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Home » Side Dishes » Swiss Chard Pesto

Swiss Chard Pesto

Posted by: Diabetic Foodie / Salads & Dressings, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian / January 17, 2014

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Make your potato salad mayonnaise-free by using homemade Swiss chard pesto instead.Potatoes with Swiss Chard Pesto

A recipe for Swiss Chard Salsa Verde caught my attention. When I read the list of ingredients, it seemed more like a pesto to me even though it didn’t include nuts or cheese. I began to wonder about the technical definitions of pesto and salsa verde.

According to Oxford, pesto is “a sauce of crushed basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil, typically served with pasta.” Salsa verde is “an Italian sauce made with olive oil, garlic, capers, anchovies, vinegar or lemon juice, and parsley” OR “a Mexican sauce of finely chopped onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, and hot peppers.” Who knew that salsa verde was anything but Mexican?

I still think this is more like a pesto, so I’m going to call it one.

Buy rainbow or red Swiss chard for a more colorful pesto, although green will taste just fine. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the Swiss chard stems, ribs and leaves by hand.

Use leftover pesto (and you will have leftover pesto) on roasted vegetables, pasta and rice. This dish also makes a great mayo-free alternative to potato salad. If you prefer a traditional pesto, try 5-Minute Homemade Pesto.

Recipe Card
Swiss Chard Pesto
0 from 0 votes

Swiss Chard Pesto

Not your average pesto
Author:Adapted from Bon Appetit
Servings:16
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Ingredients

  • small bunch of Swiss chard preferably rainbow (enough to yield about 1-1/2 cups of chopped leaves)
  • 1 medium shallot minced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
  • zest from 1 small lemon
  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Remove ribs and stems from chard leaves and coarsely chop. Pulse a few times in a food processor (you want some chunks) and remove to a large bowl.
  • Coarsely chop chard leaves. Pulse a few times in a food processor and add to the bowl containing the chopped stems.
  • Add shallot, chives and lemon zest to the bowl. Stir in oil and vinegar and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe Notes

Swiss chard is a good source of Thiamin, Folate and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. (Source: nutritiondata.com)
Use leftover pesto on roasted vegetables, pasta, and rice.

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Swiss Chard Pesto
Amount Per Serving (2 g)
Calories 95 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 68mg3%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 0g0%
Sugar 0g0%
Protein 0g0%
Net carbs 1g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Condiments, Sauces &amp
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  1. Joshua Hampton says

    January 18, 2014 at 3:30 pm

    You had me at pesto. This looks terrific.

    Reply

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