Swiss Chard Soup is a deliciously healthy vegan soup that comes together in less than 25 minutes in a single pot. It is a bright and vibrant soup with a subtle hint of heat. It is tangy from fresh lemons and has a deep flavor from the spices and lush Swiss chard. Enjoy this comforting soup with some pita bread or any crusty bread of your choice!
The dish below, Swiss Chard Soup, is a soup and not a stew. I think it is one of the healthiest soups I have ever made. I like to use rainbow chards to make the soup, and I cook the stems (especially if they are not tender) before I add in the leaves. When you pair it, as I have with brown lentils and spices, and add the thickness that comes from sweet potatoes, it moves from being a broth to a soup depending on liquidity. That’s another thing whether a liquid dish is a soup, or a stew is entirely dependent on how liquid the dish is. The thicker the dish, the more likely it is to be a stew.
Benefits of the colorful Swiss Chard Soup:
One of the lovable traits of the chard is the color. If you are a fan of eating the rainbow, chard is right up your street. Here’s a little cheat sheet to help you get started.
- Red chard contains phytochemicals including lycopene and ellagic acid and can help reduce the risk of cancer, aid heart health, reduce the risk of diabetes, and improve skin.
- Orange chard contains vitamin C and carotenoids, which are essential for vitamin A production and help promote cell growth and eye health.
- Green chard contains lutein, isothiocyanates, isoflavones, folate, and vitamin K, all of which are necessary for blood and bone health.
- Blue/purple chard contains anthocyanins and resveratrol and may help reduce the risk of cancer, aid heart health, decrease inflammation, and improve skin.
- Brown and white chard can reduce the risk of cancers, as well as, possessing anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunity-boosting properties.
As glorious fall gives way to wintery white in the Northern Hemisphere, this easy and quick Swiss Chard Soup is handy to keep refrigerated or even frozen. It serves as an excellent appetizer or even a full-on vegetarian, dare I say, vegan main meal after a day out in the cold. The spices I have added will add layers of flavors complementing the slightly bitter-sweet chard, the lentils add much-needed protein, while the sweet potato adds fiber and antioxidants, protecting you from winter chills and the like. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere looking forward to summer, I do not believe the Swiss Chard Soup should be served chilled, but warm it up and it will keep you going for a full day of summer fun.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1.Why is chard called ‘Swiss’ chard?
No one is quite sure why chard is called ‘Swiss’. It is certainly not native to Switzerland being more common to Mediterranean cuisine and the plant itself is native to Southern Europe. In fact, chard is common in cuisines from Spain through Turkey and Egypt and even Aristotle mentions chard in his 4th century musings.
2. What does chard taste like?
Chard has a more complex flavor profile than spinach, primarily because it traces its lineage to the beet family. While young stems are sweeter like celery stalks; the leaves themselves have a slightly bitter profile. This dichotomy tends to segment chard eaters into two groups. Those who love mixing the stems and those who only eat the leaves. As for me, I tend to decide whether to include the stems based on the dish.
3. What colors are the chard stems?
Chard stems come in various colors. The stems can range from ivory white to sun orange, to deep red, and I’ve even seen light purple. Being such a colorful vegetable, it is rich in vitamins A, C, and especially K, and magnesium, iron, and potassium.
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Ingredients:
- Swiss chard: Rainbow Swiss chard; variations: mustard greens, kale, spinach and even broccolini.
- Lentil: Brown lentils, red lentil, or split pigeon peas
- Onion: red onion or shallots
- Lemon juice: lime or lemon juice
- Oil: olive oil or peanut oil
- Herb: cilantro or mint
- Spices: chili flakes, turmeric powder, cumin and ground black pepper
How to make Swiss Chard Soup:
- Prepare the ingredients. Chop the stalks of the chard fine and chiffonade the chard leaves.
2. Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice, pepper, chili flakes, garlic, cilantro, and salt and keep aside.
3. Heat a Dutch oven, add a tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté the onions until lightly caramelized for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add water or vegetable stock, turmeric, and cumin. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the washed lentils and the sweet potato and cover with a lid. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes.
5. Add the chard stalks and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the chard leaves and the olive oil mixture and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with chives and serve hot.
Tips:
- Adjust the amount of water or vegetable stock in the Swiss Chard Soup based on your desired consistency for the soup. Add less water if you like your soup to be thick.
- Another variation is the Lebanese Chard Soup which uses potatoes. If you opt to make this soup with potato, then boil the lentils for 5 minutes and then add the cubed potato and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Mash a small portion of the lentils to give the soup more thickness.
- Overcooking the lentils will make them mushy and become homogeneous. For a creamy Swiss Chard Soup, simply mash or pulse the lentils and add them to the soup.
Serving suggestions:
Serve the Swiss Chard Soup with pita bread or any crusty bread. It pairs well with Khobz and even the Garlic Focaccia Bread.
Storage:
Swiss Chard Soup can be refrigerated for 2-3 days and frozen in airtight containers for 3 months. When reheating it, leave the soup the day before serving in the refrigerator. Then, add a little water to a pot along with the soup that has thawed for the most part in the refrigerator. Season with a pinch of salt and heat gently on medium for a few minutes or until it boils.
Other vegetable soups that you will love:
Swiss Chard Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or saucepot
Ingredients
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 1 sweet potato peeled, cubed
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp cumin coarsely ground
- 6 cup water (or vegetable stock)
- 1 bunch Swiss chard finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic fine chopped
- olive oil extra virgin
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly milled
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 6 sprig cilantro
- 5 sprig chives garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Chop the stalks of the chard fine and chiffonade the chard leaves.
- Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice, pepper, chili flakes, garlic, cilantro, and salt and keep aside.
- Heat a Dutch oven, add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onions until lightly caramelized for 3-4 minutes.
- Add water, turmeric and cumin. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the washed lentils and the sweet potato and cover with a lid. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes.
- Add the chard stalks and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the chard leaves and the olive oil mixture and cook for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chives and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Add the chard towards the end to preserve its texture and color.
Nutrition
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