Sautéed Rainbow Chard (Italian Style)
Sautéed Rainbow chard (Italian style) and cannellini beans is an easy, delicious and nutritious recipe you can serve as side or even as a main dish. Greens and beans is perfect on its own, with pasta, or even as a stew. The possibilities are endless!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 186kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 bunch rainbow chard about 1 pound stems chopped ¼-inch , leaves cut into 1-inch pieces, separated
- ¼ teaspoon salt adjust to your taste
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper optional
- pinch crushed red pepper optional
- 15 ounces canned white beans rinsed and drained (I used cannelini, can use any variety)
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Cook garlic: Heat a large skillet with the extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Cook chard stems: Next, add the chopped chard stems and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Season with salt, a pinch of chili flakes, and pepper to taste.
- Cook the leaves: Stir in the chopped chard leaves, increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often with a large spoon, until tender (about 5-7 minutes). Add in a bit of water and lower the heat if needed, while cooking.
- Add beans: Add the white beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until heated through.
- Add vinegar: Stir in the white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, and taste to adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Add spice: Add a generous pinch of crushed red pepper if you like it a little spicy.
- Serve: Drizzle on a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve hot as a side dish. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chard: It doesn't matter what sort of chard you choose to use for the recipe. Be sure to select fresh chard. The leaves will be bright and the stems will even look vibrant.
- Cook separately: The stems are thicker and will need a bit more to soften up, so cook those first. The leaves will cook up quicker, and only need few minutes towards the end.
- Garlic: Use as much or little garlic, as you prefer. You can even use shallots in place of the garlic.
- Beans: Cannelini beans are perfect for this. Use any white bean variety. You could even use chick peas. Look for low-sodium beans. I rinse and drain my beans so that it's not salty. If you have extra time, you could even use dried beans that you soak and cook up.
- Water or broth: These greens and beans would be great served with pasta. If you like, add in some extra water or even low-sodium broth (or your own homemade broth)and it will be delicious served with pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 489mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg