Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Parmesan
If you’re a fan of nutritious Swiss Chard, save the stems and make this delicious Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Parmesan! This is a tasty idea that uses the part of the chard that often gets thrown away!
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This recipe for Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Parmesan one I spotted in Vegetables Every Day (affiliate link) which is without a doubt one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever owned for vegetable recipes. I was looking for recipes to use the Swiss Chard I was growing my my garden, and I got tired of throwing away the Swiss Chard stems! And wow, was this ever a tasty way to use those stems after you’ve cooked something else with the rest of the Swiss Chard!
I think it would take about three bunches of chard to come up with the pound of chard stems the original recipe calls for, but I used the stems from one bunch of chard which made about two servings (or in my case, a whole dinner because I ate the entire thing at one sitting.) If you like chard but haven’t stumbled on a good way to cook the stems, this is simple and delicious, and I love the idea that you’re making a side dish out of something that might get thrown away.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- Swiss chard stems
- salt
- Olive Oil (affiliate link) (or melted butter)
- coarsely grated parmesan cheese
- coarse ground black pepper
Is Swiss Chard a healthy vegetable?
Once you read about how nutritious chard is, you might decide it’s something you should be eating every week! And that’s probably partly why Chard is grown all over the world and has a variety of names. Plus, if you’re a vegetable gardener, here’s an expert’s take on why you should be growing swiss chard.
Is Swiss Chard a versatile type of leafy greens?
Swiss chard is also one of the most versatile ingredients you could ever ask for. It’s not as tender as spinach but softer than kale, and it can be substituted in most recipes using other greens with just slight adjustments in cooking time.
Want more ideas with tasty Swiss Chard?
Check out my Healthy Swiss Chard Recipes for more Swiss Chard ideas!
Tips for making Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Parmesan:
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe, including nutritional information.)
- First, here’s a reminder of how to cut the chard leaves away from the stems.
- I think leaving a bit of leaf on the stem is fine; I actually liked the way it added some color to the stems.
- I cut the stems on the diagonal, cutting each chard stem into 3 or 4 pieces, with each piece about three inches long.
- Stems are parboiled in salted water for about six minutes, and drained well (Oops, I didn’t get a photo of that step.)
- Then the stems are misted with olive oil (or brushed with melted butter) and sprinkled with coarsely grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes. Yum!
More Ideas for Using Swiss Chard Stems:
Swiss Chard Leaves and Stems from Just Hungry
Swiss Chard Gratin from A Veggie Venture
Silverbeet Gratin from Green Gourmet Giraffe

Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Parmesan
This recipe for tasty Baked Swiss Chard Stems uses the part of the chard that usually gets thrown away!
Ingredients
- 2 cups trimmed Swiss chard stems
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- olive oil for spraying pan and chard (see notes)
- 1/4 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
- coarse ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim any discolored ends from chard stems, then cut stems on an angle into pieces about 3 inches long.
- If some stems are very thick, you may wish to cut them lengthwise so all pieces are approximately the same thickness.
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and chard stems and boil about 6 minutes.
- Let chard drain well.
- Spray a non-stick baking dish with olive oil.
- Place chard in the pan and mist lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with cheese. (If doubling the recipe, make two layers, misting each layer with oil and sprinkling with cheese.)
- Bake about 20 minutes, or until chard is softened and cheese is slightly browned on the edges.
- Season with fresh ground black pepper if desired and serve hot.
Notes
You can use a little melted butter to drizzle over the chard instead of olive oil if you prefer.
This recipe slightly adapted from Vegetables Every Day (affiliate link) by Jack Bishop.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 84Total Fat 5.2gSaturated Fat 1.5gUnsaturated Fat 3.4gCholesterol 5.4mgSodium 493mgCarbohydrates 6.7gFiber 2.9gSugar 1.5gProtein 4.3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This is a good side dish for any low-carb diet including Keto, and Keto fans would probably prefer using butter. It might be a bit high in fat for the original South Beach Diet, especially if you use butter, but I would eat it occasionally as a personal choice.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to see more tasty side dishes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe
This recipe was posted in 2008 when I had lots of Swiss Chard growing in my garden. It was last updated with more information in 2021.
47 Comments on “Baked Swiss Chard Stems with Parmesan”
Great taste,added lemon juice to the melted butter,Wow!
I like that idea! Wish I still had a garden. Now I have a hard time getting enough stems to make this!
I’ve done this several times now, and they kind of remind me of artichoke hearts, flavorwise.
It’s also kind of funny to me that here in the US we throw the stems away and use the leaves. In all my Italian cookbooks, if you look up swiss chard (bietole), they say “separate the chard leaves from the stem. (Set the leaves aside to make soup.)”
I really like the flavor of them too. It’s funny that so many people in the U.S. don’t eat them.
Thanks for posting this recipe. I’m trying it now. I have also used the stems to substitute for celery when making potato salad. Adds color and crunch.
I’m intrigued with your idea for using the stems; hope you enjoy this recipe too.
Laurie, I think the kale stems would have a much stronger taste, but might not be bad. I have only tried this with chard.
This is a great idea – I usually throw these type of stalks in the freezer with my "make into stock" bag of scraps, but I will try this – any thoughts on if this would work for Kale stems?
My husband is trying Swiss chard for the first time. Actually we both are. We didn't know what to do with the stems. This recipe is a revelation! You can bake them??!!!
Al, great tips. Thanks for sharing.
I just made this with younger chard stems (they were much narrower than those in your photo). I didn't parboil them since I was experimenting and they turned out great! Thanks for the recipe. Also, for those who are throwing out the stems and don't feel like cooking them, you can use them when making stock. I toss them in a freezer bag until I have enough stuff to make a batch of stock.
I love the idea of adding garlic. Glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe was great! I have never had swiss chard stems before. Next time I might dare to add a little galic. Delicious.
Susan, I agree, I love them stems. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
I don't understand why anyopne would throw chard stems away–they are the best part in my opinion.
What I normally do with my stems is chop them up, and saute them for about 3 minutes before I add in the sliced up greens. No waste at all–and what a yummy combination!
I am going to try this recipe though, looks yummy, and I will separate the greens and the stems just to try this.
Aliisa, glad you liked it!
This is an amazing recipe! We had no leftovers! I used the greens with this as well and just included them in the layers (although I only parboiled them for a minute or so first). There was extra water in the dish when it came out of the oven, but I moved it with a slotted spoon before serving and nobody but me noticed.
Taste Bud, definitely I think you could use some of the leaves in this, just add them towards the end of the cooking time.
I just stumbled on your site when I was looking for info on cooking swiss chard stems (it seemed a waste to throw them away). It was fantastic. I was wondering if there was a way to incorporate some of the leaves into this. It might be an interesting variation. Maybe boil them for just the last minute so they don't break down too much and bake them all together?
I never knew what to do with the stems. It always seemed like a big waste to throw them in the compost pile. Your pictures make this look so delicious!
Anne Marie, love the idea of adding carrots. I’m guessing most people might not have quite enough chard stems, so this is really useful!
This was delicious! I added carrots, cut longways, then sliced on the diagonal to be about the same size as the chard stems. Yum! and thanks.
Lyn, what can I say except thanks. Comments like this mean the world to me.
You know I love your blog and am always getting great ideas from you. I have some chard sitting in the fridge and am TIRED of greens (been eating beet greens and kale, cooked with onions, ham, or bacon), so I was Googling “chard and cheese” and lookie what came up! Your site! LOL! And boy does THIS look amazingly good to me. I love the stems… so tender and good. I had seen this post back in Feb and forgot about it. This will be dinner tomorrow. THANK YOU! Thank you for putting out so many wonderful VEGGIE recipes. It has truly made a difference in my weight loss efforts and my life. You’re awesome 🙂
Ilina and Nan, thanks both of you for letting me know that you liked it. I need to buy some more chard so I can make it again.
We had this tonight and it was SO good! Thanks for another winner of a recipe!
Swiss chard is one of my family’s favorites. I just made this for dinner, and it was awesome! I’ve linked to this recipe in my post today. Check it out at http://www.dirtandnoise.com/2008/03/when-will-it-spring.html#links
Madeline, thanks for the feedback. I always love hearing from someone who tried the recipe and liked it! I totally loved this too!
This recipe is so fantastic, I’ve already made it twice this week. We absolutely love it. My boyfriend said we should make this for our next dinner party, that’s how good it is!
I love Swiss chard and so I´m delighted to find a new recipe. As usually thanks for sharing Kalyn.
Just found your website – it’s wonderful! What an inspiration you are. The “south beach suggestions” are a nice extra bit of info.
I could eat Swiss chard everyday and this dish reminds me a lot of one my grandmother used to make to prevent wasting food. Thanks for reminding me to make that dish again and I will use your recipe next time.
Hi everyone,
Fun hearing from people who might try this. Cynthia, the stems were not the least bit bitter. I did hear that Kale stems are very bitter though, so maybe that’s what you’re thinking of.
fooIs the stem bitter?
Swiss chard Stems…I’ll have to give it a try. My father always loved Swiss Chard and I’ll always avoided it.
I’ve recently been to a restaurant that served a flash-fried swiss chard with olive oil and parm. It was amazing.
And I just happen to have a big, beautiful bunch of Swiss chard in my fridge!
Oooh, yes – definitely my kind of recipe!
Hmmm… guess I’ll have to jump on the Swiss Chard bandwagon! Looks great, but I’ve never ever had it before. Love to try new things so thanks for sharing 🙂
Kaly, what a delicious way to serve veggies – anything with parmesan has my undivided attention! 🙂
I keep forgetting about swiss chard on my grocery list!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I never throw away the stems; I usually just steam them with lemon juice and a bit of vinegar.
What a wonderful idea – they look like cardoons!
And anything with Parmesan and Olive oil has to be good!
Chard stems are my favorite part. There are some European varieties of chard that are mostly stem, with attenuated leaves only.
I don’t eat other stems (kale, ack!), but chard is a whole different ballgame.
Very, very thoughtful as are the brussels sprouts and broccoli recipes.
You have given a great deal of thought to healthy dishes. As my Doc told me, if your great grandmother did not serve it up, you should not either.
Having worked in a French kitchen under a German chef forty years ago, this kind of cooking is so crisp and clear and healthy. I love it.
All the best to you.
Peace and Grace
Happy Valentine’s Day, Kalyn!
That’s a brilliant recipe Kalyn. I too love the idea of using an ingredient that might otherwise get thrown away. I’ll try this next time I get some chard. Not sure I can remember to eat it every week though!
Thank you for the recipe. I use “greens” often but have never tried parboiling the stems before utilizing them in some manner. It amazes me how fibrous the stems are compared to the leafy greens.
I look forward to checking all the links in your article for other great ideas!