Wondering what to do with your chard? This easy recipe is quick and packed with garlicky flavor!
Enjoy the Simple Blanched Chard with Sautéed Garlic Recipe below or – if you’re more of a visual learner – check out our easy to follow recipe video!
Simple Blanched Chard with Sautéed Garlic
by Ollie Honderd
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
- 1 bunch chard, stems cut from leaves
- 1-4 cloves garlic, (depending on your love for garlic!) minced or crushed
- 2T olive oil
- Pinch chile flakes
- 1 Lemon half for juicing
- salt to taste
Preparation
- Bring a salted pot of water up to a boil and carefully add the unsliced chard stem
- After 3-4 minutes, carefully add the chard leaves and blanch for 3 more minutes
- After 6-8 minutes total, remove leaves and stem and set in a colander to drain and cool (you can rinse with water or plunge into an ice bath if you like, but it’s not essential)
- When leaves and stem are cool enough to handle, gently squeeze out excess water and roughly chop then place in a wide mixing bowl
- Meanwhile heat garlic in olive oil in a pan, when garlic begins to get golden, add a pinch of chile flake, swirl twice and immediately drizzle hot oil/garlic/chile over chard
- Squeeze lemon juice over chard, toss gently. Taste. Add more salt, lemon juice or olive oil if you like.
- Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Well salted water and perfectly cooked chard is key to a delicious dish here… your water should taste seasoned and appealing and your chard should taste tender and buttery when cooked properly
- Crunchy toasted breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, roasted mushrooms or beets would all be happy additions
- Take the chard in a Korean direction, skip the toasted garlic oil and instead dress with the following mixture:
- 1 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon doenjang or miso
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce
- 1 medium garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, sliced thinly