Swiss chard with almonds and raisins

Swiss chard with almonds and raisins is a tasty way to enjoy your greens and is quick to prepare too. It is a versatile vegetable side dish which can be served alongside many main dishes such as nut roast or apricot and nut sausages. As with hasselback carrots with honey and rosemary this easy sautéed chard recipe is sophisticated enough to serve to guests but simple enough to have a place among family meals. The quantities in this Swiss chard recipe are sufficient to make around two generous servings but can easily be increased if needed.

Ingredients

• A large bunch of Swiss chard (sufficient to fill around two pasta bowls when chopped)
• 1 medium sized leek
• 4 cloves garlic
• A handful of almonds
• A handful of raisins
• A dash of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment needed

• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Large shallow pan
• Spatula

How to prepare Swiss chard with almonds and raisins

Start by removing the stems from the chard and cutting the leaves into strips (the stems can be used in another recipe). It may look as though there is a lot of chard but it is surprising how much it reduces when cooked.

Finely chop the garlic, slice the leeks and chop the almonds.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large shallow pan. Add the chopped garlic and sliced leek and cook gently until they are soft.

Add the Swiss chard and sauté for a few minutes until the chard starts to wilt, turning regularly with a spatula. Depending on the size of your pan, if there isn't enough room in the pan for all the chard you may need to cook what will fit in the pan and then add more after it has started to wilt.

Add the chopped almonds and raisins plus a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir. Continue to cook until the chard has wilted, turning regularly with a spatula so that it cooks evenly.

As soon as all the chard has wilted your Swiss chard with almonds and raisins will be ready to serve. This sautéed Swiss chard dish can be spooned inside individual food ring moulds or can be served separately in a serving dish.

Tips

1. Sautéed chard with almonds and raisins can be covered and kept warm in the oven at a low temperature for a short time until you are ready to serve.
2. If you are cooking a large amount you may need to cook in batches and keep the cooked batches in the oven until it is all cooked.
3. This Swiss chard dish can be reheated either in a covered ovenproof bowl in the oven or in a pan. If reheating you may need to add a little extra olive oil.
4. This recipe works equally well using either spinach or kale in place of chard.