Food Recipes Side Dishes Vegetable Side Dishes Braise Spinach With a Surprising No-Waste Trick Be the first to rate & review! The tender, silky greens are balanced by a pop of crunchy, bright pickled chard stems. By Jasmine Smith Jasmine Smith Jasmine Smith is a recipe developer and tester at Dotdash Meredith Corporation. In addition to her work in test kitchens, Jasmine is a freelance culinary producer for a variety of food festivals. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 23, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 45 mins Yield: 8 servings Swiss chard and spinach are wilted together with coconut milk in this tender, silky riff on callaloo, a stewed vegetable dish popular in the Caribbean. Inspired by 2020 F&W Best New Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph’s version at Canje, F&W Test Kitchen recipe developer Jasmine Smith tops bowls with pickled chard stems to add a crunchy texture and pop of acidity. A few surprise spices give these braised greens lots of depth and intrigue. Yellow mustard seeds and red pepper flakes provide heat, ground cumin lends earthiness, and just a pinch or two of ground allspice rounds the dish out with its warmth. Frequently asked questions What is callaloo? Callaloo is both the name of a vegetable and dish that originates in the Caribbean. The vegetable is a leafy green that is most commonly braised with aromatics and served as a side dish, also called callaloo. What to serve with these braised spinach? Like so many vegetable side dishes, these greens are versatile. Serve them with cornbread, roti, over rice, or with Jamaican jerk chicken. Can this recipe be made ahead of time? While the braised spinach is best made and enjoyed fresh, the pickled chard stems can be prepared ahead of time and stored in their liquid in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Callaloo is usually cooked on the stovetop for a very long time to break down the callaloo leaves, which concurrently thickens the brothy mixture. Since callaloo is not being used here, we cook the greens for less time but still get the contrast in texture from the combination of Swiss chard and spinach, which mimics the texture of callaloo. The coconut milk gives the braise silky thickness. Ingredients 2 medium bunches green Swiss chard (about 10 ounces each), rinsed 1 cup water 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1 (13.6-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 1 (10-ounce) package baby spinach, roughly chopped Directions Remove stems from Swiss chard leaves; reserve stems. Halve leaves lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch strips (about 8 cups); set aside. Cut stems into 1- x 1/4-inch sticks; set aside. Bring 1 cup water, vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mustard seeds are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add reserved Swiss chard stems, and return to a boil; remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add reserved Swiss chard leaves; cook, stirring often, until bright green and liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, cumin, and allspice; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add coconut milk and remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until coconut milk thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Gradually stir in spinach until just wilted. Remove from heat, and serve with pickled Swiss chard stem mixture. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, November 2023 Rate It Print