Also known as chard, silverbeet, swiss chard and seakale beet is an amazing green leafy vegetable that is closely related to the beetroot. The silver colour (most commonly associated with the name ‘silverbeet’) is only one of the many possible colours that the stalks of chard can come in. They come in a spectacular array of red, orange, yellow and pink which is where the name ‘rainbow chard’ comes from.
Rainbow chard is a source of vitamin A (from beta-carotene), folate and vitamin K, and contains a dietary significant amount of potassium.
Chard is an excellent way of bringing some extra nutrients into any dish, raw or cooked, and can add a wonderful earthy taste and a bit of sweetness with the stalks. It is a great substitute to spinach because they contain very similar nutrients and taste quite similar.
Keep chard in a paper or plastic bag in the fridge and use after a few days. Make sure to keep it away from fruits like apples and pears so it lasts longer. You can still use it after it has wilted but it does lose some of its nutrients after this point.
5 ways with Chard
Salad - chop the stalks up finely and rip the leaves into the desired size, mix with other seasonal veggies and fruit and anything else you want, top with a yummy dressing!
Quiche - mix in with the eggs, milk (or substitutes of your choice) and any other vegetables. Cook until golden brown on top and serve with a salad, maybe even a chard salad!
Breakfast - powerhouse 💪your vegemite on toast by adding a bit of a chard leaf.
Side dish - shallow boil for a few seconds, or saute until wilted with a little butter and a pinch of salt. You could season with soy sauce, miso, chilli etc, or sprinkle with a bit of cheese.
Pizza - cut into strips and chop the stalk up to add on top of a pizza with all your other favourite toppings.
BONUS - use instead of spinach in any other dishes!