Swiss Chard Salad with Feta
This Swiss Chard Salad with Lentil and Feta is so delicious and easy you will want to make it over and over again!
A lentil salad, a swiss chard salad- whatever you want to call it, it is scrumptious! A few weekends ago I made this for my husband and myself. Let me tell you- it was a winner! My husband loves swiss chard and so when I made a whole salad out of it- consider it eaten. I love to experiment with fresh veggies and try new tastes and this salad satisfied both of those for me. Make it as a side for dinner or just eat it as the meal! It has protein and lots of vitamins, a win win if you ask me.
During the summer I was so excited to have a garden and try planting lots of new things. Included in those new things was romaine lettuce, spinach, and swiss chard. I weeded a nice size area in our back yard, which included getting rid of some overgrown bushes, made neat little rows, and put the seeds in the soil. I watered every day to keep the soil moist and give the seeds the best chance to grow. Well, nothing happened after several weeks, so I chalked it up to a good (albeit somewhat frustrating) experience and planned on buying produce from the store like the majority of people.
Well, wouldn’t you know it, after TWO months of not watering the little garden patch and a hearty rain (probably the last of the season here in NM) little sprouts came up. They aren’t in the neat rows and there are only a few but they are growing. Go figure, I am stumped. I still have a lot to learn more about gardening, so if any of you have any tips let me know!
Maybe if the lettuce and chard grow big enough I’ll be able to use it the next I make this recipe! Regardless, home grown or store bought produce- this salad is really delicious and easy to make. Give it a try!
Oh and if you have lots of leftover lentils needing to be cooked and eat, try out our Lentil and Vegetable Soup! It is perfect for a rainy day!
Swiss Chard Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ cup onion chopped finely
- 4 garlic cloves minced, divided
- 1 cup dry lentils sorted and rinsed
- 1 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 ounces swiss chard chopped into ½ inch pieces
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, add the onions and 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook until translucent and aromatic. Add lentils, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook lentils, stirring occasionally for 15-25 minutes. Check for doneness, don’t overcook the lentils. You want to remove them from the heat when they have lost their harsh bite but are still chewy, as you don’t want them falling apart.
- Discard bay leaf, drain lentils if they still have liquid and set lentils aside.
- You can use the same pan as the lentils. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, add 2 garlic cloves and cook stirring for a minute until fragrant. Add swiss chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Discard any excess liquid the chard might have released and add chard to lentils. Add vinegars and mix. Let the salad cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle feta over and serve as a warm salad.
