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A red and blue salad bowl full of dark leafy greens, finely grated Pecorino, and golden-brown, toasted, homemade breadcrumbs.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Swiss Chard Salad

This salad isn't just a sucker-punch of vitamins and minerals, it's delicious! Crunchy toasted breadcrumbs and sharp Pecorino make a wonderful contrast to earthy Swiss Chard.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
Calories: 369
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard about 12 oz; see notes
  • ⅓ cup Pecorino finely grated; may sub parmigiano reggiano
Dressing
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • 1 tbsp date syrup sub maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp shallots finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • kosher salt to taste
Homemade Breadcrumbs
  • stale bread ideally enough to make 1 cup
  • extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp per 1 cup
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Equipment

  • 1 large bowl something that will fit all the chard
  • 1 paring knife to remove stems from the chard
  • 1 medium bowl for dressing
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 large skillet for breadcrumbs
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 food processor for breadcrumbs
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups
  • 1 grater for the cheese

Method
 

Make The Breadcrumbs:
  1. Ratio: 2 tablespoons of olive oil per 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Pinch of salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want to add.
    Tear up stale bread and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until crumbs are mostly finely ground.
    Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and any other seasonings; cook, stirring frequently, until crunchy and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
    Add 2 teaspoons of lemon zest into the breadcrumbs; mix to incorporate. Taste, season as necessary. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
Prep The Swiss Chard:
  1. Wash and dry the chard. Remove stems from the leaves by sliding a paring knife down each side of the stem, tearing at the top to separate. Stack a few of the leaves on top of each other, roll them like a cigar and slice into ½" ribbons; repeat until all the leaves are shredded. Transfer chard into a large salad bowl.
    A red and blue bowl of strips of rainbow Swiss chard. Two lemons, a container of date syrup, and breadcrumbs are seen in the photo.
  2. Squeeze the juice of ½ a lemon over the chard and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Using clean hands, massage lemon juice and salt into the chard leaves. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the leaves to soften.
    A wooden cutting board with two halves of a lemon and a small blue bowl of salt. A large white bowl of Swiss chard can be seen under the cutting board.
Make The Dressing:
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except for the olive oil.
    Slowly pour in the olive oil, while whisking vigorously, until emulsified.
Make The Salad:
  1. Add 2 tablespoons of dressing to the chard; toss to combine. Add additional dressing 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed until you're satisfied. Less is more!
    Top with fresh breadcrumbs and pecorino before serving.
    A forkful of purple veined Swiss Chard; freshly toasted golden breadcrumbs; white, finely grated Pecorino.

Notes

HOW TO STORE EXTRA DRESSING 
  • Store remaining dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep in mind the garlic and shallot will intensify the longer it sits in the fridge.
 
HOW TO STORE EXTRA BREADCRUMBS
  • Store remaining breadcrumbs in an airtight container in the pantry for 2 weeks.
 
DO I HAVE TO USE SWISS CHARD FOR THIS RECIPE?
  • Kale is also a great option for this recipe! This recipe gives Swiss chard the kale treatment (being massaged with lemon juice and salt to soften), so it makes for an easy-breezy substitution.
 
HOW CAN I MAKE THIS VEGAN?
  • Make this recipe vegan by simply omitting the Pecorino or subbing with a non-dairy alternative.
 
HOW MANY SERVINGS IS THIS SALAD ACTUALLY?
  • This salad serves 2 adults as a main and 4-6 as a side, depending on what else you're serving. Sometimes I add a protein like seared scallops or shrimp for a heartier meal.