Swiss chard’s like the Amal Clooney of the produce aisle—it’s more than just a pretty exterior. This gorgeous vegetable’s also nutrient dense, quick-cooking, and delicious in so many different preparations.
Although there are numerous ways to serve chard, my favorite is the classic Catalan approach, in which the greens are wilted in a pan with sizzling minced garlic and then tossed with toasted pine nuts and golden raisins. (By the way, pine nuts aren’t actually nuts—they’re seeds—so this dish is nut-free to boot!) I also crumble on a few Porkitos to add a salty, swiney crunch to each bite.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- 3 pounds Swiss chard
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 3 Porkitos
Equipment:
- Bowls
- Salad spinner
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Large skillet with lid
- Silicone spatula or tongs
Method:
Place the raisins in a small bowl, and submerge in hot water for at least 10 minutes.
If you don’t have any Porkitos ready, now’s the time to bake ‘em.
(Because you only need to reserve three pork chips for this recipe, you can feel free to snack on the rest while you’re cooking.)
Wash the chard and flick off the excess water. You want the leaves damp, but not sopping wet.
Cut out the stems…
…and roughly chop the leaves into thick ribbons.
If the stems are fresh and crisp, slice ’em up into ½-inch pieces and discard the ratty ends.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool.
Increase heat to medium high and add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the skillet. When the fat’s shimmering, add the stems with a sprinkle of salt.
Sauté until tender.
Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir for a few seconds until fragrant.
Then, add the damp leaves in batches, each with a sprinkle of salt.
Don’t worry if you can’t get all the leaves into the pan all at once. The leaves will wilt and cook down, and eventually you’ll get all the greens in the pan.
Drain the plumped raisins, and toss ’em in.
Give everything a good stir, and cover the pan. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 2 minutes or until tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the pine nuts, squeeze on the lemon juice, and crumble on the Porkitos.
¡Buen apetito!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Swiss Chard with Raisins, Pine Nuts, and Porkitos
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
This hearty Whole30 vegetable side dish is packed with flavor, textures, nutrition, and crispy pork! It's one of my favorite ways to serve Swiss chard!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the raisins in a small bowl and submerge in hot water for at least 10 minutes.
- If you don’t have any Porkitos ready, now’s the time to bake ‘em.
- Wash the chard and flick off the excess water. You want the leaves damp, but not sopping wet.
- Cut out the stems and roughly chop the leaves into thick ribbons. If the stems are fresh and crisp, slice ’em up into ½-inch pieces and discard the ratty ends.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool.
- Increase heat to medium high and add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the skillet. When the fat’s shimmering, add the stems with a sprinkle of salt. Sauté until tender.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Then, add the damp leaves in batches, each with a sprinkle of salt. (Don’t worry if you can’t get all the leaves into the pan all at once. The leaves will wilt and cook down, and eventually you’ll get all the greens in the pan.)
- Drain the plumped raisins, and toss ’em in. Give everything a good stir, and cover the pan. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 2 minutes or until tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the pine nuts, squeeze on the lemon juice, and crumble on the Porkitos.
Courses Side dish
Cuisine Paleo, Primal, Whole30, Gluten-free
