Swiss chard and lemon soup

Swiss chard and lemon soup is a green, sour, garlicky soup from the Mizrahi kitchen: chard with its stalks, potatoes, coriander and plenty of lemon. At the end goes garlic flashed in olive oil with the coriander, and that is what turns a simple vegetable soup into one people remember.

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VeganGluten freeDairy freeParve

Updated

Swiss chard soupIllustration
Time1 h 5 minCook 35 min
Pot6 bowls2.1 litres
Per bowl167 kcal5.1 g protein · a 350 ml bowl
Cost of the pot₪25for the pot, about ₪4.1 a bowl

The story of Swiss chard soup

Chard and beetroot are the same species. Beet was bred for its root and chard for its leaves and stalks, which is why its Hebrew name is selek alim, leaf beet, while mangold, the German name, is the one that stuck in everyday Israeli speech. Across the Levant and in the Jewish communities of the Muslim lands, chard with lemon and garlic is a familiar pairing: in stuffed leaves, in pies and in sour soups, including the Kurdish kubbeh hamusta.

The best known lentil version is the Lebanese adas bi hamod, lentils in lemon: brown lentils, chard, potatoes, lemon and garlic fried with coriander. In Sephardi and Mizrahi homes in Israel, chard soup comes in many forms, with lentils, zucchini, chickpeas or pumpkin, and it is a winter soup, made when chard in the market is at its best.

What makes Swiss chard soup itself

In chard soup nothing is thrown away and nothing goes in for no reason. The stalks, which most people discard, go in first and give the soup body; the leaves go in only at the end so they stay tender rather than mushy; and the potatoes thicken the liquid a little. The signature is the finish: garlic fried in olive oil until pale gold, coriander that joins it for half a minute, and lemon that goes in when the pot is almost done.

Swiss chard soup for any number of people

Change the number of people and the bowl size, and every ingredient updates in grams, with the cost, calories and protein per bowl.

Bowl size
Units
2.1litres in the pot
3Pot to use, litres
₪25Cost of the pot
₪4.1per bowl
167kcal per bowl
5.1g protein per bowl
IngredientAmountCost
The base
Olive oil, 30 ml for the pot and 15 ml for the garlic at the end45 ml₪2.4
Onion, chopped200 g · 1 pcs₪1.2
Garlic cloves, crushed, in two parts20 g · 6 pcs₪0.7
Ground cumin3 g₪0.3
The greens
Swiss chard, leaves and stalks separated800 g · 2 pcs₪14
Potatoes, in 2 cm cubes400 g · 2 pcs₪2.4
Coriander, chopped30 g₪1.5
The liquid and the sourness
Water1.4 l
Fresh lemon juice90 ml₪1.8
Salt12 g₪0.0
Black pepper1 g₪0.1
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Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026. Nutrition from the ingredients in grams, before cooking.

How many calories in Swiss chard soup? Nutrition facts and calorie calculator

Change the amount of any ingredient, drop one, or pick a lighter version, and the numbers per serving update at once: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium and fibre.

Swiss chard soup has 48 calories per 100 ml. A 350 ml bowl made with our recipe has 167 calories: 5.1 g protein, 7.3 g fat and 17.4 g carbohydrates. A 250 ml cup has 119 calories.

Lighter

Ingredients, for the whole recipe

  • 45 ml61 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs13 kcal per serving
  • 6 pcs5 kcal per serving
  • 3 g2 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs29 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs51 kcal per serving
  • 30 g1 kcal per serving
  • 90 ml3 kcal per serving
  • 12 g0 kcal per serving
  • 1 g0 kcal per serving

What each add-on adds to Swiss chard soup

Values for the amount in the row, from the national food database.

Add-onCaloriesProtein, gFat, g
A tablespoon of oil122013.8
A slice of white bread792.50.5
A slice of challah12641.1

How to make Swiss chard soup

In cook mode the screen stays on, tap a step when it is done, and the timers run next to each step.
  1. Wash the chard leaves well and check them, then separate the stalks from the leaves. Chop the stalks into 1 cm pieces and cut the leaves into ribbons 2 cm wide.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes. Chop the onion, crush the garlic and chop the coriander.
  3. In a 4 litre pot, heat 30 ml of the olive oil over medium heat and fry the onion for 7 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden at the edges. Add half the garlic and the cumin for one minute.
  4. Add the stalks and potatoes and stir for 2 minutes. Add the water, bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes over medium low heat.
  5. Add the leaves by the handful and stir until they wilt. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
  6. In a small pan, heat the rest of the olive oil and fry the rest of the garlic for one minute, until pale gold only. Add the coriander, stir for half a minute and pour everything into the pot.
  7. Add two thirds of the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, taste and add the rest of the lemon as you like.
  8. For a thicker soup, crush a few potato cubes against the side of the pot. Let the soup rest for 5 minutes and serve with a lemon wedge.

The science of Swiss chard soup

Kitchen science

Why chard stalks go in before the leaves

The stalk is built of thick cells with walls of cellulose and pectin that need time to soften. The leaf is thin, with a large surface and little structure, and it wilts and softens in minutes. Cooking in two stages gives each part the right texture: tender but whole stalks, and soft leaves that have not collapsed into mush.

Kitchen science

Acid and lentils

In the lentil version the lemon goes in only once they are fully soft. In acidic conditions the pectin and other materials holding a legume's cell walls together break down far more slowly, and lentils cooked with lemon from the start stay firm even after a long time.

Kitchen science

Why coloured stalks colour the soup

The colour of red or yellow chard stalks comes from betalains, the same pigments as in beetroot. They dissolve in water and leak into the liquid during cooking, so the soup turns pink. The green of the leaves comes from chlorophyll, which turns olive with heat and acid, which is why the lemon goes in at the end.

Kitchen science

What happens to the garlic in the pan

Crushed garlic produces allicin, its sharp, pungent compound. Heating in oil deactivates the enzyme that makes it and turns the sulphur compounds sweet and nutty. The line is fine: past pale gold, garlic turns bitter within seconds, and the coriander going into the pan cools it and stops the process.

Swiss chard soup in every kitchen

With lentils, adas bi hamod

First cook 200 g of rinsed brown lentils in 1.8 litres of water for 20 minutes, and only then continue with the potatoes and stalks. The lemon goes in after the lentils are completely soft.

With zucchini

Replace half the potatoes with 300 g of zucchini in half moons, added together with the leaves. The soup is lighter and suits the end of winter.

With chickpeas

Replace the potatoes with 250 g of cooked chickpeas and add another pinch of cumin. This version is especially thick and filling.

With pumpkin

Add 400 g of diced pumpkin with the stalks. The pumpkin partly melts and its sweetness softens the lemon.

With meatballs

Cook small meatballs of ground beef or chicken with parsley and onion in the soup for 20 minutes before the leaves. That turns the soup into a meat meal, with no dairy at all.

Common Swiss chard soup problems and how to fix them

My Swiss chard soup is bitter

Many large dark leaves went in, or the garlic browned in the pan. Balance with more lemon, salt and a few crushed potato cubes. Next time choose young leaves and fry the garlic only to pale gold.

The soup is not sour enough

The lemon cooked for a long time and its scent evaporated. Squeeze in more fresh lemon after turning off the heat, a spoonful at a time, and taste.

The lentils will not soften

Lemon or a lot of salt went in before the lentils softened, or the lentils are old. Cook lentils in plain water until soft, and only then add lemon and salt.

The soup turned pink

The stalks were red or rainbow coloured and their pigment leaked into the liquid. It does not change the taste. Next time choose chard with white stalks, or cook the stalks separately.

The leaves turned to mush

The leaves went in with the stalks, or the soup boiled hard. Add them only for the last 10 minutes, over medium low heat.

Storing, freezing and reheating

3 days

In the fridge

2 months

In the freezer

2+4

To cool

Bring it from 60 to 21 °C within two hours and down to 5 °C within four more. Split a big pot into shallow boxes.

75 °C

Reheating

Reheat over medium low heat to a gentle simmer, then add fresh lemon and a pinch of salt. Potatoes soften a little in the freezer, so if you cook for freezing, add fresh potatoes when reheating.

Nutrition of Swiss chard soup

From our recipe, per bowl and per 100 g, next to the national food database.

ServingkcalProtein, gFat, gCarbs, gFibre, g
Our recipe, a 350 ml bowl1675.17.317.47.3
Our recipe, 100 ml481.52.15.02.1

What the ingredients of Swiss chard soup cost

What each ingredient costs in one pot, and where to buy it.

IngredientPriceIn this potWhere to buy
Swiss chard, leaves and stalks separated₪8.9 each₪14Greengrocer
Olive oil, 30 ml for the pot and 15 ml for the garlic at the end₪53 per litre₪2.4Supermarket
Potatoes, in 2 cm cubes₪5.9 per kg₪2.4Greengrocer
Fresh lemon juice₪20 per litre₪1.8Supermarket
Coriander, chopped₪4.9 each₪1.5Greengrocer
Onion, chopped₪5.9 per kg₪1.2Greengrocer
Garlic cloves, crushed, in two parts₪34 per kg₪0.7Greengrocer
Ground cumin₪86 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
Black pepper₪139 per kg₪0.1Supermarket
Salt₪2.1 per kg₪0Supermarket

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026, VAT included. Vegetable prices change with the season.

Make Swiss chard soup a meal

Shabbat

Ready Shabbat food

Soup, hamin, mains and sides, with a quantity calculator and prices.

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Hosting

Hosting trays

9 trays to go with the soup, with a planner by number of guests.

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Catering

A whole menu in grams per guest, with a reheating table.

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What to serve with Swiss chard soup

Serve with lemon wedges, a drizzle of olive oil and pita or fresh bread for wiping the bowl. Next to the lentil version, olives, spring onions and a small plate of radishes fit well.

The cuisine behind Swiss chard soup

Lebanese

Lebanese cuisine

Chard and beetroot are the same species. Beet was bred for its root and chard for its leaves and stalks, which is why its Hebrew name is…

Lebanese cuisine

Swiss chard soup in large quantities: events, offices and communities

How much of everything by number of guests, at a 350 ml bowl. For institutional pots, catering and community kitchens.

GuestsLitres30 l potsCost of ingredients
258.81₪102
50181₪204
100352₪409
200703₪818
5001757₪2,045

Every ingredient for any number of guests is in the calculator above: type the number of people.

Order Swiss chard soup

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  • Cooked to order, for Shabbat, an event or the office.
  • Tell us how many people and when, and we send a quote.
  • Delivery in Tel Aviv from ₪35, free over ₪750.
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Order Swiss chard soup for a large event

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  • In Israel: cooked in Tel Aviv and delivered to events in the area, and to large events anywhere in the country on a quote.
  • Abroad: for communities, events and restaurants. Tell us where, how many and when, and we come back with a quote and options.
  • Institutional quantities and a shopping list for any number of guests, in the calculator above.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Swiss chard?

Swiss chard is a leaf vegetable of the same species as beetroot, bred for its leaves and stalks rather than its root. Both are eaten, and the stalks need longer cooking.

How do you make Swiss chard and lemon soup?

Fry onion, garlic and cumin, cook the stalks and potatoes in water for 15 minutes, and add the leaves for 10 minutes. At the end pour in garlic fried with coriander and add lemon juice.

How do you make chard and lentil soup?

Cook 200 g of brown lentils in 1.8 litres of water for 20 minutes, continue with the potatoes, stalks and leaves, and add the lemon only once the lentils are soft. This is the Lebanese version, adas bi hamod.

Can you make chard and zucchini soup?

Yes. Replace half the potatoes with 300 g of zucchini, added with the leaves so they do not fall apart. The soup comes out lighter and more delicate.

How much lemon goes into chard soup?

For a pot of 6, about 90 ml of juice, roughly 3 lemons. Two thirds go in at the end of cooking, and the rest after tasting.

Can I make this soup with spinach instead of chard?

Yes, but spinach has no thick stalks and softens within 2 to 3 minutes. Add it right at the end, and replace the stalks with more onion or a zucchini.

Is chard soup parve?

Yes, this recipe is parve and vegan. The meatball version is meat, and it uses no dairy at all.

How many calories are in Swiss chard soup?

A 350 ml bowl of Swiss chard soup made with our recipe has about 167 calories and 5.1 g of protein. Per 100 ml: 48 calories.

How much does it cost to make Swiss chard soup at home?

A pot of 6 bowls costs about ₪25 at Israeli shelf prices in October 2026, about ₪4.1 a bowl. The calculator above works it out for any number of people.

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