How beautiful does this rainbow chard look? I’m in love with these bright yellow, red, orange and purple stalks in a bunch. The first time I used it was when mum and I were flying over to America for holiday. Since I don’t like any food from the plane, I packed raw chard wraps with some rice, veggies and chicken inside. She was surprised how it tasted so yummy and what a great idea of eating more greens in your diet. Because chard leaves are quite large and flat, it is perfect to make raw vegan wraps. They are also a great addition to your soup, stir-fry and salads.
Nutritionally, rainbow chard has an excellent source of dietary fibre, vitamin A and K, iron and phytochemicals. You can increase the amount of iron you absorb from rainbow chard by combining it with a rich source of vitamin C such as tomatoes, carrots and oranges. Chard is also a rich source of polyphenols, antioxidant compounds that may help lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and degenerative neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.
8 rainbow chard leaves, washed and trimmed
100g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1/2 tsp minced garlic
zest and juice from one lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup button mushrooms
2 tbsp coconut amino sauce or tamari
To make hummus, cook chickpeas in a boiling water for 20-30 minutes or until soft. Drain and put in your food processor along with garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add a bit of water if too thick. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Marinade thinly sliced mushrooms in coconut amino sauce for 10-20 minutes. In the mean time, wash and trim the rainbow chard leaves. Remove tough stems by cutting reverse V-shape in the middle. To assemble, place the rainbow chard leave inside facing up, put a tablespoon of hummus, a couple of mushrooms and alfalfa sprouts on top. Tuck each side in and roll up to make a wrap. Repeat with the rest of the leaves.