Swiss chard, quickly sautéed with shallots and mustard seeds, seasoned with salt and rice vinegar.
Mustard seeds. Do you cook with them often?
I discovered how wonderful they were years ago when my Indian friend Sanjay would come over and make dal for us, peppered with mustard seeds. They’re so tiny, but boy do they pack a flavor punch. They are especially good toasted, spicy and nutty at the same time.
In this recipe, mustard seeds help bring a kick to sautéed Swiss chard. A simple combination, that just works.
If you like chard as much as we do, I encourage you to try it! We top it off at the end with some rice vinegar, but the chard is fine with just the mustard seeds too.
Sautéed Swiss Chard with Mustard Seeds Recipe
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 8 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of Swiss chard, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup sliced shallots or chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (can sub with plain rice vinegar and large pinch of sugar)
Method
1 Prepare the chard leaves: Leaf by leaf, cut out the tough center stem. Slice the stems crosswise in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch pieces. Keep separate from the leaves. Slice the leaves crosswise into 1-inch thick strips.
2 Sauté chard stems, shallots, mustard seeds: Heat oil in a large, wide, stick-free sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the chopped chard stems, the shallots or onions, and the mustard seeds. Sprinkle a little salt over the chard. Sauté until the onions or shallots become translucent.
3 Add chopped chard leaf greens: When some of the mustard seeds may start to make a popping noise, add the chard leaf greens. Sprinkle on a little more salt and toss to coat with the oil and onion mixture.
4 Finish by steaming in pan: Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let cook for a couple minutes only, lifting up the pan cover to turn the greens over in the pan after the first minute. The greens should cook down considerably. When they are just wilted, remove from heat and place in a serving bowl.
5 Sprinkle with seasoned rice vinegar right before serving.
