If you’re wandering through the grocery aisles or farmers market in the spring and summer, there’s a solid chance that you’ve spotted chard, and its brightly-colored stalks may have drawn your attention. But what is that rainbow-colored leafy vegetable that sits near the kale and spinach? And what’s the best way to cook chard?
What Is Chard?
Also called rainbow chard or Swiss chard, chard is a relative of the beet and the greens of chard look really similar to beet greens. Unlike beets, you won’t find the root of chard for sale at the store or farmers market — it’s inedible.
It’s likely chard will stand out to you amid other leafy green vegetables because of its vibrantly colored stalks. It isn’t called rainbow chard for nothing — this veggie can be white, red, golden yellow, purple, orange, green and so on, and it’s really quite pretty. Each of these stems taste slightly different, too, creating a delightful eating experience.
