Warak Silq (Stuffed Chard Rolls)
Swiss chard leaves rolled around a fresh filling of rice, chickpeas, tomato, parsley and mint, then cooked in lemon juice and olive oil. A meat-free favorite served at room temperature.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Soften the chard
Cut the white stems off the chard leaves and set the stems aside for later. Put the leaves in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and leave for 1 minute until soft, then drain well. Cut out any thick center veins and cut large leaves in half.
- 1 large bunch (about 30 leaves) Swiss chard
- about 1 liter boiling water
✅ Done when: leaves are soft and pliable, not stiff
Make the filling
In a bowl, mix the rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, spring onions, parsley and dried mint with half the olive oil, half the lemon juice, the salt and the pepper until evenly combined.
- 200g rice
- 1 can (400g) chickpeas
- 2 tomatoes
- 6 spring onions
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 tbsp dried mint
- 60ml olive oil
- 60ml lemon juice
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: filling looks evenly mixed, no dry pockets of rice
Roll
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fill the pot
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Add the liquid
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cool and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Soften the chard
Cut the white stems off the chard leaves and set the stems aside for later. Put the leaves in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and leave for 1 minute until soft, then drain well. Cut out any thick center veins and cut large leaves in half.
- 1 large bunch (about 30 leaves) Swiss chard
- about 1 liter boiling water
✅ Done when: leaves are soft and pliable, not stiff
Make the filling
In a bowl, mix the rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, spring onions, parsley and dried mint with half the olive oil, half the lemon juice, the salt and the pepper until evenly combined.
- 200g rice
- 1 can (400g) chickpeas
- 2 tomatoes
- 6 spring onions
- 1 bunch parsley
- 2 tbsp dried mint
- 60ml olive oil
- 60ml lemon juice
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: filling looks evenly mixed, no dry pockets of rice
Roll
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Fill the pot
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Add the liquid
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cool and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Meat-free stuffed leaves were made during Lent and on fasting days, when Lebanese Christians did not eat meat or dairy. Chard grows easily in village gardens all winter, so it was always on hand.
The filling is almost the same as tabbouleh: rice instead of bulgur, with lots of herbs, tomato and lemon.
⭐ Why It's Famous
They are light, fresh and full of herbs, and they taste even better the next day.
💡 Fun Fact
In Lebanon, stuffed leaves of any kind are often called 'warak', which simply means 'leaves'.
Southern Lebanon
33.56°N, 35.37°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!