Swiss Chard Romesco: a sweet and tangy superfood sauce loaded with vitamins and anti-inflammatory properties. You’ll want to add it to everything!
Table of Contents
If you love pesto, this Swiss Chard Romesco is going to be your jam
I love pesto because it can be used as a dip, a spread for crackers, or a topping on meats, salads, and more. This Swiss Chard Romesco can be used the same way — add it to your plate any time you want a burst of nutty, sweet and savory, tangy flavor, loaded with healthy fats and the power of superfoods.
How to make Romesco:
This Whole30 compliant sauce is made with Marcona Almonds, which are shorter, rounder, softer, and sweeter than regular almonds. You’ll find them at Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Costco, or on Amazon, sold blanched (no skin) and salted/oiled. They make a great snack or addition to any dish, and they have macros similar to regular almonds.
In a traditional romesco sauce, you’d fry the onion and almonds, but in this recipe, the red onion and chard are roasted, which compliments the natural sweetness of the Marcona Almonds. Seasoned with salt, garlic, and turmeric with a pinch of black pepper to enhance the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin (found in turmeric).
Of course, the main ingredients of a traditional romesco sauce are tomatoes, bixto peppers, paprika and olive oil. Since this is a nightshade-free romesco recipe, we’re ditching the tomatoes and using Swiss Chard instead.
Why Swiss Chard is good for you:
Swiss Chard is a great source of vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, sodium, and phosphorus. It’s also full of antioxidants, like kaempferol, an anti-inflammatory flavonoid that can help with chronic disease prevention.
Swiss Chard is also a good source of dietary nitrates, and when these dietary nitrates combine with unsaturated fat sources like olive oil, they form nitro fatty acids. These nitro fatty acids can help to further decrease inflammation and promote cardiovascular health.
Health benefits of olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a great source of heart healthy monounsaturated fat, and when sourced well and stored properly, EVOO is one of the healthiest things you can eat. Olive oil is high in polyphenols, which are protective micronutrients and powerful antioxidants.
Like I said, this Swiss Chard Romesco is a superfood sauce you’ll want to put on everything, not just because it’s super tasty, but it’s so dang good for you.
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Swiss Chard Romesco (Dairy Free, Egg Free, Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Nightshade-Free, Anti-Inflammatory)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Roast, Blend
- Cuisine: Sauce
Description
Swiss Chard Romesco: a sweet and tangy superfood sauce loaded with vitamins and anti-inflammatory properties. You’ll want to add it to everything!
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard, chopped (2 cups)
- ⅔ cup, plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 ⅛ teaspoon fine salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup Marcona almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a sheet pan combine the red onion and chard. Sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender with browned bits.
- Transfer the roasted veggies to a blender. Add in the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, like the consistency of pesto.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes:
2g net carbs per serving
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 15.2g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1.7g
Suzy M says
I found this recipe because I picked up chard at my CSA this summer. I usually find recipes and NEVER comment, but when I made it for the umpteenth time today, I decided to comment on how much I like it. I dip veggies and chips in it. When I need a snack, if I dip veggies, the snack is totally healthy. I love it. And it keeps well. I make a double recipe and I am never disappointed when I go looking for it. I buy two bundles of chard at a time–such goodness!
Suzy says
I found this recipe because I picked up chard at my CSA this summer. I usually find recipes and NEVER comment, but when I made it for the umpteenth time today, I decided to comment on how much I like it. I dip veggies and chips in it. When I need a snack, if I dip veggies, the snack is totally healthy. I love it. And it keeps well. I make a double recipe and I am never disappointed when I go looking for it. I buy two bundles of chard at a time–such goodness!
Liz says
I’ve made this 3x in the past two weeks because my garden and CSA have been heavy in chard and most importantly because I love it! We’ve dipped raw and roasted veggies, blocks of mozzarella from Made Simple, meat sticks, literally anything in it! So yum; feeling lucky your recipes keep our family so happy and healthy. I’ve become an AIP recipe snob at this point because yours are sooo damn flavorful.
Cristina says
Awww thanks so much Liz!!!
Heather Z. says
I feel like I did everything wrong this recipe and it still turned out delicious. I used red chard that I had from our CSA – tasty but definitely ugly when blended up. Used waaay too much salt – my bad, put it in, forgot i put it in, put it in again. I used a food processor instead of a blender – next time I will do it properly with my vitamix. And I used regular almonds – since that’s what I had. Turned out amazing!!! I’m currently scarfing it down on some shrimp Alfredo. This might be the first time I’ve enjoyed chard ever. Thank you so much!
Marcus Studebaker says
This was DELICIOUS, Cristina! Just a made some for my family. Your blog has easily been one of THE most impactful parts of my weight loss journey with keto.