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Stuffed Swiss Chard

Stuffed Swiss Chard

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  • Author: Wafa Shami
  • Prep Time: 45 - 60 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Category: Vegan

Description

This particular dish always reminds me of the late Auntie Julia may she rest in peace. Our long-time neighbor back in Ramallah. And when I think of our neighbors


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 Swiss chard bunches
  • 1 cup hot water (for cooking) and about 4-5 cups for boiling
  • 1/4 cup of lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt

For the stuffing

  • 1 cup bulgur, washed and rinsed
  • 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2-3 tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch parsley finely chopped
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas (about 1 can)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • salt
  • juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Take out the bottom edge of each leaf, cut the long stem out, and set it aside.
  2. Fill up a large pot with water and let it boil about 4-5 cups.
  3. Dip all the leaves in the boiled water for 1 minute only, take out and place in a strainer.
  4. Prepare the stuffing: In a bowl add bulgur, onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, chickpeas, olive oil, allspice, cumin, salt, and lemon and mix everything well together.
  5. Lay flat the leaves on a cutting board and cut into small pieces, about fist size.
  6. With a spoon take some of the stuffing and spread length-wise on each leaf, then roll, similar to how you stuff rolled cabbage. Continue until all leaves are done.
  7. Place all rolled swiss chard in a pot, layer them on top of each other, long stems can also be layered.
  8. Once all done, place the pot on high heat, pour 1 cup of hot water over the leaves, or fill up ¾ of the pot. Sprinkle some salt, pour in ¼ cup of olive oil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat on low cover the pot, and let it simmer for about an hour. Halfway cooking pour ¼ cup of lemon juice.

Notes

Serve warm or room temperature. Squeeze more lemon if needed.

Cooking tips:

  • Leaves are so fine, so dip them in water for up to 1 minute only, otherwise, they'll be too soft and hard to roll.
  • The long stems can also be cooked, once cut layer them with rolled leaves.
  • When cutting the leaves, if the middle stem is thick, cut it out.
  • Make sure not to overstuff them, they can easily break during cooking. Stuff with about a finger size.