to serve it quickly. It is best when warm and fresh. Toss it with butter, lemon, parmesan cheese, or whatever other spices you wanted to use and serve it while it is still hot.
    Michael Pollan, Author and Food Activist

    Nutrition doesn't have to be that complicated. "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy."

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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Picking and Preparing Chard

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  1. There are multiple varieties of chard, but unless you want it to be bitter and tough you want young chard. Look for firm, crinkly, smaller, deep red or green leaves with no brown spots or holes. Stems should be firm, but not too thick [1] . Smaller leaves provide a sweeter, less bitter taste.
    • All chard is fairly similar, but ruby and rhubarb chard generally have a stronger flavor. [2]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Even if your chard is pre-washed you should wash it again. You may want to wash it multiple times if it came from a Farmer's Market. This is easiest when done in a sink or large bowl of water. [3]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Drain the water and try to pat the chard dry. [4] You can also dry the washed chard with a salad spinner.
    • It is important for the chard to be dry, especially if you sautee it!
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Cook Chard
    Unless you chard has especially narrow stems and ribs (the white or red vein running through the middle) you will need to trim your chard. You can easily cut the ribs out if you fold the chard in half.
  5. While many people discard the stems and ribs, they can be used if you desire. You just need to start cooking them separately. [5] The stems and ribs take longer to cook as they are naturally tougher and more bitter.
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      Tips

      • Chard is available all year round, but is best in July through early November. [6]
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      • Chard stems and ribs need to be started separately. [7] Usually they take 1-2 minutes longer to cook.
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      Warnings

      • Chard is best within 3 days of purchase. Store unwashed in your refrigerator's crisper drawer, preferably in a perforated vegetable storage bag. [8]
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      Things You'll Need

      • Fresh chard
      • Bowl of cold water
      • Salad Spinner
      • Kitchen knife or scissors
      • Tongs or spoon
      • Olive oil
      • Minced garlic
      • Salt
      • Pepper


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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/swiss-chard
      2. ↑ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/swiss-chard
      3. ↑ https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7961649/how-to-cook-chard/
      4. ↑ https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7961649/how-to-cook-chard/
      5. ↑ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/swiss-chard
      6. ↑ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/swiss-chard
      7. ↑ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/swiss-chard
      8. ↑ https://extension.illinois.edu/veggies/chard.cfm

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To cook chard by sautéing, start by heating a pan over medium heat, then add olive oil, and minced garlic or onion, if desired. Next, add the chard and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, then cook for 3 minutes or until the leaves are dark green and tender. Serve the chard plain, or seasoned with salt, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Alternatively, use the chard in recipes for soups, stews, and salads. For instructions on how to cook chard by boiling and steaming, scroll down.

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