Blitva (Swiss Chard with Potatoes)
on May 06, 2015, Updated May 23, 2025
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Blitva is loaded with health, flavor and color. This Croatian side dish of wilted Swiss chard and chunks of garlicky potatoes pairs well with almost anything, making it the perfect side dish for weeknight dinners or holiday meals.
Read on, and we’ll show you how to make this healthy side dish called blitva in just 25 minutes!
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Table of Contents
What is Blitva?
Blitva is made with Swiss chard and potatoes sauteed with garlic. This Croatian dish is dark, green, and leaf; the perfect combinations for healthy eating. If you like the sound of this fast and easy side dish, you should take a look at our easy way to steam kale, this healthy fennel side dish, and these simple braised veggies.
Most of us don’t get enough of this nutritionally packed food group, usually because it is often boring, dull, and tasteless. Blitva, on the other hand, is fast, easy-to-make, and delicious. Even our kids will eat this healthy blitva side dish!
Ingredients and notes
This simple Croatian recipe of blitva uses just a few wholesome ingredients: fresh Swiss chard, Yukon gold potatoes, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Together, they create a flavorful, nutrient-packed side dish that’s naturally gluten-free and easy to prepare in under 30 minutes.
Swiss Chard is the star ingredient of blitva.
You’ll recognize this healthy vegetable by it’s broad, leafy, and dark green appearance. Chard is considered a power food because of it’s dense nutrients including:
- Vitamins A, C, and K.
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Iron
- Dietary Fiber
How to Pick Out Chard
Look for chard that has firm stems and deep green leaves. Pass it over if it appears wilted, has pest damage, or has broken stalks and leaves.
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Their slightly buttery taste is the perfect match the chard and garlic in blitva. Because of their waxy texture they won’t get mushy and will add a nice texture to this healthy side dish.
📝 Blitva (Swiss Chard with Potatoes) – Recipe Details
Category: Side Dishes, Healthy Recipes, Mediterranean Sides
Cuisine: Croatian, Mediterranean
Skill Level: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15–20 minutes
Total Time: Under 30 minutes
Servings: 4–6
Main Ingredients: Swiss chard, Yukon gold potatoes, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice
Equipment Needed: Saucepan, sauté pan, colander, knife, wooden spoon
Summary:
Blitva is a traditional Croatian side dish made from Swiss chard and potatoes, sautéed in olive oil with garlic and finished with fresh lemon juice. It’s a fast, healthy, and flavorful addition to grilled fish, roasted meats, or vegetarian meals. With just a few fresh ingredients, this one-pan side dish is packed with nutrients and ready in under 30 minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor: A short list of whole foods—chard, potatoes, garlic, and lemon—delivers incredible taste with minimal effort.
- Fast & Fresh: Ready in just 25 minutes, this easy side dish is perfect for weeknight meals.
- Healthy & Versatile: Naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and full of vitamins A, C, and K from the chard.
Good to Know
- Best Potatoes for Blitva: Yukon golds hold their shape and offer buttery flavor without falling apart.
- Choose Crisp Chard: Look for firm, dark leaves with no signs of wilting or yellowing.
- Serving Suggestions: Blitva pairs beautifully with baked cod, grilled chicken, or lentil stews.
- Storage Tip: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and gently reheated in a skillet the next day
How to Make Blitva
You’ll need a 4-quart saucepan and a large sauté pan to make this blitva.
Yukon gold potatoes are a great choice for making blitva.
- Peel, wedge, and boil the potatoes for 5-7 minutes using a saucepan.
- Saute some sliced garlic cloves in hot olive oil for a minute or two.
- Add the potatoes and cook for an additional 4 or 5 minutes, until golden.
- Stir in the Swiss chard and lemon juice and cook for about 5 minutes until wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.
Fun Fact:
Chard a distant cousin to the ordinary garden beet. Look at the greens of the beet and the broad leaves of chard and you’ll see the family resemblance.
Recipe Questions and Answers
To store, wrap it in a damp paper towel and place in the crisper of your refrigerator. It should stay good for 7 to 10 days.
Fresh young chard can be used raw in salads while mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked or sautéed as in this blitva recipe. Their bitterness fades with cooking, leaving a refined flavor which is more delicate than that of cooked spinach.
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Blitva (Swiss Chard with Potatoes)
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 lb. Swiss chard, tough stems removed, tender stems and leaves torn into 2″ pieces
- juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
Instructions
- Boil potatoes in a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water until tender, 5–7 minutes; drain and set aside.
- Add oil to saucepan; place over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic; cook until soft, 1–2 minutes.
- Add potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5–7 minutes.
- Stir in Swiss chard, add lemon juice and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper
Notes
- Be sure and wash and rinse the chard before using.
- Peel the leaves of chard off the stalks and discard the large, thick stalks. Cut the thinner stalks and saute with the sliced leaves.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Updated from the original post of May 6, 2025.
This is absolutely delicious! I chopped up the stems of the chard and added them with the potatoes, then added the greens a few minutes later, making sure I salted each addition of new ingredient. Added the lemon juice right before serving. The potatoes just melded with the chard. Could have eaten the entire pan, haha!
So happy you enjoyed this Blitva recipe; thanks very much for the awesome feedback!
Love swiss chard and what a healthy recipe Dan! Thanks for sharing!
New dish for me—-I love that it’s Croatian. Makes it a conversation piece. Simple with two favorite ingredients
of mine. It flat out looks appetizing too. I had to pin it.
Thanks, Carol. This one is D&D. Different and Delicious!