Silverbeet also is known as Swiss chard, seakale beet or chard is a leafy green vegetable with (normally) white stems. It may seem that silverbeet might be part of the spinach family; however, it’s part of the beet family.
Silverbeet has more of an earthy, stronger flavour compared to say English spinach or baby spinach. It’s also much heartier.
I’ve grown up eating silverbeet as it was a staple in my family home. We would have it in many different ways, and it was always prepared very simply.
If my mum wanted to make a quick meal, a silverbeet recipe was generally on the cards, next to other quick dishes like this cabbage pasta.
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My mum being Croatian grew up eating silverbeet too. The three simple recipes I share with you below I learned from my mum and grandmother. Silverbeet originated from Europe and is quite popular in Mediterranean countries.
Eat with the seasons
Silverbeet is currently in season here in Australia, and where we live out in the country, it has become one of the only leafy greens I can get organic at the moment. So I’ve decided to embrace this vegetable and share with you the three simple ways that you can use silverbeet at home.
I’ve realised Swiss chard isn’t a vegetable that too many people would pick up off the shelf unless they knew what to do with it. If you wish to grow it, there are plenty of places you can buy seed for them!
So to get you more comfortable with this delicious vegetable, I thought I’d go through and answer some common questions about it first.
Do you eat the stalks of silverbeet?
Yes, you do! I try and use every part of a vegetable when I cook so naturally, I’ll use every part of the silverbeet.
In all three of these silverbeet recipes, I’ve included the white stalks, so nothing is wasted. They do take a little bit longer to cook, but they add a delicious depth of flavour and texture to the dish.
My tip is to dice it up finely and make sure you add it to the pan/pot about 5-10 minutes before adding the rest of the silverbeet. This way it will cook for longer making it softer and less noticeable in your dish.
If you’re ever using a recipe that says to leave the stalks out, you can add them later to your soup, stir-fry or stock, so it doesn’t go to waste.
What is silverbeet good for?
Like many leafy greens, silverbeet has many health benefits. It’s a great source of vitamin K, A, B6, C, riboflavin, and folate as well as iron, zinc, potassium and manganese.You’ll also find that it’s a wonderful source of fibre.
What all this translates to is that chard is good for:
- Your brain and nerve function
- Can help to regulate blood pressure
- Helping to clot your blood
- Assists with bone metabolism
- Helps regulate blood calcium levels
- Will assist by supporting your immune system
- Promotes the absorption of iron
- Amongst many others!
Fun fact: As I mentioned earlier, depending on where you live, silverbeet is called a variety of different things. When we refer to rainbow chard, that means that instead of the stems being white, they can be an array of colours like pink, yellow, orange, red or even purple.
Now that you know a little more about this wonderful leafy green vegetable, I hope that next time you’re buying produce you consider picking up a bunch!
These three silverbeet recipes are so easy to make and are a quick, healthy and nutritious weeknight dinner, side or starter. I eat all of these as main meals as they’re so delicious.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- 3-Ingredient Cabbage Pasta
- Vegan Bruschetta Toppings Done Four Ways
- Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Creamy Vegan Mushroom Risotto
- Dalmatian-Style Stuffed Artichokes (Vegan)
- Broad Bean Pasta (Pasta e Fave)
If you try any of these recipes, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagramor share your photo of the recipe onPinterest. Don’t want to make it now? Pin it for later!
First up, we have this super creamy (without the cream) silverbeet and potato soup. With just a few ingredients that you’ll need on hand, this is perfect for those cosy evenings inside.
Creamy Silverbeet and Potato Soup
Yield: Serves 4 as Starter and 2 as Main
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Vegan and gluten-free super creamy and simple nourishing silverbeet and potato soup that is perfect for those cooler days.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup / 50ml olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes
- 1 bunch of silverbeet, thinly chopped (around 6 large stems)
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup / 50g raw cashews
- ¼ cup / 18g nutritional yeast
Instructions
- In a large pot on medium heat, place all ingredients but the cashews and nutritional yeast and place the lid on fully. Let the steam wilt the silverbeet down, stirring occasionally.
- After a couple of minutes, pour boiling water into the pot. Enough to just cover the produce, this should be around 3 to 4 cups (750ml / 1 litre).
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. It will be ready once the potato is cooked. Poke a fork or knife through it and it should go through easily. It should take about 20 minutes.
- While that cooks, pour some of the boiled water over the cashews for them to soften before you add them to the blender.
- Once the veggies have cooked, add all ingredients carefully to a blender and add the cashews (drain the water first from soaking them) and the nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth.
- Serve with some additional cracked pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and some parsley. (Optional)
Next up I’m sharing with you something that I’ve only ever seen my mum make, and that is pasta with tomato sauce with the chard in it. SO simple, but I’m still surprised how this dish packs so much flavour! Not dry or any weird textures, who would have known that chard is an excellent addition to your tomato sauce?!
Vegan Pasta with a Chard Tomato Sauce
Yield: Serves 4-5
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Quick and easy tomato-based sauce with chard folded through pasta of your choice. A twist on a basic tomato sauce that adds more nutrients to your meal.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup / 50ml olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 500g / 1.1 pounds penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)
- 1 bunch of silverbeet (around 6 large stems), thinly chopped - separate the leafy part from the white stems
- 1 can / 400g / 14.10 ounces diced tomatoes
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot on medium heat, add the olive oil, onion and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
- Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente and drain. Mine took 11 minutes. Follow your packet instructions.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes to the onions and garlic and fill half the can with water and add that to the pot as well. Give it a good stir and let it simmer for around 5 minutes.
- Add in the white chard stems and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Stir in the leafy greens and season. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Pour the pasta into the sauce pot and stir well. Add in the nutritional yeast if using.
And lucky last, the simplest of them all. This classic Croatian dish that I was also raised on has been something that reminds me fondly of my mum. Better known to me (or others from that part of the world) as “blitva sa krumpirom”, it’s great accompanied by some pan-fried tofu and drizzled with tamari.
Croatian Swiss Chard & Potatoes
Yield: Serves 4 as a side and 2 as a main
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Croatian style super simple dish that can be served as a side or a main. With 4 humble ingredients, this is a budget-friendly meal.
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes, diced large
- 1 bunch of silverbeet (around 6 large stems)
- ¼ cup / 50ml olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and the potatoes.
- Cut the white stems from the chard and thinly slice them. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the rest of the chard. Set aside.
- After 10 minutes of the potatoes cooking, add the stems to the water and cook for a further 8-10 minutes.
- Add the chard leaves and cook for 3-5 minutes. Make sure you push the leaves into the water and put the lid on to help it wilt down.
- Once finished (the potatoes should be soft), drain well and add back to the pot and put on low heat for a couple of minutes. This will help the excess water to evaporate.
- Using a spatula, mash some of the potatoes and mix really well, adding in the garlic and olive oil.
- Season to taste and stir well before serving.
How easy are these? Which silverbeet recipe caught your attention? Have you had any of these before?
