Swiss Chard Sauteed With Pine Nuts and Raisins

For Swiss Chard Overdrive week, I needed a weeknight side dish. I sure wasn't going to use up all my Swiss chard if I waited for the weekend. Time for a swiss chard saute!

Here is a fancy update to my basic sauteed Swiss chard, using the classic Mediterranean combination of greens, pine nuts, and raisins. The sweet raisins and creamy, nutty pine nuts match well with the slightly bitter greens; I add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end for a sour edge that perks up the flavors. And, really, it is the same amount of work as my basic Swiss chard. Just add the pine nuts and raisins after sauteing the stems. That's it - suddenly I have a much more complex side dish than the basic version.
*Which makes me wonder - what took me so long to figure this one out?

Puzzled by what to do with the Swiss chard in your CSA box? Try this recipe, and you'll never leave the chard in the vegetable adoption bin again.

Swiss Chard Sauteed With Pine Nuts and Raisins

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• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Swiss Chard Sauteed With Pine Nuts and Raisins. A quick sauteed swiss chard side dish.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch Swiss chard (roughly 12 ounces)
• 1 medium onion
• ½ teaspoon + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup raisins (preferably currants)
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

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Instructions

1. For an overview of the basic technique, see my Swiss Chard Saute
2. Prep the chard and onion: Cut the chard leaves away from the stems. (I do this by folding the leaf along the stem, laying it on my cutting board, and running my knife down the edge of the stem, separating both sides of the leaf from the stem.) Slice the stems ½-inch thick, and slice the leaves into 1-inch thick pieces. Trim, peel, and dice the onion.
3. Toast the pine nuts: Put the pine nuts in a 12-inch fry pan over medium heat. Cook the nuts, stirring and tossing, until most of the nuts are lightly browned. Be very careful - pine nuts burn in a heartbeat. Keep the nuts moving and pull them off the heat the moment some are dark brown. Pour them into a bowl and set aside for later. (Skip this step if you have toasted pine nuts).
4. Saute the onions and the chard stems: Put the frypan back over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering (about 3 minutes), add the sliced stems and the onions, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Saute until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
5. Steam the Leaves: Stir in the pine nuts and raisins. Add the chard leaves to the pan, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fine sea, and toss to combine. Pour in ¼ cup of water, cover the pan, and steam until the leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Season and serve: Remove the lid, grind fresh black pepper on top of the chard, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and toss to combine. Serve.

Notes

• I buy lots of pine nuts, toast them all at once, and then store them in the refrigerator until I need them. In a sealed container in the refrigerator, they'll last for a couple of months.
• The leaves take up a lot of space until they start to wilt. If you want to double this recipe, you'll need extra space - use a 6 quart or larger dutch oven instead of a frypan.

Tools

• 12-inch fry pan with a lid (I use an All-Clad 12-inch nonstick fry pan in the pictures.)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Saute
• Cuisine: American

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: ½ cup
• Calories: 117
• Sugar: 5.5 g
• Sodium: 514.4 mg
• Fat: 8.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 10.8 g
• Protein: 2.2 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts

For more swiss chard, try this Basic Swiss Chard Saute recipe, or try my Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts for another favorite vegetable recipe.
Stir-fried Swiss Chard

Inspired by:
Pam Anderson: How to Cook Without a Book
(And check out her blog: ThreeManyCooks.com)

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