Lemon Parmesan Swiss Chard Salad & Garlic Breadcrumbs

This Swiss chard salad is bright and tangy, savory and crunchy. That’s because it’s packed with lemon, parmesan, toasted breadcrumbs and garlic. This is a salad even your non-salad eaters will enjoy. And it’s the kind of salad that makes you feel like you’re winning at life (swiss chard is a superfood, after all), but that really doesn’t take much effort, making it the PERFECT weeknight side dish. 

Jump to:

• Why I Love this Lemony Swiss Chard Salad Recipe
• Ingredients You’ll Need
• A Few Substitutions or Additions
• How to Make This Swiss Chard Salad
• 📖 Recipe

Why I Love this Lemony Swiss Chard Salad Recipe

I’m always on the lookout for salads that don’t have lettuce because my 2-year old, without fail, spits it out. I used to think it might be any leafy vegetable (he does it for baby spinach, too), but recently he’s eaten (and loved) radish sprouts, beet sprouts and tatsoi, which is a member of the choy family of greens – bok, pak, ong, etc. So, I wanted to see if he’d eat Swiss chard. 

Success! (He actually ate more of it undressed than after it was in the salad, but I’ll take that as a win.)

In addition, I’m always trying to get my other two to yum their salad as much as they do the main dish. It’s a total win when the 12-year old goes back for seconds and the husband scrapes every last bit from the bowl. In fact, the 12-year old tried stealing half of this salad while I was taking pictures for this post much to my annoyance/delight. (Despite said theft, no children were harmed in the making of this post.)

And right now? I’m looking for things that don’t have a million components. Salads and sides I’ll be able to throw together sleep deprived and with a newborn. 

Folks, this one checks ALLLLLL the boxes. 

And while you may or may not be busy in the same kind of way right now, you too can make weeknight magic with this insanely easy, ridiculously healthy salad! 

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Raw Swiss Chard: I usually reserve my swiss chard for tossing in soups, pastas or omelets, using in place of spinach in hot dishes. With summer upon us I found myself wondering if I might use Swiss chard as part of a cold salad. After all, the raw leaves aren’t bitter or tough. And it turns out, you can totally use raw chard in lieu of lettuce. And that’s what we’re using in this recipe!
• Parmesan cheese: The cheese is one of the ingredients that really has the potential to make or break this salad. Don’t skimp. It’s bold and savory and it adds depth of flavor to the overall dish.
• Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice to make this salad and go for bright & tangy. 
• Olive oil
• Panko breadcrumbs: While you could make your own breadcrumbs by blitzing a bit of stale bread (think, baguette or any other crusty loaf) in a food processor, this gal is trying to simplify here and there… sometimes… and panko gives this salad a satisfying crunch.
• Garlic: Lemon, garlic, and parmesan. You really can’t go wrong. Used to enhance the flavor of the breadcrumbs.

A Few Substitutions or Additions

• Rainbow chard: From a cooking standpoint rainbow chard is exactly the same as regular swiss chard, so you can use whatever you have on hand; it’s all the same. However, if rainbow chard costs more than regular swiss chard, I’d go for regular UNLESS. you plan on using your swiss chard stems for something else. 
• Beet greens: It’s summer and if you have a garden that includes beets, you can use beet greens for part or all of the swiss chard. The first time I made this salad, I used a mix of swiss chard and bulls blood beet greens (which has a purple leaf). I grow these hydroponically, so I didn’t have enough of either on their own, but together it was a striking combo. 
• Kale: You could also use kale for part or all of the Swiss chard. You’ll want to massage it all with a bit of olive oil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before dressing with the other elements. The advantage of using kale is that, as long as you don’t add the breadcrumbs until you are ready to serve, your salad will hold up for hours – even a whole day in advance. 
• Red bell pepper rings: I specifically like adding mini bell pepper rings to this salad if I happen to have them in the fridge. They look like little jewels tucked into the deep, vibrant green of the salad and it makes this salad feel even more like summer.
• Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are another summer treat. If my toddler hasn’t gotten to them first, I’ll pick a handful and toss them into the salad.
• Avocado: I personally love a bright, citrusy salad, but adding avocado would be a great way to cut through the bright lemon vinaigrette this salad is tossed in.
• Sunflower seeds: If the breadcrumbs aren’t crunch enough, or you want a little extra nutrition in your salad, I think sunflower seeds would be a lovely addition to this salad. 
• ​Goat cheese: If you aren’t a fan of parmesan, or don’t have any on hand, goat cheese would also be terrific in this salad.
• Fresh herbs: You could experiment with adding fresh thyme, basil or parsley or even lemon zest to the salad dressing if you’ve got some on hand. 
• Homemade bread crumbs: The original recipe called for homemade bread crumbs, but I’m trying to adapt this for easy, newborn cooking on summer nights. In the winter, when we are more likely to have a the end of a loaf of sourdough bread sitting on the counter, hands down, homemade bread crumbs would be 10x more flavorful than panko, and if you’ve got the time or have a special occasion, definitely make your own breadcrumbs!

How to Make This Swiss Chard Salad

1. Make the Lemon Dressing. Add fresh lemon juice to a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil so that it emulsifies. Whisk in honey. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Prepare the Salad. Wash and pat Swiss chard dry. Remove stems from Swiss chard leaves. (You can discard or reserve stems for another use, such as sauteeing or pickling them.) Stack leaves and roll, chopping into thin ribbons. Add to a large bowl with grated parmesan and toss with the lemon vinaigrette. (If you aren’t serving this immediately, see notes below.)
3. Toast your breadcrumbs. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. To a small bowl, add breadcrumbs, oil, and garlic, mixing to combine with your hands or a spoon. Once hot, add the breadcrumbs to the pan and brown, moving the breadcrumbs around with a spatula for even browning (and to avoid burning). Remove from heat once the breadcrumbs turn golden brown and toss in the salad bowl with the rest of the salad. 
4. Serve immediately (or see notes below), garnishing with more freshly grated parmesan if desired. (Unlike raw kale salads, swiss chard will not hold up for hours and hours.)

📖 Recipe