• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Lovely Ideas
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
She Keeps a Lovely Home
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lovely Ideas
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
×
Home » Side Dishes » Sautéed Swiss Chard with Caramelized Shallots

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Caramelized Shallots

Published: Feb 10, 2020 · Modified: Mar 1, 2021 by Genevieve Morrison · This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This delicious sautéed Swiss chard recipe is one of my favorite winter side dishes! It’s perfectly simple, incredibly nutritious, requires only 7 main ingredients and sometimes, I eat it all on its own for dinner!

It’s buttery, it’s garlicky and with balsamic caramelized shallots, it makes for a perfectly fancy dinner party side dish or an elegant way to add more healthy winter greens to your diet.

A plate of Swiss chard on a lace table cloth.

My body starts to crave leafy greens by the end of January every year. I’m sure it’s because I spend all of December and January eating lots of tasty desserts, meats, potatoes and not quite as many vegetables as I should.

I go VERY plant-based in February to replenish much-needed antioxidant, immune system boosting vitamins and minerals that I traded for tasty French onion soups, roasted goat cheese mashed potatoes and sage butter scallop dinners. I still eat all those wonderful things… I just add a lot more green veggies on the side.

A fork with sautéd Swiss chard and caramelized shallots above a bowl of Swiss chard.

How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step

1. Slice shallots about half an inch thick until you have 8 oz. when sliced.

2. Chop 7-10 fresh chard leaves and stalks about an inch long. Separate the chopped stalks from the leaves. You’re going to sauté the stalks before the leaves.

3. Grate 2 tbsp. of fresh parmesan.

4. Mince 4 large garlic cloves.

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to prep ingredients.

5. In a large sauté pan, add 2 tbsp. olive oil and sliced shallots. Sauté shallots over medium heat until brown. About 5-8 minutes. When they look nice and brown, pour in 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and turn off heat. Quickly mix shallots in the vinegar to coat, and allow them to sit in the pan as it cools for about 30 seconds to caramelize them. Remove shallots and set them aside.

6. Add 2 tbsp. salted butter and 2 more tbsp. olive oil to the pan. Over medium heat, add the chopped chard stalks and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

7. Add minced garlic and sauté with the stalks for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is a nice light brown.

8. Place the chopped chard leaves right on top of the stalks and garlic and allow it to wither down for about 2-4 minutes, then begin to move it around the pan to stir up the stalks and garlic below. Add caramelized shallots and grated parmesan. Gently mix ingredients together, sprinkle with fresh pepper and crushed shaved almonds and serve.

A collage of 4 numbered images showing how to caramelize shallots, and sauté chard.

Common Questions

1. Why is it called “Swiss Chard?”

Historically speaking, it appears Swiss chard is not from Switzerland at all. It originated in the Mediterranean, and it was the French who gave it the “Swiss” misnomer to distinguish the seeds of this plant from a similar sounding seed of a local spinach. Why did they choose the word “Swiss?” That remains a mystery.

2. What are the health benefits of Swiss Chard?

Swiss chard is known as a “superfood.” As a dark, leafy green, it’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It’s been shown to regulate blood sugar, improve digestion, prevent heart disease, it’s anti-inflammatory, it boosts the immune system and even helps to prevent some cancers!

Chard is packed with antioxidants and vitamins including polyphenols, vitamin C, A, E, K, copper, magnesium, iron, potassium and beta-carotene. Rather impressive for a leaf!

3. What does Swiss chard taste like?

The leaves are similar to spinach and kale when cooked. Although they’re less rigid than kale, they’re a little more bitter but have a bit of a sweeter taste than spinach. In my opinion, they’re a little more flavorful than spinach and when sautéed, the stalks are more tender and the taste more complex.

4. Can I make this recipe ahead of a dinner party, and re-heat?

Yes. If you make this recipe a few hours before you serve it, you can simply store it in a container with a lid and refrigerate. To reheat it, sauté in a pan for just 5 minutes to heat it back up. I wouldn’t microwave it, though, as it might lose some of its tenderness and look wilted.

Help Yourself to These Plant-Based Recipes

  • Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup
  • Pesto Vegan Rosettes
  • Vegan Canapés with Mushroom Pâté
  • Seared Baby Bok Choy with Ginger Garlic Sauce

For more inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest, tiktok, and Facebook! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!

A plate of Swiss chard on a lace table cloth.

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Caramelized Shallots

This delicious sautéed Swiss chard recipe is buttery, garlicky and with balsamic caramelized shallots, it makes for a perfectly fancy dinner party side dish or an elegant way to add more healthy winter greens to your diet.
4.50 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: International
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 562kcal
Author: Genevieve Morrison

Equipment

  • cutting board & sharp knife
  • cheese grater
  • sauté pan

Ingredients

  • 8 leaves of Swiss chard
  • 8 oz. shallots – sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves – minced
  • 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. fresh parmesan – grated
  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. salted butter
  • 1 tbsp. crushed, shaved almonds – optional

Instructions

  • Slice shallots about half an inch thick until you have 8 oz. when sliced. Chop 7-10 fresh chard leaves and stalks about an inch long, and separate the chopped stalks from the leaves. Grate 2 tbsp. of fresh parmesan. Mince 4 large garlic cloves.
  • In a large sauté pan, add 2 tbsp. olive oil and sliced shallots. Sauté over medium heat until brown. About 5-8 minutes. When they look nice and brown, pour in 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar and turn off heat. Quickly mix shallots in the vinegar to coat, and allow them to sit in the pan as it cools for about 30 seconds to caramelize them. Remove shallots and set them aside.
  • Add 2 tbsp. salted butter and 2 more tbsp. olive oil to the pan. Over medium heat, add the chopped chard stalks and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté with the stalks for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is a nice light brown.
  • Place the chopped chard leaves right on top of the stalks and garlic and allow it to wither down for about 2-4 minutes, then begin to move it around the pan to stir up the stalks and garlic below. Add caramelized shallots and grated parmesan. Gently mix ingredients together, sprinkle with fresh pepper and crushed, shaved almonds and serve. 

Notes

If you make this recipe a few hours before you serve it, you can simply store it in a container with a lid and refrigerate. To reheat it, sauté in a pan for just 5 minutes to heat it back up. I wouldn’t microwave it, though, as it might lose some of its tenderness and look wilted.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 1149mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 12240IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 315mg | Iron: 5mg
« Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
15 Romantic Valentine’s Day Recipes »
  • Facebook135
  • Twitter

Reader Interactions

4.50 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




I accept the Privacy Policy

Primary Sidebar

Hello there!

Hello there!

My name is Genevieve, and I'm just trying to be a little fancier today than I was yesterday. Sharing recipes for the creative host or hostess that are simple, elegant and colorful too!

Winner!

Awards Banner

Summer Inspiration

A jar of jam tied with a string with a sprig of lavender tucked into the string with a lace table cloth in the background.

Simple, Small Batch Black & Blueberry Jam

Curried coleslaw in a bowl topped with fennel fronds.

Curried Coleslaw

A balsamic strawberry crostini, garnished with a few small flowers, surrounded by others on a marble plate.

15 Lovely Memorial Day Recipes

A bowl of dill potato salad centered on a table beside flowers.

Dill Pickle Potato Salad

5 deviled eggs, garnished with red flowers on a marble board.

Classic, Simple Deviled Eggs

A cucumber mint margarita, garnished with small flowers and mint, on a table lightly sprinkled with salt.

Cucumber Mint Margarita

Featured In

A list of 7 logos.

Footer

↑ back to top

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

About

About Me

Contact

Email Me!

Copyright © 2025 She Keeps a Lovely Home

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.