MOROCCAN COOKS USUALLY MAKE this tasty salad with Swiss chard, but I have seen it also with beet leaves. Eaten all year round, it is prepared by Moroccans on Rosh Hashanah for their Sephardic Seder, when they say a series of blessings over squash, leeks, dates, pomegranates, black-eyed peas, apples, the head of a fish or a lamb, and Swiss chard and beet greens.
Ingredients
4 to 6 Servings
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Toss in the garlic, sautéing until just fragrant, then add the chard and cook for a few minutes. Sprinkle on a little salt, the paprika, cumin, andharissa, and cook for another minute, stirring. Pour the vinegar or lemon juice into the pan, and cook for another minute, or until it has begun to evaporate. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
*Harissa, a North African hot sauce, is available at Middle Eastern markets and specialty foods stores, and from pereg-spices.com. For a quick homemadeharissa, mix 1/4 cup sambal oelek or other hot chili paste, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon ground coriander in a small bowl to blend. The harissa keeps for at least a week covered and chilled.
How would you rate Moroccan Beet Leaf or Swiss Chard Salad _(Salade de Blettes)_?
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Reviews (9)
Back to TopVery delicious and easy. I added more garlic and spices, and used red pepper because I didn't have harissa. I also added a couple of chopped carrots, and they added a nice contract of flavor and color. Try to use fresh lemon, it makes it.
catstory59
Boston MA
3/1/2019
我正在寻找一个快速和简单的方法来使用the 4 leaves of multicolored swiss chard I got from my weekly organic veggie basket ration (they are usually a variety of items in often very small quantities...). When I found this recipe also gave me the opportunity to use up the leaves of the beet from said veggie ration, I had to make it. The resulting amount was far from a pound, so I also added in my leftover celery leaves, few leaves of spinach, broccoli leaves, and mizuna stems. All told, it added up to about three-quarters of a pound. I used 1/4 cup avocado oil, 1 huge clove of garlic (my last--said garlic had 4 hugs cloves), and about 1/8 cup "Kalamata" red wine vinegar. I used the spices in the original quantities. The resulting dish was vibrant with colour, and pretty tasty, if a bit too spicy (I hate harissa; I bought it once to try and I find it bitter, but I want to use it up. The greens are strong enough to compensate for the harissa in the recipe, so it ended up OK). I don't consider this a salad though... more like "cooked greens".
BlueMona
Montreal
9/29/2012
I made this recipe using the "shermola" suggestions made by shirlette and used red pepper flakes rather than harissa and it turned out delicious. I will make this again.
island_kate
11/7/2011
The dressing for this recipe is typically called 'shermola' and is used in a wide variety of salads and dishes. The basic sauce is made by lightly sauteeing garlic (appx 4 cloves, pressed) in 3-4 Tbsp. oil.When it begins to emit a sizzle, add 1 tsp each salt, paprika & cumin. Swirl in pan to mix, turn off flame and immediately add a splash of [plain salad] vinegar. If being used over vegetables, pour warm over veggies. Usually served cold/room temp.
shirlette
JM
9/24/2011
Sorry, this was a big disappointment. I am familiar with North African cuisine and this does not live up to its delights. I agree with the reviewer who said that adding the spices with the garlic (and probably in smaller amounts)could perhaps help the result be more pleasing.. Do not use white vinegar. Fresh squeezed lemon juice is always preferable in that cuisine. I will probably try again with the changes I and others suggest.
RosieGreen
Connecticut
9/18/2010
This was the worst swiss chard recipe I've ever tasted! I totally love swiss chard, and this was truly horrid. It might have been passable if the spices had been added to the oil/garlic, but sprinkled over the top, they clumped up and made huge spicy parts, and bitter, plain parts.
Anonymous
Midwest
9/16/2010
Made this for Rosh Hashanah this year. Very quick, easy and tasty. Agree that harissa is unnecessary. A pinch of cayenne will provide plenty of punch, and the acidity of the lemon juice is a nice contrast to the sweetness of the apples in the suggested chicken dish.
lrsack
Brooklyn, NY
9/10/2010
I've been making this traditional sefardic side dishfor years, from my mother's kitchen. It's fantastic - you can substitute cayenne or red pepper flakes for harissa if you dont' have it (we never did).
marbrill
brooklyn
9/8/2010
I'm always looking for a new way to cook chard. I made this alongside a Middle Eastern meal and I liked it but definitely would tweak a few things. I'd probably halve the paprika. That gave it the unique taste of this dish which I appreciated but it was just too overwhelming. I also did not have Harissa on hand and just put a few of the mentioned components in the dish instead of making a separate harissa sauce.
Anonymous
Nyack, NY
9/7/2010
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