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Swiss Chard Dolmades
A riff on the Greek classic — blanched Swiss chard leaves stuffed with herbed rice, lemon, and fresh dill, then simmered in a lemony broth. They come out tender, bright, and deeply satisfying. Use the beautiful rainbow chard stems in a stir-fry later.
Swiss Chard is usually ready May to November. More swiss chard recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 16 large Swiss chard leaves, stems trimmed flush
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
- 2 lemon, juiced, divided
- ⅓ cup olive oil, divided
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
Contains: nuts.
Method
- Blanch chard leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer to ice water then pat very dry. Sauté onion in 2 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes. Combine with uncooked rice, dill, mint, pine nuts, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil, and salt.About 10 min
- Place 2 tbsp filling near the stem end of each chard leaf. Fold sides in and roll up tightly. Repeat with all leaves.About 15 min
- Layer rolls seam-side down in a wide pot. Mix broth, remaining lemon juice, and olive oil. Pour over rolls — liquid should come halfway up.About 3 min
- Weight with a heatproof plate. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 35 minutes until rice is cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.About 37 min
Tips
- The raw rice goes into the filling and cooks inside the rolls during simmering.
- Weighting the rolls keeps them from unraveling during cooking.
- Dolmades are excellent at room temperature — ideal for making ahead.
Ring the changes
- Add currants and cinnamon to the filling for a sweet-savoury Middle Eastern version.
- Serve with tzatziki or lemon-tahini sauce.
Keeping it
Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
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