Today was my first day to work with Swiss chard and as I’m sitting digesting a wonderful meal I’m wondering what took me so long? You’ve probably seen it in your local grocery store, but if you’re like me you’ve strolled right past it because, let’s face it, mom never cooked it. If spinach and a beet got together one night, played a little Barry White, had a little wine, and made some sweet music, the fruit of this unlikely (but beautiful) union would be Swiss chard. It’s no surprise, then, that Swiss chard is actually very closely related to both spinach and beets. Creepy.

According to Mark’s Daily Apple, Swiss chard delivers 716% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin K, 110% RDA of vitamin A, 52% RDA of vitamin C, as well as a healthy dose of magnesium. In addition, he lists Swiss chard as one of his “16 Most Powerful Foods.” With that kind of reputation, how can we not include it in our weekly rotation?

Trolling around the net I found a lot of complicated recipes with Swiss chard that included many other ingredients. I tend to stay simple for my weeknight side dishes, so none of those really jumped out at me. I also saw from several sources that you can use it anywhere you use spinach. While probably true, it didn’t inspire me. So after perusing my pantry, I came up with this dish:

Primal Swiss Chard

  • 1 bunch of Swiss chard, soaked and rinsed well
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons bacon grease*
  • Crushed garlic, to taste
  • Salt, to taste
  • Crushed red pepper, optional

Trim the ends of the red stalks on the Swiss chard. Then cut the stalks away from the leaves. Cut the stalks into about 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the leaves across about every 2 inches. Set the stalks and the leaves aside separately.

Melt the bacon grease in a skillet (one that has a lid) over medium heat. Throw in the onions and cook them until they are soft. Add the garlic (and peppers if you like spice) and cook for a minute more. Add the stalks and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Turn the heat down to low and add the leaves. Place the lid on the skillet and let it set for about 3-5 minutes or until the leaves are wilted (not cooked!). Add some salt to taste and give it a stir until the salt is incorporated and the leaves are mixed well with the onions and stalks. Serve warm from the skillet.

Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

*The meaty taste of bacon grease goes well with the hearty flavor of Swiss chard, but honestly, you can use whatever oil you like. This is the only ingredient that makes this a primal recipe instead of paleo.