These vegetarian swiss chard rolls are stuffed with a savory lentil and rice filling and topped with a light tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano cheese for a healthy, satisfying meal.
If you enjoy cabbage rolls, you will without a doubt love these swiss chard rolls. This recipe is a great way to use up the abundance of swiss chard in your garden to create a healthy and satisfying meal!
Swiss chard only requires about 30 seconds of boiling time to soften the leaves and is much easier to roll than cabbage leaves.
I opted for a savory, vegetarian filling with lentils and rice, topped with a light tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano cheese. However, if you're not a fan of lentils, you may swap them out and use ground meat instead.
This dish does involve a few steps and some time to prepare, so while you're at it why not double the recipe and freeze a batch for another meal!
Ingredient List
- Swiss chard leaves: I used 16 large leaves or about 2 bunches
- White long grain rice
- Lentils: brown or green lentils work well in this recipe
- Canned diced tomatoes: may be replaced with whole canned plum tomatoes or tomato purée (passata)
- Onion
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Vegetable broth
- Parsley
- Basil
- Grated Parmigiano cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
1. Cook the lentils
Cook ⅔ cup dry green or brown lentils for about 18 minutes, until they are tender but not mushy. You may use canned lentils if you prefer.
2. Make a basic tomato sauce
Sauté a minced clove of garlic in olive oil, add diced tomatoes, salt and basil. Let simmer while you prepare the filling.
3. Blanch the swiss chard leaves
-Use a sharp knife to remove the chard stems. Reserve half the stems for the filling and use the remaining stems for making soup or compost them.
-Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a tea towel covered tray to cool.
4. Prepare the filling
-Sauté onion, carrot and chard stems in olive oil until softened.
-Add the garlic; rice; lentils; ¼ cup of the simmering tomato sauce; and vegetable broth.
-Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
-Let cool slightly before stirring in freshly chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano cheese.
5. Stuff the swiss chard leaves
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
-Place 3-4 tbsp. of filling on the bottom third of a swiss chard leaf.
-Fold the sides and bottom over the filling, then roll up the leaf tightly around the filling.
-Place seam side down on the baking dish.
6. Bake
-Repeat with the remaining chard and filling. Spread the remaining sauce over each roll and sprinkle lightly with more grated Parmigiano cheese.
-Cover tightly and bake for 45 minutes, uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
-For non-vegetarian version, substitute 425 grams ground meat of your choice for the lentils.
-In place of canned diced tomatoes, other options include canned whole plum tomatoes or tomato passata (tomato purée).
-Replace the carrot with a red pepper.
-For a cheesier dish, add shredded mozzarella over the rolls before baking.
-Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
-Freeze unbaked swiss chard rolls, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Place in the refrigerator overnight to defrost and bake as instructed.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more swiss chard recipes!
- Cheesy Swiss Chard and Potato Casserole
- Swiss Chard and Potato Bignolati
- Swiss Chard with Potatoes and Tomatoes
- Swiss Chard and White Bean Pasta
- Swiss Chard Fritters
- Swiss Chard Filled Pizza
- Swiss Chard and White Bean Stew
Lentil and Rice Stuffed Swiss Chard Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 swiss chard leaves 2 bunches
- 1 ½ cups cooked brown or green lentils ⅔ cup raw
- 5 tbsp. olive oil divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ½ cups canned diced tomatoes
- handful basil leaves
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- ⅔ cup long grain white rice
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. grated Parmigiano cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the lentils
- Place the lentils in a medium sized sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 18 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
- Drain and set aside.
For the tomato sauce
- Heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a small sauce pan. Add 1 clove minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the diced tomatoes, salt (to taste) and basil.
- Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, while you prepare the filling ingredients.
Blanch the swiss chard leaves
- Rinse the swiss chard well.
- Use a sharp knife to remove the stems. Reserve half for the filling (chopped) and use the remaining ones for another use such as soup or compost them.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the chard leaves, 3 or 4 at a time, for about 30 seconds.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a tea towel covered baking sheet.
Prepare the filling
- Heat 3 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped chard stems; onion; carrot and a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 1 clove minced garlic; rice; lentils; ¼ cup of the tomato sauce and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and add salt and pepper, as needed.
- Let cool slightly before stirring in freshly chopped parsley and ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese.
Fill the swiss chard leaves
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Place 3-4 tbsp. filling (depending on the size of the chard leaf) on the lower third of a swiss chard leaf.
- Fold the sides and bottom over the filling and tightly roll the chard leaf to form a little bundle. Place seam side down on the prepared baking dish.
- Continue with the remaining chard and filling. Top the rolls with the remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle the top with the remaining grated Parmigiano.
- Wrap tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. Serve hot.
Notes
-In place of canned diced tomatoes, other options include canned whole plum tomatoes or tomato passata (tomato purée).
-Replace the carrot with a red pepper.
-For a cheesier dish, add shredded mozzarella over the rolls before baking. Storage -Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. To Freeze -Freeze unbaked swiss chard rolls, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Place in the refrigerator overnight to defrost and bake as instructed.
Nadia Fazio
I enjoyed this vegetarian filling and the use of chard leaves instead of cabbage for this dish, in fact I think my family preferred the chard to traditional cabbage leaves! If you have an abundance of chard in your garden, do try this!