Sweet Rainbow Chard Recipe

I generally prefer not to follow recipes to the T, unless it’s baking, but I haven’t done much of that lately. Sometimes, repurposing leftovers or mish-mashing random ingredients left in the fridge results in new favorite recipes. It’s fun to experiment! It’s also ok when something doesn’t quite mesh – it’ll just improve your intuition for next time.

Last night, I made up this recipe that was absolutely scrumptious. I was inspired by a swiss chard dish that San Francisco fave restaurant Slanted Door  has / used to have. They didn’t have the sweet potato in there, but I thought it’d be a great addition.

Excuse the non-exact ingredient quantities and timing, as that’s just simply how I cook.

Sweet Rainbow Chard Recipe

1 bunch rainbow chard, washed, with stem ends cut off but rest of stems included, chopped or torn into bite-size pieces – stems & leaves separate if possible. If not, don’t worry about it.
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped into half moons
1 small sweet potato or jewel yam, scrubbed and largely diced into bite-size pieces
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
3-4 TBS mirin (sweet rice vinegar)
2-4 swigs of Umeboshi plum vinegar, to taste (salty & sour! yum)

Use a medium pot with high edges, as the rainbow chard takes up a lot of room before it deflates in size. A heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot works well.

Heat the olive oil in the pot over low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add onions, stir for 1-2 minutes. Add sweet potato, stir for 1 minute, then let cook for about 10-15  minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes to prevent burning. Add the chard stems and stir in, letting it cook for another 5 minutes. Lastly, add the chopped chard leaves plus 1/4  – 1/2 cup of broth or filtered water. Add both vinegars, to taste, and let simmer until sweet potatoes are cooked through, about another 10 minutes or so. I didn’t time it exactly, so all of these times are approximate…

Serve over any type of grain. We served it with pan-roasted, simply seasoned chicken breast and a brown & wild rice medley.

Enjoy!