Swiss chard may be my least favorite thing to get in the my CSA box. It's not that I don't like it, I'm just not as inspired by it as I am with kale or spinach. It has a stronger taste than other greens, and getting it in the family is damn near impossible unless I really hide it in something.
The last few times I prepared it using Elise's Swiss Chard recipe and although it was good, there are only so many times I can make it and be the only one eating it at dinner. (Both times all three boys had a "try bite" but that was the extent of their chard consumption.)
So when I got another 2 bunches on Thursday, I decided to try something new.
Along with the chard we got these amazing looking radishes and a bunch of parsley.
I immediately thought of a tabouli salad but I didn't have any bulgur.
Why not make a tabouli-inspired salad with quinoa?
So that's what I did and I actually got the family to eat some as a side dish on Thursday night! Well, kind of. The 3-year-old liked the plain quinoa but when he got some mixed together as a salad he said it was "yucky." The 8-year-old ate it with some coaxing but the fact that he actually consumed more than a bite tells you it wasn't that bad. And the Husband said he liked it but it was a little too lemony for his taste.
Hey, I'll take it. All of it. They just consumed quinoa, chard and radishes without any crazy looks or tantrums. I'm wearing them down slowly!
I decided to make a larger batch for me to eat throughout the week for lunches and that's what I'm sharing today.
Here's what I did ...
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (168g)
- 2 cups water
- 1 bunch Swiss chard (Mine totaled 115g once chopped and the stems removed)
- â…“ cup fresh parsley (20g)
- 5 medium to large radishes, chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1.5 tablespoon honey (31g)
Instructions
Prepare the quinoa according the package.
The secret is to bring the water to a boil then weigh out the quinoa to the gram. Add the quinoa to the boiling water, stir, cover, lower to a simmer and then leave it alone! After about 12 minutes you will get perfectly fluffy, cooked quinoa!
While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Chop the chard ...
the parsley and the radishes.
Prepare the dressing by whisking the lemon juice with the oil, salt and honey until everything is dissolved.
Once the quinoa is done, toss it with the chard and half the parsley.
The heat from the quinoa will, in essence, cook the chard making it wilt just enough.
After letting it cool for a minute or 2 add the rest of the parsley, radishes and the dressing.
Toss to combine all the flavors.
Pile on a plate and enjoy it sightly warm.
Or chill it in the fridge.
Either way, it's yummy. I'm eating some leftover right now. I love the crunch the radish adds, and the dressing is so light it just lets all the ingredients really shine. Nothing really overpowers. It's just a tasty way to eat your greens!
Note: That's 2 cups pictured but I'll provide the nutrition info per cup in case you want to use it as a side dish instead of a meal.
📖 Recipe
Quinoa Salad With Swiss Chard and Radishes
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa 168g
- 2 cups water
- 1 bunch Swiss chard Mine totaled 115g once chopped and the stems removed
- â…“ cup fresh parsley 20g
- 5 medium to large radishes chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1.5 tablespoon honey 31g
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa according the package.1 cup uncooked quinoa
- The secret is to bring the water to a boil then weigh out the quinoa to the gram. Add the quinoa to the boiling water, stir, cover, lower to a simmer and then leave it alone! After about 12 minutes you will get perfectly fluffy, cooked quinoa!2 cups water, 1 bunch Swiss chard
- While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Chop the chard ...the parsley and the radishes.â…“ cup fresh parsley, 5 medium to large radishes
- Prepare the dressing by whisking the lemon juice with the oil, salt and honey until everything is dissolved.¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1.5 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Once the quinoa is done, toss it with the chard and half the parsley.
- The heat from the quinoa will, in essence, cook the chard making it wilt just enough.
- After letting it cool for a minute or 2 add the rest of the parsley, radishes and the dressing.
- Toss to combine all the flavors.
- Pile on a plate and enjoy it sightly warm. Or chill it in the fridge.
Eric
We loved this salad. Added 1 minced shallot and let macerate in lemon juice as well as 1 tablespoon chiffonade fresh mint leaves. I used a bit more olive oil and chard (pickled the stems for anther use!) and added about 1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds. Delicious, thanks for inspiration!
Shannon
Loved this, but I made one change. I don't care for radishes, so I used a mixture of water chestnuts and celery. Great texture, but a bit bland. Next time I'll try half radishes and half celery. Maybe I'll learn to love them...
Rhiannon
I put swiss chard (called silverbeet here) in soup all winter long! I make a tomato-y vegetable soup with carrots, celery+tops, silverbeet and parsley, and also add a tin of beans for substance. I've also made "spinach and chickpeas" (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/03/spinach-and-chickpeas/) with silverbeet, which came out lovely. It also goes well as part of a stuffing in chicken (e.g. "spinach" and pinenuts), or in other things you'd usually put spinach in (ricotta and spinach style things especially). I've made the filling from these pot pies (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/category/vegetable/greens/swiss-chard/) which was nice but very rich, and this lentil soup, though I made it a stew instead, which was amazing with french green lentils (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/01/lentil-soup-with-sausage-chard-and-garlic/).
It's coming into winter here, so I know most of these are winter-y foods, but maybe some of them could give you ideas. You could also serve it as part of an asian greens mix (broccolini, bok choy) with oyster sauce drizzled on top as a side.
I really like silverbeet. I'm trying to learn to like kale, so I guess I'm the opposite of you!
Brenna Darling
this looks tasty! Check out a new kind of news source that compared the benefits of raw and cooked foods! http://www.niaterra.com/nias/4/Raw-Food–Is-cooked-food-healthier-than-raw-food
Joshua Hampton
Yeah, I get that kind of reaction from my boys whenever I serve them veggies they don't like too. This quinoa salad looks like the type of salad my wife adores, so I'm sure to try it. It looks wonderful.
Karen
This sounds wonderful! The other thing I do when I have swiss chard and don't know what to do with it, or am feeling uninspired, I make a pesto with it! I love pesto and make it with whatever I can make it with!!!
roni
Great idea!!! I'll try that next!