By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- 4(102)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Large chard leaves make beautiful rolls. I dice the meaty stems and cook them with onion and garlic, then combine them with medium-grain rice and lots of fresh herbs. The stems add great texture to the filling.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 rolls, serving 4 as a side dish or appetizer
- 8large chard leaves
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1large onion, finely chopped
- Stems from the chard leaves
- 2large garlic cloves, minced
- 1cup, tightly packed, cooked medium-grain white or brown rice, such as Calrose
- ¼cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
- ½teaspoon Aleppo pepper (more to taste)
- ¼cup currants (optional)
- Greek yogurt seasoned with garlic, lemon and sumac for serving
- Optional: crumbled feta for the filling or for topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the chard leaves and stems for 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and cut away the stems at the base. Next cut out the wide part of the stem remaining inside the leaf, cutting a V at the base where it connects with the leaf. Set aside the leaves and cut the stems into small dice (about ¼ inch). Set aside ½ cup of the blanching water for the baking dish.
Step
2
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring until very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the diced chard stems and a generous pinch of salt and continue to cook until the stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from the heat.
Step
3
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a baking dish that can accommodate all of the chard rolls. In a large bowl mix together the rice, onion mixture, herbs, Aleppo pepper and currants if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Step
4
Place 2 tablespoons of the filling on each chard leaf. Tuck the sides over the filling and roll up the leaves. Place in the baking dish. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and place ½ cup water in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, until the chard rolls are hot and the leaves tender. They should retain their bright green color.
Tip
- Advance preparation: The filling will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator, and the filled rolls will keep for a day or two as well.
Ratings
4
out of 5
102
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Cooking Notes
Renee
I had everything ready to make this before I realized my chard leaves were not big enough to stuff, so I followed the recipe but added the chopped leaves to wilt and carried on as though this were a one-pan main dish. Used a sumac and lemon yogurt on top and served with a lentil salad for a super successful dinner that left everyone feeling awesome!
Pamela
I love chard and thought this recipe would be a great innovation from the way I usually cook it, which is finely shredded and sauteed with a little minced garlic and pine nuts.
I sauteed chopped mushrooms and currant raisins with the rice and herbs (I used tarragon, sage, and thyme). The rolls looked beautiful, just like the picture, but the final result although good, was somewhat blah. Maybe I'll add the pinenuts as someone here suggested and instead of currant raisins, capers.
Laura G.
I needed to figure out how to use some chicken, feta, and spinach sausage (loose) and had some chard leaves, so this was helpful! Cooked the full cup of rice, mixed it with 2/3 lb. of cooked sausage, blanched and stuffed the leaves as directed. Neat and pretty. Didn't add water to the pan or cover when baking--the leaves were wet enough, and I drizzled them with the oil (and a squirt of lemon. A square pyrex dish fit the packages nicely. Served with a red bell pepper coulis.
Lynn
The first time we made these they were a bit bland (though I didn’t have the currants). Next time we added a load of herbs and lemon zest to the rice mix with feta inside the wrap and left out the stems. Surprisingly good!
Laurence Qamar
This recipe is derived from a classic Palestinian vegetarian dish with a few more subtle spices and lemon to make it come alive. There is also a version layered up as a cake that’s flipped to a platter. Silky chard is great.
Melissa
I added about 1/3 cup of chopped dried sour cherries. Excellent dish.
Eleanor
Is that rice uncooked prior to assembly? Please advise. Thanks.
Eleanor
Ah, now i see
proullard
Made these a couple of times, one for me and for my wife who was away for a week.Since we have plenty of fresh, home grown chard this time of year, I wanted to do something different with the chard. These rolls were very good. Very minty and I used chopped raisins as a sub for the currants.
Linda Klancher
I spent an entire rainy afternoon making this, not worth the time and effort, very mediocre, very labor intensive, find something else to do with your Swiss Chard
maureen
Used some pre-blanched frozen chard leaves from last fall. Added some chopped baby beet greens & stems, fennel fronds, lemon zest, and zataar to 2 cups cooked rice. Used 3-4 T filling for 7 leaves, so have leftover filling. Had with the yogurt sauce. Was glad to see that the chard leaves survived freezing.
Linda J.
Thanks for sharing the bit about the freezing! I am swimming in chard myself.
Amy
Did this in the microwave for 20-25 minutes since it was very hot out. Cane out extremely well
Maureen
This is a great recipe base. I Love swiss chard. I made a few adjustments. I added a few shredded, cooked chicken thighs. I used dried cranberries instead of currants. I didn't have parsley on hand so I used the fresh cilantro instead.
Lynn
The first time we made these they were a bit bland (though I didn’t have the currants). Next time we added a load of herbs and lemon zest to the rice mix with feta inside the wrap and left out the stems. Surprisingly good!
Laura G.
I needed to figure out how to use some chicken, feta, and spinach sausage (loose) and had some chard leaves, so this was helpful! Cooked the full cup of rice, mixed it with 2/3 lb. of cooked sausage, blanched and stuffed the leaves as directed. Neat and pretty. Didn't add water to the pan or cover when baking--the leaves were wet enough, and I drizzled them with the oil (and a squirt of lemon. A square pyrex dish fit the packages nicely. Served with a red bell pepper coulis.
Ari
This was really good and surprisingly easy to assemble. Include the currants if you can -- they add an interesting dimension of sweet/sour! I added some soy crumbles for protein (ground beef would probably work too). Although the rolls looked beautiful, they came out a little dry. Next time I'll serve with yogurt or garlic sauce.
Renee
I had everything ready to make this before I realized my chard leaves were not big enough to stuff, so I followed the recipe but added the chopped leaves to wilt and carried on as though this were a one-pan main dish. Used a sumac and lemon yogurt on top and served with a lentil salad for a super successful dinner that left everyone feeling awesome!
Pamela
I love chard and thought this recipe would be a great innovation from the way I usually cook it, which is finely shredded and sauteed with a little minced garlic and pine nuts.
I sauteed chopped mushrooms and currant raisins with the rice and herbs (I used tarragon, sage, and thyme). The rolls looked beautiful, just like the picture, but the final result although good, was somewhat blah. Maybe I'll add the pinenuts as someone here suggested and instead of currant raisins, capers.
Nancy
I was thinking of adding ground lamb or left over roast to rice mix. This would be a lunch all by itself-I'm a meat lover
Connor
Just tried this recipe! But added diced chicken and used lentils instead of rice. Tasty!
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