Kale chips are a very popular snack and for good reason. Super easy, yummy and healthy, they’re the perfect vegan treat. Added spices, and nutritional yeast gives these chips a real flavour boost.
I’m a big fan of kale and eat alot of it. Raw, roasted, added to a sandwich, or a soup or stews, kale adds nutrients to any dish and is more robust and versatile than lettuce. I often make it into kale chips, which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this superfood. It’s an easy to make snack that is addictively enjoyable.
It took me awhile to learn how to make kale chips correctly. I always ended up with slightly chewy, soggy chips or burnt ones. It’s very easy to under or over roast them, and either way, the results are not encouraging. But once I learnt a few basics, making these healthy chips became a breeze and foolproof.
How to Make Kale Chips
Making kale chips is easy but you need to do some work to insure your kale is dry to insure crispness.This is the most important thing so make sure your kale is as dry as possible before baking.
Begin by measuring out the spices, nutritional yeast and once done, set them aside. Next, wash kale and remove the stems. Rip or cut leaves into bite size pieces. Spin leaves dry in a salad spinner or the diy method of shaking dry in a colander with a mixing bowl lid. After they are mostly dry, place in a single layer on a clean tea towel lined baking sheet. Blot dry with the top of the towel until all the pieces are dry. You may have to do this twice or three times depending on how much kale there is.
Once kale is dry, place in a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the seasoning ingredients and stir until well mixed. Texture should be a moist but not runny paste. Spoon the seasoning paste over the leaves and combine with your hands, insuring every leaf is covered.
Place dressed kale on an unlined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and turn chips over, removing any browned, crisp pieces. Not all the pieces will bake at the same time so be sure to check for doneness. Return sheet to oven and bake for another 5-8 minutes, checking after 5 minutes. Once all the chips are crisp, remove from oven and immediately place in a bowl. Kale chips are best eaten fresh as they can go limp and chewy. To prevent this, store in a closed container at room temperature or the fridge. Eat within a day or two.
So Easy, So Healthy, So Yummy
Kale chips are a fast and easy snack that are very portable as well. Perfect for late afternoon snacking, taking on a picnic, a post workout snack, or whenever you need a flavour or energy boost. Kale is a super healthy superfood, and baking it into chips is a great way to enjoy its flavour, and benefit from its nutrients. Enjoy!
More Healthy Vegan Snacks
Everyone loves savory snacks and going vegan doesn’t mean you have to give up any of your favorite spicy, cheesy or guilty pleasure treats. Here are some more yummy, irresistible savory snack recipes to try:
Gluten Free Vegetable Crackers
Easy Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 1 medium bunch Kale washed and destemmed
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt free seasoning blend Commercial or homemade
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Measure out and then combine the oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion and garlic powder, salt free seasoning and chili powder in a small bowl. Stir well until you have a moist, thick paste. If too dry, add up to another teaspoon of lemon juice. Set aside.
- Wash kale well. Rip into smallish pieces removing thick stems.
- Spin dry kale. If you haven't got a salad spinner, use a colander topped with a mixing bowl that fits inside the edges of the colander. Shake and spin to remove water.
- Once spun and nearly dry, lay kale down on a clean tea towel covered baking sheet. Pat dry with the top of the towel until the remaining water is gone.
- Place half the kale in a large mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the seasoning paste. Mix well with your hands until every leaf is coated and glistening. Add more seasoning if needed, but don't drench the kale. Place seasoned kale in another mixing bowl and repeat with the unseasoned half.
- Place kale leaves on a baking sheets in a single layer. This recipe requires 2-3 baking sheets full.
- Bake kale for 15 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. Return tray to oven and bake 5-8 more minutes, checking after 5 minutes, and every minute afterwards, until leaves are crisp, some slightly browned, but not burnt. Remove any crisp leaves throughout the baking as some leaves crisp faster than others.
- Place crisped chips in a bowl and serve immediately. Chips will last 1-3 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
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