Can you eat the stems of Swiss chard?

QUESTION: Can you eat the stems of Swiss chard? How do you prepare them? -Kim F.

ANSWER: Swiss chard has leaves that are more tender and delicate than most large, leafy greens—and the same goes for the stems. So while many people prefer not to eat the stems of greens like collards, simply removing and discarding them before they cook the greens, you can definitely enjoy eating the stems of Swiss chard leaves. That said, as with all kinds of greens with large leaves, the stems will take longer to cook than the thinner leaves do, and they have a difference in texture as well. That means that to cook with the stems of your homegrown collard greens, most of the time you’ll need to remove them from the leaves and prepare them using different techniques to create totally different dishes.

One exception to this rule is when the Swiss chard will cook for a long time and all parts of the leaves end up cooked through so they’re tender, as when leaves and stems are simmered for hours in a soup. You can also use the stems and leaves together if the greens are whirred in a food processor or chopped so finely that the texture differences become irrelevant, as when chard is used as an ingredient in a recipe like pesto or hummus.

Stems also become more tender if they’re dressed with an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. You’ll find links listed below for recipes of both types, ones that utilize the stems on their own, with the greens stripped from them, and others that put both the stems and the leaves of the chard to work in one dish. These examples should give you a glimpse of the possibilities for preparing Swiss chard stems as well as how they should be prepared in lots of different situations, so you’re sure to find some ideas here that strike your fancy. And of course, you can use standard green Swiss chard and rainbow chard interchangeable in any recipe you find to suit what you have in your garden.

• Anna Klinger’s Grilled Swiss Chard Stems with Anchovy Vinaigrette from Genius Kitchen
• Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Olive Oil and Parmesan from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Chard Agrodolce from Meatballs & Milkshakes
• Chard and Chard Stems with Sauteed Shittakes from Bon Appetit
• Chard Stem Hummus from Slate
• Chard-Stem Gratin from Sunset Magazine
• Cheesy Chard Stem Gratin Served With Mustard Dressed Chard Greens from Great British Chefs
• Coste di Bieta Gratinate (Gratinéed Swiss Chard Stems)
• Fennel and Chard Gratin with a Crispy Salsa Verde Topping  from Gingerroot
• Fermented Rainbow Chard Stems and Carrots from Delicious Living
• Fried Swiss Chard Stems with Yummy Garlic Dip from Garden Super Heroes
• Grilled Swiss Chard Stems from Early Morning Farm
• Grilled Swiss Chard Stems with Roasted Garlic Oil from New York Times
• Indian Spiced Swiss Chard from Lloreen
• Leafy Greens and Their Stems from Jules
• Lemon-Garlic Rainbow Chard from Allrecipes
• Lemon-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Winter Green Stems from TheKitchn
• Minestra of Spring Greens and Herbs with Optional Truffled Polenta Croutons  from Amber Olson
• Ohitashi and Japanese Pickled Stems from Very Vegan Val
  Parmesan Baked Swiss Chard Stems from Alstede Farms 
• Pickled Chard Stems from Love and Lemons
• Rainbow Chard Stem Gratin from Fine Cooking
• Rainbow Chard Soup with Pickled Chard Stems from Kitchen Konfidence
• Red onion marmalade, anchovy, and Swiss Chard Flatbread Crostini from Foodfanatic
• Roasted Swiss Chard Stems from The Spruce Eats
• Roasted Swiss Chard Stems with Creamy Sesame Dressing from Experience Life
• Roasted Swiss Chard with Feta from Allrecipes
• Sauteed Swiss Chard with Lemon Zest from Food and Style
• Sauteed Swiss Chard Stalks with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Parsley from Marcella Hazan 
• Skillet Greens and Stems from Coco
• Slow Roasted Swiss Chard Stems with Parmigiano from Rustico Cooking
• Spicy Pickled Swiss Chard Stems from Heartbeet Kitchen
• Swiss Chard and Kohlrabi Slaw from Jen | Inspired by the Seasons
• Swiss Chard Stalk Fritters from Ciao Chow Linda
• Swiss Chard Stalk Pesto with Pepitas from QueenSashy
• Swiss Chard Stalks Salad (Selk Bel-Tahineh) from Taste of Beirut
• Swiss Chard Stem and Beet Tahini Dip from It’s a Veg World After All
• Swiss Chard Stem Chutney from Two Happy Rabbits
• Swiss Chard Stem Soup from Green Talks
• Swiss Chard Stems au Gratin from Fairfield Green Food Guide
• Swiss Chard Stem, Fennel, and Salmon Fried Rice from Recipe Wisdom
• Swiss Chard Stems, Grilled with Anchovy Vinaigrette from Key Ingredient
• Swiss Chard Stems with Provolone White Sauce and a Crunchy Breadcrumb Topping from Christina’s Cucina
• Swiss Chard Stems with Tahini from Oldways Cultural Food Traditions
• Vegetable Stock from TheKitchn
• Warm Beet, Swiss Chard, and Hazelnut Salad from Caroline Wright
• Whole Chard MInestrone from Ieatthepeach