This Apple Walnut Rainbow Swiss Chard Salad Recipe features sweet crisp apples, crunchy toasted walnuts, and colorful rainbow Swiss chard dressed with a honey apple vinaigrette.
I swear, if you hop backwards 11 times facing the sunset every Sunday, you won’t be sick all week!, a friend told me. Hmm…I guess I can see how that would work, I replied with a smile on my face. (Not so much, really, but who am I to judge?)
Anyway, I also have my own ideas on how to avoid colds and flus during cold and flu season. I try not to skip workouts (because they clean out my lungs), I religiously take a vitamin C pill every day, and I drink plenty of water.
I’ve heard at least 100 different remedies for either preventing or curing sickness, some sillier than others, but most likely very few (if any) of which are effective (of course other than the placebo effect). But something that most of us can probably agree on is the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables; in particular, eating the rainbow.
Raise your hand if you remember the last time you had Swiss chard. No worries, me neither, at least until I made this salad!
Rainbow Swiss Chard Salad Recipe
This Apple Walnut Rainbow Swiss Chard Salad is really easy to make and comes together quickly. Despite using just a few simple ingredients, it packs a serious punch of flavor, not to mention nutrition.
Take that, cold and flu season!
Can Swiss Chard be Eaten Raw?
Yes! You can eat Swiss chard raw or cooked. Note that when you cook Swiss chard, it will cook down a lot the same way that other greens will, such as kale and spinach.
Do You Eat Swiss Chard Stems?
Yes! Swiss chard stems are fully edible. Note that if you’re cooking Swiss chard, the stems take a little bit longer to cook than the leaves.
What Does Swiss Chard Taste Like?
I find that the leaves taste similar to beet greens and the stems taste similar to bok choy stems. The greens can have a touch of bitterness, but not in an unpleasant way.
Is Swiss Chard Keto-Friendly?
Yes, Swiss chard is a great keto-friendly vegetable!
Swiss Chard Nutrition Information
According to the USDA Food Database, 1 cup (36g) of raw Swiss chard has the following nutrition information:
- 6.84 kcals
- .65g protein
- 0.7g fat
- 1.35g carbohydrates
- .58g fiber
- .77g net carbs
More Healthy Leafy Green Salad Recipes to Try:
- Kale Salad with Red Pear and Candied Almonds
- Winter Salad in a Jar
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
- Easy Green Salad
- Harvest Kale Salad with Roasted Acorn Squash, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Apple Cinnamon Vinaigrette
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Apple Walnut Rainbow Swiss Chard Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
- 4 cups Swiss chard thinly sliced
- 2 medium apples washed, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 large rib celery thinly sliced
- 1/2 small onion thinly sliced (or 4 scallions, thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl.
- Toss in all salad ingredients except the walnuts.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, sprinkle the walnuts on top, and serve.
Helpful Tips
- Net Carbs: 10g per serving
- Low Carb Version: Omit the honey in the dressing and use 5 drops liquid stevia instead.
- Make this salad your own by changing out the greens and the fruit for whatever you like. For example, kale + pear is another favorite of mine.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on February 12, 2014. I updated it with more information on February 5, 2020.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Had a lovely bunch of chard from a local farm stand. Recently made a cooked chard salad from another site, and wanted to try one that used raw chard, and google brought me to you. The only departure I made from this recipe was to use a small shallot instead of onion, since my bag of organic onions had gone all moldy in their basket. This salad was delicious! Next time I make it, I might massage the chard with the dressing, as one does with kale, to make the greens a little more tender if I plan to serve it immediately. Interestingly, by the second day, the texture was better (probably the benefit of sitting in the vinegar dressing) and the apples hadn’t discolored (yay vinegar). So this definitely could be made ahead (although I would add the walnuts just before serving). Now, off to explore your other recipes!
Have you ever added blue cheese chunks or feta? It looks amazing. I’m going to try it. Lots of chard in the garden.
This was absolutely AMAZING – the mix of flavors and the dressing. Honestly one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for brightening my day!!!
Sara, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your kind words – you totally made my day!!
Love all the healthy ingredients in this salad Faith – great way to keep that flu from coming around!
Haha I actually think I eat chard at least once a week! Sometimes I have kale or collards in it’s place, but I think those are fair substitutes. I’ve never seen a raw chard salad before…definitely excited about this!
I love salads this time of year (summer) and I’m happy to eat a salad every single day as a main meal. This looks lovely.
I haven’t had swiss chard since the garden was closed. I agree a health diet is the best cure for a cold. I have made it until feb feeling fine, and now today I sense a bit of a cold coming on. Salad looks delicious, and I am very interested to try the honey/apple cider vinegar dressing. I would love to incorporate more apple cider vinegar into our diets.
Beautiful salad, I love all the textures and crunchy toppers!
This is such a fabulous salad friend!! So much awesomeness!
YUMMMM! What a great combo of flavors. Love the crunch from the walnuts. Kay is sick…I should probably eat this ;)
A mouthwatering salad! Full of wonderful textures and flavors.
Cheers,
Rosa