This sautéed Lemon Garlic Rainbow Chard is gorgeous with its crisp-tender stalks in an array of bright yellows, pinks and reds. It is light, delicious, and whips up quick for the perfect side dish.
What is Rainbow Chard?
Rainbow Chard is a wonderfully wonderfully versatile, sturdy leafy green vegetable that is actually closely related to beets. While beets are cultivated for its roots, Chard is cultivated for its leaves.
When eaten raw, Rainbow Chard is tender, a little bitter, and slightly milder than spinach. Once cooked, the bitterness turns into a slightly sweet flavor. It’s perfect for sautéing, braising, or even thrown into soups. Rainbow Chard also make a wonderful substation for kale and is insanely good in salads with it’s absolutely beautiful dark green stalks contrasting with stems ranging in color from deep red, to orange, and even to bright yellow. This Lemon Garlic Rainbow Chard is a super simple, easy recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
How to Wash and Prep Rainbow Chard?
After washing and drying the chard, simply stack the leaves on top of each other and cut off the rough ends. The stems are editable but take a little longer to cook than the leaves. Most people will fold the leaves in half and cut out the stems. The stems can then be cut into pieces cooked for about 3-4 minutes before adding the leaves. I actually skip this step as I like the textural difference. After cutting off the rough ends, I simply cut the leaves into 1 inch strips.
What are the Health Benefits of Rainbow Chard?
Chard is a nutritional powerhouse and is high in Vitamin K and Vitamin A. It’s low in calories and a great source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. It is great for the immune systems and helps regulate your blood sugar, digestion, and even blood pressure.
- Can help regulate blood sugar. Rainbow Chard is high in fiber which helps slow down digestion. This allows for the sugars to be absorbed at a reduced rate helping to stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Chard is rich in the minerals, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. According to Medical News Today: These minerals are thought to reduce blood pressure by releasing sodium out of the body and helping arteries dilate.
- It is high in Vitamin K which assists with blood clotting and bone building and may help with preventing osteoporosis.
- Rainbow Chard is rich in antioxidants that combats free-radicals which helps the body fight inflammation and cell damage leading to a decreased risk of certain chronic diseases and cancer.
- Chard may promote weight loss. It is low in calories, nutrient rich, and high in fiber which helps to get that fullness feeling after meals, reducing the chance of overeating.
Ingredients in Lemon Garlic Rainbow Chard
This recipe couldn’t be simpler with on a few key ingredients: Rainbow Chard, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Red Pepper Flakes, and Olive Oil.
Other Ways to Use Rainbow Chard:
This is Lemon Garlic Rainbow Chard recipe is a basic recipe that can be expanded upon in so many different ways:
- Use the leaves in a salad, much like you would spinach.
- The stalks can be treated as you would asparagus or pickled it for a fabulous crunchy treat.
- Rainbow Chard is wonderful in bean and pasta soups, just throw in the last few minutes of cooking.
- It can be used as a side dish to pastas or even tossed with the pasta itself.
- Chard makes a wonderful addition to omelets and frittatas.
If you love it, leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you and this would help me with future recipes!
Contact me if you would like to see any of your childhood favorites updated or reinvented.
Lemon Garlic Rainbow Chard
Ingredients
- 16 oz Rainbow Chard
- 2 cloves garlic mined
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Juice from 1/2 and lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and dry the rainbow chard. Stack leaves on top of each other, trim off the rough ends, and cut the leaves into 1 inch strips.
- Heat oilive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and sautee 2 minutes.
- Add chard, salt, and red pepper flakes. Saute until just wilted, about 7-8 minutes
- Remove from heat and toss in lemon juice.
