Swiss Chard Rolls Recipe
These hearty and healthy Swiss Chard Rolls are packed with a flavorful filling made from ground veal, ground turkey, lentils, and aromatics, all simmered in marinara sauce. Wrapped in tender chard leaves and baked in a simple chili-spiced passata sauce, they’re a comforting, high-protein meal that’s naturally gluten-free and perfect for meal prep!
Servings: 10 rolls
Equipment
- Medium Mixing Bowl to prepare tomato sauce
- non-stick skillet to cook the meat and lentil filling
- Large Pot for blanching the Swiss chard leaves
- tongs to remove chard leaves from boiling water
- Baking Sheet 9 x 13 inch to bake the rolls
- Aluminum Foil to cover the dish while baking
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups passata or crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
For the Filling:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral cooking oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lb ground veal
- ½ lb ground turkey
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili powder or more if you like a little heat
- ¾ cup marinara sauce
- ¾ cup cooked lentils green or brown lentils work well
- 10 large Swiss chard leaves stems trimmed and leaves blanched
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- In a medium bowl, combine passata, water, salt, pepper, and chili powder.1 ½ cups passata , ½ cup water, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- Pour a small amount of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish to lightly coat the base. Set the remaining sauce aside for topping.
Prepare the Filling
- Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until softened, about 3–4 minutes.1 tablespoon avocado oil , 1 small onion, 2-3 cloves garlic
- Add ground veal and turkey, season with salt, pepper, and chili powder, and cook until almost cooked through, breaking it up as it cooks.½ lb ground veal, ½ lb ground turkey, ¾ teaspoon salt , ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Stir in marinara sauce and simmer for 2–3 minutes.¾ cup marinara sauce
- Remove from heat, stir in cooked lentils, and let the mixture cool slightly.¾ cup cooked lentils
Blanch the Swiss Chard
- While the filling is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Trim the thick stems from the Swiss chard leaves. Using tongs, gently submerge each leaf into the boiling water. Don’t overcrowd the pot (work in batches if needed).10 large Swiss chard leaves
- Blanch each leaf for 30–60 seconds, just until it becomes pliable, then transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water for about 10 seconds to stop the cooking. Remove and set aside.
- Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
Roll and Assemble
- Working one at a time, add about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the leaf. Fold the longer side of the leaf over the filling first, then tuck in the sides to close it in. Then roll it up toward the remaining edge. Place each roll seam-side down into the sauced baking dish as you go.
- Once all rolls are in the dish, pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top to cover.
Bake
- Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the rolls are heated through. Uncover for the last few minutes if you want the top to reduce a bit.
Notes
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- Don’t skip blanching the chard. It softens the leaves just enough to make rolling easy and prevents tearing.
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- If the bottom rib of the chard leaf is bulky, use a knife to shave it down slightly so the leaf folds easily without cracking.
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- Let the filling cool slightly before rolling. It makes handling easier and prevents the chard leaves from softening too much or tearing.
- The leaves are flexible and forgiving, so don’t worry about making them look perfect. Once baked, they’ll hold together beautifully under the sauce.
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- Don’t forget to pour the leftover hot tomato sauce over the rolls before serving, it’s the finishing touch that brings it all together!