It’s Easy To Make Crispy Krispy Chips

Why would you ever buy prepared kale chips when you can easily bake up a batch of this tasty snack in your own kitchen?

EASY & DELISH | Kale chips are the currently cool snack among the super health conscious (kale is a seriously high in beta carotene and vitamins A and K). Snack manufacturers such as Rhythm Superfoods and Kaia Foods (both sold at Whole Foods) have jumped on board to churn out very small packages of very pricey dehydrated kale chips that are, in my estimation, so overseasoned with flavours like mustard, cheese and chocolate that you’d think their producers were trying to disguise the true taste of this big leafy green.

The best kale chips are only lightly seasoned so the subtle yet distinct flavour of the vegetable is equally present as any seasoning. The best kale chips are the ones you bake yourself, which you can easily do in fewer than 15 minutes.

Here’s how.

Crispy Oven-Baked Kale Chips

1 Bunch of Kale
1/2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Desired seasoning to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. (Some people make kale chips in a dehydrator, but you can turn out a great product using a conventional oven.)

Wash and dry kale. Remove the leaves from the ribs (toss these) and tear them into pieces the size of potato chips. Place the pieces into a bowl along with the olive oil and desired seasoning and toss until all leaves are evenly coated.

Spread the leaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop them into the oven to bake until they turn nice and crispy. This will take around 10 to 12 minutes.

Season To Taste

The most common kale chip seasoning is plain old salt and pepper and this topping is a great one. But might also want to try a combination of chili powder, cumin and garlic; garlic salt; lemon juice; smoked paprika; parmesan cheese; miso; miso with garlic; or whatever.

On her blog, Naturally Ella, Erin Alderson explains how to make kale chips using chipotle for seasoning. Her super tasty results can be seen in the image at the top of this story. CLICK HERE for her recipe. —Annabel Lee

Photo, top: Erin Alderson, Naturally Ella