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Swiss Chard Salad

frugality, thrifty, living, life, salad, healthy meals

One of the most exciting things about being a regular food blogger is that it has the potential to open up a whole world of ingredients that you never before knew existed. Of course, the word ‘chard’ has always been a member of our vernacular, but it’s never been clear to me quite how many varieties of it there are. Happily, such variety ensures that gastronomic inspiration is unlikely ever to go wanting, especially since one can always fall back on one’s ability to invent, adapt and experiment. One has only to wander into one’s local butcher or green grocer to fully appreciate the diversity of even the most local of produce. For instance, this morning I discovered a green grocer I had never before visited and before I’d even had time to take stock of my delicious surroundings several new recipes had forcibly entered my grey matter. However, it should go down on record that they were extremely welcome and particularly frugal guests.

Chard salad seems to be a dish only rarely attempted, which is a real shame because it possesses an exceptionally delightful body and flavour. Indeed, its texture has an incredibly satisfactory bite and comes across as exceedingly hearty – a trait which many salads lack. Please do not even attempt to bring a hunk of bread or even cheese near this salad; I wasn’t joking about its bite.

frugal, living, life, healthy meals, fresh chard

frugality, living, life, healthy meals, salad, chard, chilli

Though chard is an ingredient usually used in Mediterranean cuisine, it is readily available in Britain even in November. Indeed, I had no trouble finding locally produced chard in the aforementioned green grocer and a different variety will soon be making its way here very soon! I think you’d be surprised about what is available locally in your area, wherever you live – one simply has to look in the right places. For instance, city farms are a more frequent occurrence than you may be aware of – there are two in Bristol! Get out there and enjoy what your own soil has to offer and do it frugally!

Swiss Chard Salad

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• Large bunch of Swiss chard

• ½ a small red onion

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp cider vinegar

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• A little salt and pepper

Method:

1. Slice your Swiss chard into ribbons roughly 1cm thick. Mix everything else separately and then bring together in a large mixing bowl. It’s as simple as that, but make sure the dressing covers every single strand!

frugal living, thrifty, healthy meals, salad, chilli, spicy

frugal living, thrifty, healthy meals, salad, swiss chard

Cost: This is one delicious salad and chard is available at a very reasonable price. The entire bowl full of salad which is easily enough for four should set one back no more than £1.50 – an absolute steal!

111 replies on “Swiss Chard Salad”

I always associate chard with people who own allotments as it seems to grow pretty much anywhere ridiculously easily, and those lucky plot holders seem to constantly have an abundance of chard. Your recipe a wonderful showcase for this often overlooked ingredient

You are absolutely right, Frugal! You have posted so many recipes that use ingredients or techniques or flavor combinations that I have never heard of. I love being exposed to all those new things through the blogging world.

Hmmmm not to sure about eating it raw in salads…I know it is ridiculously easy to grow and it will grow on a slab of concrete in the baking Australia sun but I have only ever eaten it cooked. I love it encased in buttery pastry cooked with onions, cubed potato, diced and fried in olive oil with capsicum, lots and LOTS of garlic, chopped mushrooms and some cheesy form of protein (nowdays it’s veganescent for me…) and baked till it is crunchy and delicious preferably in a pasty format. Now THAT is the way to enjoy chard 😉

I think that silverbeet would have to be drowned in dressing to get me to eat it raw…that might have something to do with an earlier vegetable gardening experience where the only thing that actually grew was silverbeet…a 10 foot square of solid silverbeet and I single handedly had to eat it all…and it kept growing! I guess I may have overdosed on it…

Perhaps if I drink a bottle of good scotch and chase it with a glass of olive oil with a few strands of the old green stuff I might just make it without twitching TOO much…

I need to drink myself some more scotch! The problems with being a penniless student hippy are that scotch is NOT frugal (unless you get your welding mate to weld you a still and start making your own…hmmmm……)

this seems lovely.

oh i can kick myself! made a swiss chard curry flavoured stir fry which was just sublime this afternoon. and dressed it with a lemon which took it to another level. stellar vegetable. and the colour just lifts ones spirits.

Isnt chard like coloured silverbeet?. Lovely looking salad. I ate something similar yesterday with sall pieces of roasted pumpkin and sweet potato and toasted sunflower seeds in it. Delish

Is Swiss chard similar to Chinese large bok choy? It’s looks so much like it and I do eat bok choy (minis up to the extra large ones) very often. Interesting recipe to try out as I’ve never had it raw before.

I find it is often easy to be more frugal than usual by shopping in smaller places. For example – my local fruit and veggie store sells 8kg bags of onions for about $6 or so, whereas in Coles a 1kg bag can cost $3.. . My local Asian grocery store sells udon noodles – four packs for $3 whereas Woolies sells two packs for $3….

Swiss chard is such an amazing veggie! It’s full of calcium, vitamins, and other minerals. One great thing about swiss chard is that it’s very easy to grow. I have seen it not only survive, but thrive in cold and snowy weather. Just brush the snow away, and there’s your swiss chard, looking for all the world like it’s enjoying balmy, tropical breezes.

Thanks for sharing all the good things you do. I enjoy reading your posts.

I think the simple dressing with the chile sounds incredible. I’ve always sauteed swiss chard or used it for veggie rolls. I love the idea of it as the star in a salad!

Hello, thanks for visiting my blog. I have just had a very quick peek at yours and I am very taken with the photos. We often grow Swiss Chard and love it. I just wish I could convert my Mum and children! We had a bit of a fail with our growing this year but I must remember next year. I am always amazed by how hardy it is. Anyway, I’m blathering – nice to see a UK blog.

I just recently learned that beets are chard are grown primarily for their roots; chard is beets grown for its greens. I like to use beets in salads, but I’ve never done it this way. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks.

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