Swiss Chard Wraps with Mediterranean Tuna Salad

These rainbow Swiss chard wraps with Mediterranean tuna salad filling have a hearty and flavorful filling tucked snugly in fresh, crunchy Swiss chard leaves. Equal parts tasty and healthy for the win.

The vibrant multicolored stalks of this rainbow Swiss chard caught my eye at a market recently.

We happened to walk by on our way to the park and I was stunned by all the fresh spring produce suddenly in the market stalls.

The first thing that caught my eye was the pale green of sweet fresh fava beans that I used to make Fresh Fava Beans in Tomato Sauce with Dill and Garlic.

I also picked up a bunch of dark Lacinato kale that I used to make Tuscan Kale Soup with Fennel Sausage and Potatoes, fat plums that went into Tomato Burrata Salad with Orange and Balsamic Roast Plum, and a bunch of glossy rainbow chard that I used to make the Swiss chard wraps you see here.

The filling is basically a Greek/Mediterranean salad with tuna, rice and chickpeas. It's super hearty and the Swiss chard leaves are a great vehicle for eating it- either pre-rolled into a wrap or served separate and eaten at the table naan-style.

Ingredients

These Swiss chard wraps are made with only simple whole food ingredients:

• Rainbow Swiss chard leaves: Swiss chard has a mild taste and soft, almost stretchy texture which is perfect for wrapping. I used a bunch of very fresh rainbow Swiss chard which gave me enough leaves for about 12 rolls, which I cut in half and served "standing" in a bowl. If you don't have Swiss chard you can substitute other leafy green of your choice.
• Tuna in oil (drained): Tuna in oil has a bit more flavor than tuna in water but you can also use tuna in water if that's your preference, just be sure to taste the filling and see if you think a bit of olive oil is necessary.
• Chickpeas: chickpeas add heartiness, bite and a bit of a creamy texture.
• Cooked basmati rice: This is a great way to use leftover basmati rice, which is a common occurrence in our household. If you don't have cooked rice laying around you'll need to make about a cup. Basmati is just what I had on hand but you can swap in short grain rice, jasmine, or even brown rice - it's flexible.
• Feta cheese: A nice briny feta cheese complements the other flavors here.
• Tomato: Fresh whole tomatoes cut into small pieces are a juicy and fresh element. You can also use cherry or grape tomatoes cut into halves.
• Cucumber: Finely diced cucumber for crunch and freshness.
• Red pepper: Red pepper diced finely adds sweetness, flavor and texture.
• Kalamata olives: Pitted Kalamata olives sliced into thin rings bring a pop of briny flavor.
• Red onion: Red onion is sweeter than other types and also less acidic which makes it idea for eating raw.
• Fresh dill: Fresh dill adds earthy sweetness.
• Seasoning (dried oregano, black pepper, salt): The seasoning is simple but just enough to add a bit of herbaceous depth, a touch of peppery spice, and enough salt to enhance the other flavors.

Equipment

No special equipment needed. A large bowl to mix the filling is helpful. You will also need a cutting board or other work surface to fill and roll the wraps.

Instructions

There are three basic steps: prepare the leaves, make the Mediterranean tuna salad filling and stuff the leaves.

Prepare the Swiss chard leaves

To prepare the Swiss chard leaves for stuffing, trim the fibrous stalks from the leaves as close to the leaf as you can. You can save the stalks for something else. For example you can wash them, finely dice and freeze them then add to your next vegetable soup or stew.

Make the Mediterranean tuna salad filling

Prepare all the vegetables for the filling. Wash and then finely dice the tomato, cucumber, red pepper, olives and red onion. Rinse the dill well and cut off the stems. You don't have to totally destem it, a rough cut of the stems is enough. Then finely chop the rest.

Once the vegetables are prepared then just rinse the canned chickpeas and drain the tuna. Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and it's ready.

If you want to pre-roll the wraps then lay them out on a flat surface, scoop in a few spoons of the filling and wrap then up burrito-style - first roll the leaf over the filling, then cover with the edges before you continue rolling it up.

The wrapping part takes a bit of manual skill but you will get the hang of it. It also helps to gently squish the leaves (or massage them) to soften up the fibers before you wrap. This will make for a tighter roll.

For a more detailed look at wrapping filling into leaves you can see my post on stuffed cabbage rolls where I included a lot of photos of different types of leaves and rolling methods.

Serving Suggestion

I pre-rolled all my filling into the Swiss chard leaves then cut each roll in half and stood them up in a shallow bowl along with a bowl of dill yogurt sauce. This makes for a very inviting presentation and is also a bit more user-friendly than whole wraps.

You can also skip the rolling and serve the filling alongside the leaves like unstuffed lettuce wraps. A little dollop of dill yogurt sauce completes the vibe.

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Recipe