Vegan Stuffed Swiss chard Rolls (Mahshi selek)

This recipe requires a lot of steps. It is not the quickest recipe. It is somewhat easy however, but it is absolutely worth it. It is a great comfort food, or for when you’re craving that filling vegetarian recipe that your body needs. It is packed with protein and healthy vegetables. It is a great wellness recipe, or if you are trying to lose weight. 

Ingredients: 

Swiss chard rolls 

– 2 Large bunches of swiss chard 

-1 cup rice (long grain rice) 

-1 small bunch parsley 

-1 tablespoon sumac 

-2 medium tomatoes (diced) 

-2 cloves crushed garlic 

-1 large onion (diced) 

-2 cups cooked chick peas (drained) 

-½ teaspoon black pepper 

-1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste 

-1 tablespoon dried mint 

-¼ cup olive oil 

-¼ cup lemon juice 

-water or vegetable broth  

-salt to taste for cooking 

-Water for blanching the swiss chard 

-Cold water and ice for an ice bath 

Tahini sauce (taratour) 

-Swiss chard stems 

– ½ cup and 3 tablespoons tahini 

-1/3 cup lemon juice 

-½ cup of reserved cooking water which we will use to cook the stems in 

-3 garlic cloves (crushed) (I like to crush mine using a mortar and pestle) 

-1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste 

Utensils 

-Sharp knife 

-Chopping board 

-Large pot 

-Small pot 

-2 Large bowls 

-Medium or a small bowl 

-Spoon for mixing 

-Mortar and pestle (optional) 

-Measuring cups  

-Measuring spoons 

-Tongs 

-Large fine sieve 

-Small ceramic plate 

Direciotns:

I do not want to bog you with the details as this is a pretty lengthy recipe in itself, and I did explain pretty thoroughly how to create this beautiful and delicious dish in the recipe down below.

The only thing that I would like to add here is how to prepare the parsley and chop it. I believe this is an important step for any dish that contains parsley. Moreover, you will be needing this skill in your arsenal especially if you are planning on cooking a lot of Mediterranean dishes.

When you buy a bunch of parsley from the store, the parsley is usually facing in all directions, it is not properly aligned, there might be things in there that shouldn’t be in there such as weeds and bugs, and the parsley it self is not so clean. This is why this step is so important.

What you’ll need to do is to align the parsley stems together to create a tree shape. Make sure to throw away any weeds that you encounter. Do not discard the twisty or the rubber band that the parsley has originally come with as you will need it for this next step.

Tie the bunch of parsley that you have neatly aligned using the twisty or rubber band. Whichever came with the parsley. Make sure to tie it as close to the leafy part as possible. Your bunch of parsley should look like a tree now.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and dunk the leafy part into the cold water several times. You will begin to see bits of dirt and other undesirable things in the water. as the water begins to get dirty dump it, fill the bowl with fresh cold water again, and repeat this step as many times as needed until the water comes out clean when you dunk the parsley in it.

If you notice that the parsley is super dirty, and may have bugs in it, what I like to do is to do the previous step first, then fill the bowl with fresh cold water again, put about 2 tablespoons of salt in it and mix until the salt is dissolved, then soak the leafy part of the parsley for 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the parsley is done soaking, take it out, and you will notice any dead bugs that are left in the salty water. Dump the water, rinse the bowl, fill it with clean cold water, and dunk the parsley again in the clean water several times. You will need to repeat this step several times as there may be still some dead critters left on the parsley, and you’ll also want to rinse off all that salt that the parsley has been sitting in. Gross I know, but you do not want those critters to end up in your food!

Place the parsley in a dish rack or in a sieve with the stems facing down, and the leaves facing up, and let it drain.

Once the parsley has fully drained, remove the rubber band or twisty, hold it firmly by the leafy part, and place it on a chopping board while still holding it firmly.

Using a large sharp knife, chop the stems off as close to the leafy part as possible. Carefully hold the parsley at an angle that will allow you to chop the leaves as fine as possible. Pass the knife over the leaves as you hold it tight on the opposite side and chop. 

That’s it for the parsley. I always use this technique to clean and chop my parsley. I find that it gives me the cleanest parsley, and the best texture. I do not like to put the parsley into the food processor especially in fresh salads and such. The food processor has the habit of either over chopping, or under chopping. It also tends to let the liquids out of the vegetables which is not what I am looking for here.

Another thing that I wanted to touch on is the history of this dish.

The plant Swiss chard itself actually originated in the Mediterranean and not in Switzerland unlike its name suggests.

Swiss chard is practically a super food. It is packed with vitamins some of which are vitamin A, C, E, And K, , minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, and Iron, and antioxidant especially when consumed raw. however, consuming a large amount of raw Swiss chard can also be slightly toxic because of the oxalic acid that it contains. Not that you can’t eat it raw, but it is that you shouldn’t eat large quantities of it raw. Which makes this dish perfect. You will be consuming a large amount of this vitamin packed vegetable without the risk of a tummy ache, or possibly a trip to the hospital. If you want to find out more about oxalic acid you can read this article by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE. Oxalate (Oxalic Acid): Good or Bad? written on the HealthLine website, And If you would like to find out more about the health benifits of swiss chard, you can read more about it in this article Swiss Chard: Nutrition, Benefits and How to Cook It by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD also on the HealthLine website.

swiss chard is used in many Lebanese and Mediterranean recipes, and this is one of my favorite uses of swiss chard.

I believe the recipe itself originated from Lebanon. It is very similar to vegetarian grape leave rolls. In fact, it is the same recipe if you substitute the swiss chard with grape leaves. I am speculating here, but from what my mom tells me, in her days and earlier days people did not eat much meat. They usually would have one or two meat dishes per week, and those would be as a stew or a meat dish cooked with rice. So having vegetarian recipes packed with protein was very vital for their health.

looking at this recipe, as I was making it, I was surprised by the amount of protein that it contains even though it is a vegetarian recipe. One tablespoon or 12.5 grams of chickpeas alone has 2.4 grams of protein. One tablespoon or 15 grams of tahini has 2.6 grams of protein in comparison to 15 grams of chicken which has 4 grams of protein. The recommended serving of chicken is 3 to 4 ounces or 85 to 113 grams of chicken which contains about 28 grams of protein. When you are eating a serving of swiss chard rolls you are getting protein not only from the chickpeas and tahini sauce but form all the ingredients that are in this recipe, which together amount to about the same grams of protein in a single serving of chicken, or possibly even more.

If you want to pump up the protein amount in this recipe, you can always cook it in chicken broth.

It is really difficult to know where this recipe originated from and what is its exact history because the Lebanese cuisine is a mashup of multiple cultures not just Lebanon itself. The country have been invaded, helped, occupied by so many different nations that have ultimately affected our cuisine and the way we cook our food.

But for all I care, this is a delicious recipe, and it is worth the effort. It is healthy and supposed to promote weight loss if that is what you are looking for. So enjoy, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section down below. And please, don’t forget to rate this recipe as this will help others find it as well.

Vegetarian Swiss chard Rolls (Mehshe Sele’e – Selek)

Chantal
This recipe requires a lot of steps. It is not the quickest recipe. It is somewhat easy however, but it is absolutely worth it. It is a great comfort food, or for when you’re craving that filling vegetarian recipe that your body needs. It is packed with protein and healthy vegetables. It is a great wellness recipe, or if you are trying to lose weight.
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean

Equipment

  • Sharp knife
  • Chopping board
  • Large pot
  • Small Pot
  • 2 large bowls
  • Medium or small bowl
  • Spoon for mixing
  • Mortar and pestle (optional)
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Tongs
  • Large fine sieve
  • Small ceramic plate

Ingredients
  

Swiss Chard Rolls

  • 2 Large bunches Swiss chard
  • 1 cup Long grain rice
  • 1 small bunch parsley
  • 2 medium tomatoes diced
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 Large onion diced
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas drained
  • 1 tablespoon ground sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • water or vegetable broth for cooking
  • Salt to taste for cooking
  • Water for blanching the Swiss chard
  • Cold water and ice for an ice bath

Tahini Sauce (taratour)

  • Reserved Swiss chard stems
  • 1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water which we will use to cook the stems in
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed (I like to crush mine using a mortar and pestle)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

Instructions
 

Swiss Chard Rolls

  • Thoroughly wash the swiss chard under cold running water making sure to get into the crevasses as they may have dirt and other undesired bits. 
  • Cut off any undesired pieces off the swiss chard. What I also like to do is to cut the bottom of the stem curved side down, and pull upwards in order to remove the stringy part of the stem.  
  • To create an ice bath, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, and set aside.
  • Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water has reached the boiling point, Drop the swiss chard in and blanch for 1 minute. Using tongs, quickly remove the swiss chard from the boiling water and transfer into the ice bath. You may need to repeat this step if this swiss chards are too large to fit all at once into the boiling water.
  • To create the stuffing, begin by aligning the parsley stems together to create a tree shape. You want all the leaves to be aligned on one side, and the stems on the opposite side. Tie using a rubber band or a twisty tie. Fill a large bowl with cold water and dunk the leafy part of the parsley into the cold water several time. Discard the water and repeat this process as necessary until you find no more dirt and unwanted remains in the water. If you are using organic parsley, you may want to fill a large bowl with cold water, put about 1 to 2 tablespoons salt in the water, and drop the leafy part of the parsley in the salty water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, and then continue with the process listed above. Soaking the parsley in salty water will kill off any bugs that may be hiding in between the leaves, and drop them into the water.
  • After you have thoroughly rinsed the parsley, set it aside in a dish rack, stems down and leaves up, and let it drain.
  • Rinse and drain the rinse under cold water using a fine sieve. Do this about 3 times. Transfer into a large bowl.
  • Into the bowl containing the rice, add in the chickpeas, diced tomatoes, diced onions, crushed garlic, dried mint, sumac, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil. 
  • Once the parsley has completely drained, remove the twisty or rubber band, and hold tight. Using a large sharp knife, chop the stems off as close to the leafy part as possible. Carefully hold the parsley at an angle that will allow you to chop the leaves as fine as possible. Pass the knife over the leaves as you hold it tight on the opposite side and chop. 
  • Add the finely chopped parsley into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.
  • Drain the swiss chard leaves. Cut the long stems off where they meet the leafy part, and reserve the stems for the sauce.
  • Place the leaf pointy side away from you and wide end facing you. Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling into the middle of the leaf and spread it to form a log shape leaving about ½ inch to 1 inch of the leaf exposed on each end of the stuffing log. Fold the side that is facing you over the stuffing. Fold the left and right side of the leaf over the stuffing. Firmly, but gently begin to roll the leaf over the stuffing as if you are rolling a tortilla. Beginning from the side that is facing you and rolling in the direction that is away from you. Repeat this step with the remaining swiss chard leaves. If the leaf is too large, you can choose to chop it in half before you begin this process, and if the leaf happens to be small, you’ll want to use less filling. 
  • Line up the rolled leaves in a large pot, seam side down. Season with salt, and cover with water or vegetable broth with the liquid of your choice being about ½ an inch over the rolls. Cover with a small ceramic plate, and cover the pot. The ceramic plate will stop the leaves from floating over the water, opening up, and losing all their stuffing.  
  • Place pot on high heat, and bring to a boil. Once it has reached the boiling point, reduce heat to medium low and let it cook for 30 minutes, or as long as the rice of your choice requires to be cooked.
  • Meanwhile, we will work on the sauce. This is why the total time is listed as 1 hour and 30 minutes because as the rolls cook, we will be working on our sauce.

Tahini Sauce (Taratour) 

  • Using a sharp knife, chop the stems into about ½ an inch to ¼ inch pieces. Fill a small pot with water. Drop the chopped stems in. You may season with salt if you choose to. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and let it cook for 10 minutes.  
  • Using a sieve, drain the stems into a bowl in order to reserve the water, as we will need it for the next step.
  • Into a medium bowl, add in the stems, ½ cup of the reserved cooking water, and the remaining ingredients.  
  • Once the swiss chard rolls have fully cooked, serve onto a plate using tongs or a fork and a spoon. Whatever is easier, just be gingerly with this as you do not want to ruin all your hard work into a pile of stuffing and chopped leaves. Pour as much as you desire of the prepared sauce over the rolls and enjoy! 

Notes

If you would like, you can cook the rolls in chicken broth or add some chicken bouillon to the water right before you cook it. The flavor is delicious when cooked in this way, but it will no longer be vegetarian or vegan.  
You can use the same stuffing, same sauce, and the same technique with grape leaves. Except, you may not need to blanch them if they are in a jar. I actually prefer the taste of grape leaves over the Swiss chard. Or, if you have extra stuffing, and an extra jar of grape leaves hanging in your pantry, you could use the extra stuffing to stuff in your grape leaves which is what I usually do. 
Keyword Mediterranean, Mediterranean swiss chard rolls, swiss chard, swiss chard rolls, vegan, vegan swiss chard rolls, Vegetarian, vegetarian swiss chard rolls

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