Spiced Swiss Chard with Butter Beans and Couscous Recipe

Serves

Ingredients

For the chard

a large bunch of Swiss chard
50ml olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4tsp cumin seeds
2tsp ground coriander
large pinch of saffron strands
4tsp ground cumin
2tsp sweet paprika
2tsp smoked paprika
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
100ml vegetable stock
sea salt and pepper
1 x 400g tin butter or cannellini beans, drained
a small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
a small bunch of mint, roughly chopped

For the couscous

350g instant couscous
80g golden raisins
50g butter, diced
350ml boiling water
30g pine nuts, toasted
8tbsp natural Greek yogurt, to serve

Method

Prepare the chard by cutting the stalks from the leaves, then wash it in several changes of water. Cut the stalks in half lengthways, then slice each into 4cm diagonals. Shred the leaves roughly and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan (with fitted lid). Add the onions and garlic and sauté until golden. Add the spices and chilli and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the chard stalks, lemon juice, stock and seasoning. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chard leaves and beans to the pan and stir. Cover and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, adjust seasoning and stir through the coriander and mint.

For the couscous, pre-soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes until plump, then drain. Place the couscous, raisins and butter in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pour over boiling water. Cover with cling film and leave for 3–4 minutes to steam. Remove the film and ‘fluff’ with a fork to loosen the couscous grains, then stir through the pine nuts.

Serve warm with slow-roasted tomatoes, yoghurt and a wedge of griddled bread. Also great with red lentil dhal

Recipe taken from The Modern Vegetarian by Maria Elia, published by Kyle Books. Photography by Jonathan Gregson.

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