Chard Recipe with Pine Nuts and Feta Cheese

Wondering how to cook chard? This chard recipe with pine nuts and feta cheese uses an unexpected spice, and makes a delicious and easy vegetable side dish.
How to Cook Chard
Swiss Chard, or chard, comes in many colors, including red, white, and rainbow. It is in the same plant family as spinach and beets, and has an earthy flavor, similar to spinach. Chard cooks quickly for easy healthy dinners. I like to use the stems as well as the leaves when I make chard, as they are deliciously crunchy and similar to celery. Just toss the chopped chard stems in at the beginning with the onion, as they will take a bit longer to cook than the leaves. If you have a garden chard is also super easy to grow and can be grown in containers. Chard also grows in shady conditions, making it an ideal plant for beginning gardeners, and for those with limited garden space.
Vegetable Recipes
Serve this chard recipe with pine nuts and feta cheese alongside brightly flavored marinated carrot salad and Turkish-style braised leeks. This dish also makes a delicious breakfast, served with eggs. Also, if you’re looking for more ways to cook chard, try this recipe or this one. This one is also a favorite of mine.
Chard Recipe with Pine Nuts and Feta Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 bunch chard, about ½ pound
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- black pepper, freshly ground
- 2-3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Separate stems and leaves of chard. Chop chard stems into bite sized pieces, and cut chard leaves into ribbons (you’ll have about 5 cups chopped leaves).
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, chard stems, garlic, salt, and cinnamon and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add chard leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is bright green, and barely wilted, about 3 minutes. Add black pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with pine nuts and crumbled feta cheese.
Best chard dish I’ve ever had! Brilliant to cut and saute the stems along with the onion. The addition of cinnamon really puts this dish over the top. Great texture with the pine nuts and bite of the feta – all marry well together. Thanks for this yummy and healthy recipe.
Thank you Kim for giving it a try!
I have to agree with Kim. This is so delicious, with many of my favorite ingredients. I never would have imagined using cinnamon with chard, but it’s amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Marilee!