This Swiss chard gratin is fragrant with garlic and ginger, with a creamy texture and crispy breadcrumb topping. The dish has converted many chard-phobics (i.e. those who are suspicious of Swiss chard) into chard-LOVERS (even my kids love this gratin)! It's soul-satisfying yet healthy, and since it's naturally vegan and gluten-free, it will please all the eaters at your table.
Easy Swiss chard gratin recipe
Best of all, it's the easiest gratin you'll ever assemble! Instead of fussing with a béchamel sauce, this recipe uses thickened coconut milk instead.
Vegan Swiss chard gratin
Coconut milk is reduced with garlic and ginger and is thickened with cornstarch to make a luxuriously creamy sauce. The garlic and ginger infuse the sauce and give this gratin an incredible flavor. A touch of lime juice brightens everything up. It's a vegan gratin, but nobody will know it.
Gluten free gratin
You can easily make this gratin gluten free by using gluten free panko breadcrumbs.
Vegan Swiss chard recipe
The gratin is baked until bubbly for a stunning side dish that's perfect for special occasions (ahem, Thanksgiving, I see you!) and weeknights. I've even been known to eat it straight out of the baking dish with a spoon for lunch.
Can you make the gratin ahead?
Yes! The gratin can be assembled up to one day in advance without the breadcrumbs. Bring it to room temperature and add the breadcrumbs before baking.
How to make a chard gratin:
- Blanch two chopped bunches of Swiss chard in a large pot of boiling water until they're wilted and tender.
- Drain the chard and rinse it in cold water. Using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Finely chop the chard.
- Make a coconut cream sauce by reducing full-fat coconut milk with grated garlic and ginger. Thicken the sauce with cornstarch.
- Stir the chard into the creamy sauce and squeeze in fresh lime juice (which will brighten all the flavors). Spread the mixture into a greased baking dish.
- Mix panko breadcrumbs with olive oil, then sprinkle them over the top of the gratin.
- Bake the gratin until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown and crisp.
FAQ
You can use any Swiss chard variety in this gratin, such as green chard and/or rainbow chard. Take note that red chard (which has red stems) will darken the cream sauce slightly (but it will still taste delicious!).
Yes! Swiss chard stems are much more tender than other leafy green stems and can be cooked right along with the leaves. They give this gratin a lovely texture.
You can use Swiss chard in stir-fries, pastas, soups, frittatas and even tacos. I love to sauté it with olive oil and garlic and serve it alongside this red lentil dal or these juicy grilled pork chops.
Tips for making this healthy gratin:
- The gratin is bound with coconut milk, which gets thickened using cornstarch. Cornstarch should never be whisked directly into hot liquid, as it will clump up. Instead, whisk the cornstarch into some reserved room temperature coconut milk (this is called making a slurry), then slowly add the slurry to the simmering coconut milk mixture.
- Use full-fat coconut milk in this recipe (not light), which will provide the best texture.
- It will seem like a lot of Swiss chard, but it cooks down considerably once boiled (by the way, the stems are completely edible, so add them!). It's important to squeeze the liquid out of the Swiss chard before adding it to the thickened coconut milk to prevent the gratin from turning watery. I simply ball it up in my hands and squeeze it over the sink.
- The ginger and garlic are a great match for the hardy greens, and they infuse the gratin with a wonderful aroma. A microplane is your best tool for grating them into the coconut milk.
- A touch of lime juice at the end brightens up all the flavors. I couldn't live without my lemon/lime squeezer!
- You will need a 1-quart gratin or baking dish (or you could use individual-sized ramekins or dishes). I love this Le Creuset dish, which I use for all kinds of vegetable dishes. While the gratin is fairly small, it's rich enough to feed six.
- You can use regular or gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (which are now widely available) for the topping.
More side dishes for Thanksgiving and the holidays:
- Sweet Potato Souffle
- Foolproof Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Squash Salad
- Maple Dijon Roasted Delicata Squash
- Quinoa & Apple Stuffed Honeynut Squashes
- Gluten Free Recipes for Thanksgiving
Don't for get dessert!
- Crustless Pumpkin Pie Custards
- Pumpkin Pound Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Glaze
- Cinnamon Vanilla Apple Galette
- Pear and Ginger Crumble
- Easy Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Get the recipe!
Swiss Chard Gratin (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (not lowfat), stirred
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- Sea salt
- 2 bunches (1.5-2 pounds) Swiss chard, leaves and stems coarsely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ lime
- ⅓ cup regular or gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- In the meantime, put 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk in a small bowl and add the cornstarch. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. Pour the rest of the coconut milk into a medium saucepan. Add the grated garlic and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Give the cornstarch coconut mixture another stir, then whisk it into the simmering coconut milk. Bring back to a simmer and cook, whisking, 2-4 minutes, or until thick and rich. Season with sea salt.
- Once the water reaches a boil, season it generously with salt. Add the Swiss chard and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Using your hands, squeeze the water out of the chard. Finely chop the chard and add it to the coconut milk. Stir to combine. Squeeze in the juice from a quarter of a lime, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 1-quart gratin or baking dish. (See the do-ahead tip in the notes below.)
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and olive oil and toss with your fingers until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top of the gratin.
- Bake 12-15 minutes, or until bubbling and light golden on top. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use full-fat coconut milk in this recipe (not light), which will provide the best texture.
- It will seem like a lot of Swiss chard, but it cooks down considerably once boiled (by the way, the stems are completely edible, so add them!). It's important to squeeze the liquid out of the Swiss chard before adding it to the thickened coconut milk to prevent the gratin from turning watery. I simply ball it up in my hands and squeeze it over the sink.
- The ginger and garlic are a great match for the hardy greens, and they infuse the gratin with a wonderful aroma. A microplane is your best tool for grating them into the coconut milk.
- A touch of lime juice at the end brightens up all the flavors. I couldn't live without my lemon/lime squeezer!
- You will need a 1-quart gratin or baking dish (or you could use individual-sized ramekins or dishes). I love this Le Creuset dish, which I use for all kinds of vegetable dishes. While the gratin is fairly small, it's rich enough to feed six.
- You can use regular or gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (which are now widely available) for the topping.
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Terri Densmore says
After watching the documentary, "What The Health", this is a great recipe as a follow up to the movie! Thanks!
Jill Reinstadler says
I have home grown chard. How much is in “2 bunches “?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Jill, one bunch of Swiss chard is about 1 pound. This recipe is very forgiving, however, so if you don't have a scale just go ahead and eyeball it. We also have chard in our garden that needs harvesting! I hope you like the gratin!
Jill reinstadler says
Thanks! I’ll be fixing it tonight as I have a lot of chard!
Jill reinstadler says
This turned out great! I used coconut cream because that's what I had chopped Dried Ginger, chopped garlic because that's what I had. Next time I'll use fresh because I bet it's even better but it was a hit with all of my even non vegan friends
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Nicole says
I only have 1 bunch of chard to use. What Other veggie could I use to make up difference? Asparagus or spinach?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Nicole,
While I haven't tested it, you should be able to use spinach in this recipe. However, spinach shrinks down much more than Swiss chard when cooked, so I would use 10 ounces. Let me know if you give it a try!
Alice Watkyn says
Hi Nicole - I used Leeks. That worked fabulously. Lovely recipe - now a favourite for Sundays whenever chard comes in my veg box 🙂
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Alice, I'm so happy you like the recipe, and great tip about the leeks!
Mikela says
Absolutely delicious!!! It has a very Hawaiian taste, nice job!
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Mikela, thank you for your comment, and I'm so glad you liked the gratin!!
Deb says
I don't have coconut milk right now. Can I use soy milk?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Deb,
Unfortunately soy milk won't work in this recipe, as the coconut milk is integral to the flavor and texture.
Andreza Owens says
What would you eat this with?
Nicki Sizemore says
We love this gratin with grilled or roasted chicken, fish or steak. It's also awesome as a vegetarian dinner when paired with rice or quinoa and roasted or grilled veggies! I hope you enjoy. 🙂
Gail says
Absolutely delicious??
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so happy you enjoyed!
Brigitte says
I had a lot of Swiss chard in the garden , I used arrowroot instead of corn starch I just heated it up 5 minutes after I added 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and set aside . I chopped an whole onion 6 cloves of garlic a whole stem of fresh rosemary and 7 leaves of sage all chopped up . I sautéed the onions and all the stems for 5 minutes , I added all the herbs and garlic salt pepper to taste Took it off the stove and I added all the coarsely chopped leaves mixed and set aside . I made it ahead of time , When I was ready I added the milk mixture stir tasted topped with panko breadcrumbs..baked 375f 30 minutes my oven isn’t very hot but if your is 20 minutes until bubbly !!!! It was out of this world ..I think if you like Greek spinach pie it would be a good substation without phyllo dough . You would do spinach , mint , parsley vegan feta ..this recipe is so versatile Thank you for a great recipe that we can tweak to our taste . Spinach with .mushrooms would be good Too .
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Brigitte, thank you for sharing! I love how you made this recipe your own!
Anna says
This recipe is perfect for those of us with way too much beautiful chard in the garden. I added ~ 2 cups of steamed, lightly mashed potatoes (not peeled). Since I added volume, I also increased the amount of ginger and garlic. Viola! Chard & Potato Gratin! It was delicious ?
Nicki Sizemore says
What a wonderful idea to add the potatoes! Thank you so much for sharing!
Carissa says
Delicious! I only had light coconut milk so I used a little extra cornstarch, and a lemon instead of lime because that's what I had. Thank you.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Carissa, I'm so happy you enjoyed!
Anita Ringer says
This was scrumptious! I didn't follow directions, but that just shows what a great recipe it is when you can change things up and it is still wonderful! I was using mine as a topping on a brown rice bowl, along with some other things, so I sauteed the chopped chard with garlic in water and then added to the prepared coconut milk mixture with grated ginger. I didn't bake it or use panko...just added some on top of my "bowl" and spritzed fresh lime juice all around. Wow! I plan to make it again to use as filling (with sauteed mushrooms) in red lentil crepes! This was a fantastic use of my rainbow Swiss chard. Thank you so much for developing this recipe. I wish I could show you a pic.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Anita, I'm so glad you liked it, and I love how you used it as a topping on a grain bowl. That sounds delicious!! If you have photos you can always share them on Instagram (tag @fromscratchfast so that I can share!). 🥰
Brenda says
Do you think I could add zucchini and mushrooms?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Brenda, while I haven't tested this recipe with mushrooms and zucchini I've had several readers add vegetables (including mushrooms!) with positive results. Keep me posted!
Mariann says
We had just bought some Swiss chard from a local farm. I used your recipe as a stuffing for a spaghetti squash and added some beyond meat crumbles for added protein. It was so good and quite filling. Thank you for the inspiration. 😊
Nicki Sizemore says
What a fantastic idea to use it as a stuffing for squash! Sounds delicious.