This recipe was inspired after a chat with my mother in law, who had recently been treated to a homemade dinner by a friend who made “cabbage rolls” using beet greens instead of cabbage. She said they were delicious! Knowing that I had some Swiss chard in my fridge that was on its last legs, I decided to try making some gluten, dairy and egg-free Swiss chard rolls this weekend!
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This recipe was inspired after a chat with my mother in law, who had recently been treated to a homemade dinner by a friend who made “cabbage rolls” using beet greens instead of cabbage. She said they were delicious! Knowing that I had some Swiss chard in my fridge that was on its last legs, I decided to try making some gluten, dairy and egg-free Swiss chard rolls this weekend!
The result was delicious and I think you’ll also love these tasty little rolls! I used green chard for this recipe, but red or rainbow chard would also be suitable. Swiss chard is a fabulous source of vitamins A and K and also provides minerals like iron and magnesium.
How to make Swiss Chard Rolls:
To make rolling easier you will need to trim down the vein on the back of the Swiss chard leaves.
Trim off the part of the stem that extends beyond the leaf using a sharp knife.
To soften the leaves, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes.
Prepare the stuffing for the Swiss chard rolls as described in the recipe below. The ground turkey does not need to be cooked prior to stuffing the rolls, as it will cook in the oven. I use flax seeds and water to bind the stuffing in this recipe but if preferred you can use 2 eggs instead. If you prefer a grain-free option you can replace the rice with cooked quinoa or simply use an additional 1-cup of ground turkey.
To create a perfect roll, place the turkey and rice stuffing at the base of the leaf and fold the sides inward as you roll forward.
Place the rolls into a large baking dish and cover with tomato sauce before baking.
Voila! Enjoy your delicious Swiss chard rolls on their own, with a side salad, on rice or quinoa or as a side to a larger meal. They keep well as leftovers and pack well the next day to enjoy as a simple lunch!
If you enjoy this recipe please share the love! You can click on the stars to leave a rating in the recipe card below.
Enjoy!
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Servings: 10 - 12 Rolls
- 1 bunch of green chard (10 leaves)
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion, minced (approximately 1 medium onion)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup cooked brown or wild rice
- Flax egg replacement (2 tbsp ground flax mixed with 6 tbsp warm water)
- 1 2/3 cups of organic tomato sauce (398ml can or jar)
- 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp basil
- 2 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp Herbamare or sea salt
- Cook rice according to package instructions to yield 1 cup of cooked rice.
- Prepare the “flax egg replacement” by combining 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds with 6 tbsp of warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes to let it thicken.
- Prepare the green chard by using a paring knife to trim the central vein on each of the leaves (see photo above). Fully remove the stem that extends beyond the leaves. Soak the leaves in warm water for 20 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients, which will make the leaves easier to roll.
- In a small skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat and cook the garlic and onion for 2-3 minutes.
- While the onion and garlic is cooking, combine the ground turkey, rice and flax egg replacement in a medium sized bowl. Add the cooked garlic and onions, 1 tsp of oregano and basil, 1 tsp of pepper and ½ tsp of Herbamare. Add the additional 1 tsp of oregano and basil and ½ tsp of pepper to the tomato sauce.
- Remove the swiss chard leaves from the water and shake off the excess (leaves do not need to be fully dried). One at a time you will lay a leaf flat on the cutting board and add approximately 1/3 cup of the turkey/rice mixture to the base of the leaf. Roll the leaf while tucking the edges in to close the roll (see photos above).
- Spread ¼ cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Place the swiss chard rolls side by side into the baking dish and cover with the rest of the tomato sauce. If you have leftover turkey/rice mixture this can be “sprinkled” in on top of the rolls prior to topping them with the tomato sauce.
- Cover with a lid or with tinfoil and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes. Remove the lid or foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered.
- Serve rolls on their own, on top of rice or quinoa, with a side salad or as a side to a larger meal.
- Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Nut-Free
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Comments 11
It’s funny cause I think people believe that just cause we’re food bloggers means that we have all of the time in the world to cook dinner. I find myself scrambling every single night! These recipes are awesome and will be a total life-saver!
Hello! I was wondering if 2 rolls would be the serving size? And what is the nutritional information per roll?
Author
Hi Linda! 2-3 rolls would be a fairly typical serving, although this will depend on appetite and whether you are serving anything else with your meal. Personally, I would likely eat around 2-4 of the rolls if they were served on their own. I don’t calculate the calories and nutritional details my recipes, but a tool like “My Fitness Pal” might help you in that regard.
mmmmm! I love this idea. When I make cabbage rolls, I don’t use a whole head of cabbage and sometimes the rest goes to waste…if I used Swiss chard, I would only have to buy the amount needed for the recipe. Plus, they are a pretty green colour!
Author
Totally! It’s the perfect amount of greens to make just the right number of rolls! And they’re soooo tasty!
I haven’t used Swiss Chard much, so this would be a good time to try it. I also like the idea of rolling these in beet greens! Pinned!
Author
Thanks for pinning Cathy! I still need to try this recipe using beet greens too…I’m thinking that this summer once my garden is in bloom will be when it happens!
I was just thinking that it was time for cabbage rolls but I love the idea of using swiss chard instead!
Author
It’s a great twist on the classic recipe! I hope you enjoy it Carole!
I love swiss chard, putting this on my “to make” pinterest board.
Author
I love it too! I hope you enjoy them Ayngelina!