Big Bites Exclusive: Lemony Swiss Chard Salad with White Beans and Garlic Breadcrumbs
Mar 15, 2024
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Many of you will know Swiss chard as a sturdy, cold-weather green that is sauteed… but it can be so much more than that! This Lemony Swiss Chard salad will open your eyes to a whole new world of possibilities for a leafy green that’s severely underrated. Here we’re combining the soft bitterness of the chard with the creamy bellies of the beans and crunchy garlic breadcrumbs. It makes for one lively bite of salad, in true Hungry Lady Salad fashion.
Table of Contents
- 😍 Why You’ll Love My Lemony Swiss Chard Salad with White Beans and Garlic Breadcrumbs
- 🗒️ Ingredients
- 👩🍳 How to Make My Lemony Swiss Chard Salad with White Beans and Garlic Breadcrumbs
- 🎩 Tips and Tricks
- 🤲 Substitutions
- 📓 Best served with
- 👝 How to Store Leftovers
- 🧠 Common Questions
- Lemony Swiss Chard Salad with White Beans and Garlic Breadcrumbs Recipe
😍 Why You’ll Love My Lemony Swiss Chard Salad with White Beans and Garlic Breadcrumbs
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: sturdy, leafy greens like Swiss chard make the perfect salad base because they don’t start to wilt and soften the minute you dress your salad. It holds up well to weighty additions like white beans and this robust lemony dressing that has my mouth watering just thinking about it.
🗒️ Ingredients
Swiss Chard – Chard lays the groundwork for this salad: it’s hearty, has a mild, bitter taste and pairs beautifully with acid (like lemon) and salt. Chard is often overlooked in favor of Kale or Spinach, but given that it’s available all year round and can come in a stunning variety of colors, I think it’s about time it had a moment in the spotlight!
White Beans – Although cannellini beans are the most common kind of white bean, there are plenty of other delicious options and around here, we don’t discriminate! White Beans provide a delicious creamy texture to this salad and are offset beautifully by the tart lemon and mild bitterness of the chard.
Shallot – Shallots sit deliciously in the seasoning category, providing a soft, oniony undercurrent or a sharp pop of acidity to any dish. They’re not an onion, but you’ll find them next to the onions at the grocery store!
Lemon – Not only does lemon balance out the creamy beans and dressing, it introduces some bright, zesty acidity to round out this salad’s flavor palate.
Garlic – A staple in many recipes and cuisines, garlic mellows when cooked to take on a more caramelized, sweet undertone. Using garlic to coat our breadcrumb topping means every bite is garnished with a little something sweet!
Breadcrumbs – If you don’t have some on hand, this is your chance to use up your breadcrusts – I like my breadcrumbs quite chunky so I prefer to tear apart a leftover loaf but makers choice!
Dijon Mustard – Dijon is a beautiful melding of tangy, sweet and mild acidy flavors that ultimately adds warmth to whatever it touches. Here it’s adding that warmth and tang to our lemony viniagrette dressing.
+ Some Pantry Staples – Olive Oil, Salt & Red Pepper Flakes can be found in most pantries, and they’re staples for a reason!
👩🍳 How to Make My Lemony Swiss Chard Salad with White Beans and Garlic Breadcrumbs
🔥 Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and golden brown 4-6 minutes.
🥄 Stir in the garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper flakes, and let them toast for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Set aside.
Make the dressing and salad:
🍋 In a large serving bowl, zest and juice the lemon.
🧂Add mustard and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup of the olive oil.
🥬 Wash and dry the chard and remove the stems from the leaves. Discard the stems or freeze them to make a pasta sauce or frittata someday.
🔪 Stack a few of the leaves on top of each other, roll them like a cigar and cut the cigar into thin ribbons. Repeat with all of the leaves and place into the bowl with the dressing.
🥣 Toss the chard and dressing to coat.
🫘 Top with the white beans and shallot, then the breadcrumbs.
💙 Serve and enjoy!
🎩 Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t have a salad spinner on hand for drying off your chard, roll your leaves in between paper towels to remove water quickly without too much fuss.
- Shallots should be sliced thinly, so reaching for a mandoline if you have one can speed this step up!
- If dressing a salad is one of your least favorite parts of meal prepping, I have a hack for you. Make your salad in the Tupperware container that you plan to store it in. When it comes time to dress the salad, put the lid on and shake! The chard will stand up to some roughhousing, and there won’t be any extra dishes!
🤲 Substitutions
I believe in using what you have on hand – a Hungry Lady Salad shouldn’t add extra pressure to your budget or schedule, so here are some alternatives you can reach for:
- Swap Swiss Chard for Kale or Spinach
- Onion, Leek, Scallion or Chives make excellent alternatives to Shallots
- White beans could be replaced with any bean you have on hand: Kidney Beans, Butter Beans, even Chickpeas!
📓 Best served with
- On its own – Meal-In-A-Bowl style!
- Grilled Chicken or Fish
- Roasted Potatoes
👝 How to Store Leftovers
I’ve been harping on about Swiss Chard, and warning, I’m about to do it again. One of the reasons I love it (and this salad) is that you can store the leftovers fully dressed in any tupperware/sealed container. It will happily keep in the fridge for 3+ days!
🧠 Common Questions
No! Swiss chard leaves can be enjoyed raw, and this salad proves it. While you might be used to eating steamed or sauteed chard which has a flavor not dissimilar to spinach, raw chard will have a more distinct bitter flavor.
Absolutely! Because Chard is a robust leafy green, it holds up to meal prep exceptionally well without becoming soggy.
Lemony Swiss Chard Salad with White Beans and Garlic Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Kosher salt
- A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Juice and zest from one lemon
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large bunch Swiss chard, about 12 ounces
- 1 15 ounce can of white beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until they are crisp and golden brown 4-6 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper flakes, and let them toast for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat. Set aside.
- Make the dressing and salad:
- In a large serving bowl, zest and juice the lemon.
- Add mustard and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup of the olive oil.
- Wash and dry the chard and remove the stems from the leaves. Discard the stems or freeze them to make a pasta sauce or frittata someday.
- Stack a few of the leaves on top of each other, roll them like a cigar and cut the cigar into thin ribbons. Repeat with all of the leaves and place into the bowl with the dressing.
- Toss the chard and dressing to coat.
- Top with the white beans and shallot, then the breadcrumbs.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
