Swiss chard, or “Seskoula” as we call it in Greek, is a beautiful leafy green with either red or white stalks, depending on the variety. While you can enjoy the tender leaves raw in salads or smoothies, most people love them cooked. Their slightly bitter flavor transforms into something sweet and mellow.
In this recipe, I’m making a simple one-pot Swiss chard and potato stew, ready in under an hour. It’s light, healthy, and full of goodness, perfect as a side dish with your main meal or as a light lunch served with a bit of feta cheese and a slice of crusty bread.
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Why you should try my recipe
- It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook.
- Light & healthy salad that is really easy to make.
- Keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.
- It’s Vegetarian, Dairy-free, Gluten-free & Vegan.
Ingredients & How-to
To make this easy one-pot swiss chard dish, we are going to need a bunch of swiss chard leaves with the stalks, potatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, lemon, fresh dill, olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Tomato paste: I’m using a tablespoon of tomato paste that gives the dish a tomato flavor without lots of juices. You could also use one whole tomato grated.
- Lemon: I like to use a little bit of lemon juice as it compliments the flavors and goes well with the swiss chard.
- Fresh dill: It’s optional but adds nice aromas and flavor to the dish. You could replace it with fresh parsley or leave it out if you don’t have any at home.
For full quantities check the recipe down below.
01. I start by prepping the Swiss chard. First, I separate the stalks from the leaves since they cook at different times, the stalks are a bit tougher and need longer to soften. I like to chop them into smaller pieces so they cook faster.
02. For the leaves, I cut them in half lengthwise first, then chop them into smaller chunks. They’ll shrink once they hit the pot, but cutting them into bite-sized pieces makes them much easier to eat.
03. I move to the stove and heat some olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. I sauté the chopped onion for 3–4 minutes, then add the tomato paste and garlic. Letting the tomato paste cook for a couple of minutes in the oil really brings out its rich flavor and aroma.
04. Next, I add the potatoes, cut into quarters, and the chopped chard stalks. I pour in about half a cup of water, cover the pot with a lid, and lower the heat to medium-low. I let everything simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the veggies start to soften.
05. Now, I add the chopped fresh dill and lemon juice. For seasoning, I just add some salt and freshly ground pepper. I stir everything to combine and add the Swiss chard leaves on top.
06. I let everything cook for about 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the Swiss chard is soft and perfectly cooked. As the chard cooks, it releases its own juices, so I usually don’t add extra water, but depending on your stove and pot, you might need to pour in just a little more.
Serving suggestions
You can enjoy this Swiss chard and potato dish on its own for a light, wholesome lunch, just add a slice of crusty bread to soak up all those delicious juices. It also makes a wonderful side dish to your main meal. I love drizzling a little extra olive oil on top for that Mediterranean touch and, of course, serving it with a bit of feta cheese (so Greek of me, I know!).
Storage
If you have any leftovers of this Swiss chard stew, simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, just reheat it gently in a pot or pop it in the microwave for a quick warm-up. It tastes just as comforting the next day!
FAQ
Absolutely! I like using olive oil but you can definitely use butter instead. Just make sure the swiss chard is well drained before adding it to the pot as the water with the hot butter might burn the bottom leaves and then they will get bitter.
You can store cooked swiss chard in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Pair it With Recipes
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Recipe
Swiss Chard With Potatoes
This Swiss chard and potatoes dish is so healthy and tasty that it will become one of your favorite side dishes or a light lunch. You can serve it with a slice of bread to soak up the juices or some feta cheese on the side for protein. You will only need one pot to prepare everything in under one hour. Simple & delicious!
5.0 from 1 votes
4 servings
5 minutes
Ingredients
- a bunch of swiss chard (about 8-10 leaves with stalks)
- 3-4 small potatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 lemon
- 3-4 sprigs fresh dill
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Wash the swiss chard well and separate the stalks from the leaves.
- Cut the stalks into smaller bits about one inch wide. Cut the leaves in half lengthwise and then into smaller chunks about two fingers wide.
- Chop the onion and garlic cloves. Roughly chop the fresh dill. Peel and cut the potatoes into quarters.
- Place a pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onion. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a spatula so it doesn't get burnt.
- Add the potatoes and chopped chard stalks. Add half a cup of water and cover the pot with the lid. Simmer in medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the fresh dill, lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Add the swiss chard leaves and gently mix. Cover with the lid and simmer for 25 more minutes or until the potatoes and stalks are cooked. Stir occasionally and add some more water if needed.
Notes
You could add one blended fresh tomato instead of tomato paste, or ⅓ cup of passata.
Storage
You can store the swiss chard and potatoes in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
Julia
Thanks so much for stopping by the comments! I’d love to hear how this recipe turned out for you — feel free to leave your feedback and a star rating below. Your comments help other readers decide what to make next. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!