This is a great side to a barbecue. If necessary, the swiss chard can be swapped for spinach (I like the big leaf kind with the stems), cavelo nero or even kale. If you use an alternative to swiss chard, there’s no need to chop the stalks, just pull them off and discard them instead.
Serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
400g swiss chard, stalks finely chopped
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
A large handful of chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, fresh oregano and dill, leaves picked, plus extra to serve
Juice of 1 lemon
1 jar or tin of brown lentils (the jars are worth it!), drained and rinsed
To serve
A few dollops of good quality Greek yoghurt
4 slices of sourdough bread
Method
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
2. Add the olive oil, sliced garlic, fennel seeds, dried oregano, chard stalks and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan and set over a low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes until the garlic is translucent and soft, but not getting crisp or burning.
3. Once the pot of salted water is boiling, add the chard and cook for 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it straight into the pan with garlic and olive oil. You want to take over a bit of water as this will help it to cook down.
4. Cook for 20 minutes over a very low heat, stirring a little to allow the chard to slowly soften and the water to cook away leaving you with really flavourful braised chard.
5. Add in the herbs and lemon zest then taste for seasoning. At this point you can add in the lentils if you’d like to serve it as a bigger side, or leave it as it is.
6. Pile on to a serving plate with a few dollops of yoghurt, more extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Finish with a few extra herbs and chili flakes to taste. @kittycoles