Pickled Swiss Chard Stems are crunchy, tangy, and delicious on almost anything! They're an easy way to use extra chard stems—no waste, all flavor.
Swiss Chard leaves usually get all the attention—whether it’s Lemon Swiss Chard Pasta, Swiss Chard Salad or Crispy Chard Chips. But the stems? They deserve some love too. I finally found an easy, no-waste recipe to make them shine. With just a few pantry staples, they pickle up beautifully—and now I'm obsessed!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Fast: This no-cook recipe takes less than 5 minutes to toss together.
- Simple ingredients: Just Swiss Chard stems and a few pantry staples for this recipe.
- Zero waste win: You can finally stop tossing your chard stems! Instead, transform them into a zesty garnish that'll brighten up your weekday meals.
- Versatile: Crunchy, bright, and tangy—perfect on tacos, sandwiches and burgers, salads, and colorful veggie bowls.
- Make ahead magic: You can eat these quick pickled chard stems in as little as 15 minutes. But they get even better with time. Make once and enjoy all week!
Ingredients (and substitutes)
You only need 5 ingredients to make Quick Pickled Chard Swiss Stems—plus water. Here are the recipe ingredients:
- Swiss Chard Stems: The colour will vary depending on the chard stems you use. Here I used Rhubarb Chard which has beautiful bright red stems, but white stems work too.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Gives a pretty pink colour. You can substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Salt: Adds flavor and helps soften quick pickles—so don't skip it! Use fine sea salt or kosher salt.
- Sugar: Helps balance the acidity from the vinegar. Use granulated or cane sugar.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Want more delicious no waste vegetable recipes? Try Air Fryer Broccoli Fries, Shishito Peppers, or Cilantro Yogurt Sauce.
How to make Pickled Swiss Chard Stems
This no-cook recipe couldn't be easier to make! It takes just 5 minutes to assemble everything in a jar.
Here's how to these delicious Pickled Chard Stems:
1. Mix the quick pickling brine in a jar.
2. Add chopped Swiss Chard Stems.
3. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. (They'll get softer and more flavorful the longer you let them marinate).
4. Drain and scatter pickled chard stems over tacos, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, bowls, and so much more!
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- Use the right jar: Stick to heatproof containers like Mason jars or Pyrex. To play it safe, warm the glass before pouring in boiling water. A quick rinse under hot tap water gently warms the glass to prevent cracking from thermal shock.
- Slicing: The thinner you slice the chard stems, the faster they’ll soften in the brine. But for longer fridge life, aim for slightly thicker pieces—because they better hold their texture and stay crisp longer.
- Stems should be submerged: After packing the stems into the jar, ensure they’re all covered with the liquid brine. If not, top up with equal parts vinegar and water.
- Best within 2 weeks: Quick pickling is a short-term preservation technique. It's not the same as canning! Store in the fridge and eat within 2 weeks (source). Always use a clean utensil when serving them—because introducing crumbs or bacteria can shorten their shelf life.
How to use
Wondering how to use these pretty Quick Pickled Swiss Chard Stems? Well, the good news is they go with pretty much everything! Here are some of my favorite ways to use them:
- Salads: Scatter them in this popular Halloumi Couscous Salad, a meal-prep friendly Black Lentil and Feta Salad or a simple leafy green salad.
- Tacos: The perfect pickled topping for Mushroom Tacos, Crispy Avocado Tacos or Crispy Squash Tacos.
- Burgers: A great swap for pickled red onions in Chipotle Black Bean Burgers.
- Wraps: Adds tang to Halloumi Wraps with Hot Honey and Vegan Shawarma.
- Bowls: A colorful garnish for Greek Veggie Feta Bowls or Pesto Grain Bowls.
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Recipe FAQs
No pre-cooking required. The stems go in raw. The brine softens them just enough, while preserving their crunch and color.
Warming the heat-safe jar with hot tap water helps prevent "thermal shock". When glass experiences extreme temperature changes, it can crack. For a small volume of hot liquid like this, it's unlikely to happen. But this simple step adds an extra layer of caution—especially if you're reusing older jars.
They're best eaten within 1 to 2 weeks. Exact timing depends on how thick/thin you sliced the chard stems, because they keep softening over time. Remember that quick pickling is a short term preservation technique, unlike canning.
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📖 Recipe
Quick Pickled Swiss Chard Stems
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar (or cane sugar)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (see note 1)
- ⅓ cup hot water (see note 2)
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 cup sliced Swiss Chard stems (about ¼-inch/0.6 cm thick, see note 3)
Instructions
- Make brine: Add 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to a medium heatproof jar or container (see note 4). Pour in ⅓ cup hot water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour in ⅓ cup red wine vinegar and stir.
- Combine: Submerge 1 cup sliced Swiss Chard stems in the brine. Cover and let sit on the counter to cool (about 15 minutes). Use immediately or store in the fridge (see note 5).
Notes
- Salt: Fine sea salt, fine kosher salt, or pickling salt all work.
- Hot water: Boil water in a kettle (or heat on the stove).
- Swiss Chard stems: I like use red chard stems for a pretty pink colour. But you could substitute white Chard stems (just know the color will look different than the photos). This recipe uses just the stems; use leftover leaves to make Baked Swiss Chard Chips, Lemon Swiss Chard Pasta, or Red Lentil Soup.
- Container: Use a heatproof container (like a mason jar or Pyrex or similar). I like to temper the glass—by running it under hot water—before adding ingredients. This helps to gently warm the glass and prevent "thermal shock", which can cause cracking (unlikely but can happen).
- Storage: Quick Pickled Chard Stems can be enjoyed in as little as 15 minutes. They'll soften and absorb more flavor the longer they sit. Keep refrigerated. Use within 2 weeks.
- Nutrition facts are a rough estimate. It's based on eating all the recipe ingredients. But, you won't actually consume much of the brine (which contains the salt, sugar, vinegar).
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