I love greens of all kinds…spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, romaine, cabbage. They’re part of my everyday diet. I like them raw, steamed, sauteed, pureed, in smoothies. So when I read about kale chips at Dinner with Julie and then got a huge bunch of fresh kale in my CSA distribution from this fine lady, I had to give them a try.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that kale, when baked, turns into a crispy, slightly spicy chip that reminds me of junk food. Not that I’ve ever been a junk food fan, but I am always saying that healthier food can taste fabulous. These do. They crunch and melt in your mouth just like a potato chip. Honestly. I almost felt guilty when I ate half of them all by myself, but then I remembered that it’s just kale.
It’s really up to you whether or not you want to take the rib out of the kale before you pop it in the oven. I’m not fond of the really thick rib, but I enjoy the crunch of the rib as it gets smaller. These are best the same day they’re made. At least that was my experience. If anyone knows how to keep them nice and crispy over night, let me know.
What are some of your favorite “tastes too good to be good for you” foods?
Reminder:
Help kids with cancer! Kid Friendly Recipes – The Blogosphere’s Best is ready for download! You can donate any amount, and every cent you donate will go directly to St. Jude.
This post is linked to Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade.
Ingredients
- fresh kale
- good quality extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Trim kale and rip into chip-sized pieces. The ‘chips’ shrink slightly in the oven so I make them a little bigger. Wash and dry kale in a salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner, fill a large bowl with water, drop the kale in, swirl it around, and then dry the kale on paper towels.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Place dry kale on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat, and then arrange kale in a single layer. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until kale is crispy.
Lauren
posted on November 12, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I’ve heard tons about Kale Chips in the past few weeks! These look wonderful =D. I really should get around to trying some!
[Reply]
Dawn @ Small Footprint Family
posted on November 13, 2009 at 2:30 am
Thanks for posting this! One hard-learned warning when making these chips: watch them carefully so they don’t burn or your house will reek of really nasty burnt kale for a day or two.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 7:40 am
@Dawn @ Small Footprint Family, Love this tip – those lessons learned the hard way are always helpful.
[Reply]
Alta
posted on November 13, 2009 at 7:15 am
I keep seeing these babies everywhere! I guess I should jump on the kale chip bandwagon! I love greens – and this would be just another wonderful way to enjoy them!
[Reply]
Sandy Gillett
posted on November 13, 2009 at 7:26 am
Wow Amy! Like squash I am embarrassed to admit I’ve never had greens. There is just so much in the produce aisle that I walk right past. I made Butternut Squash Soup yesterday and followed your “How-To”, it worked perfectly and the soup is delicious. This sounds really fun and I’m very curious so I will be stopping by the store for Kale today. I am so inspired by your creations.
[Reply]
Jessica Meyer
posted on November 13, 2009 at 8:43 am
Hi Amy! How random. I did a post yesterday afternoon on Kale Crisps also. Aren’t they wonderful?? Great gluten-free minds think alike
Hope you are having a great day! -Jess @ ATX Gluten Free
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 10:09 am
@Jessica Meyer, Yea, they’re fabulous! Did you make them the same way? Some people cook longer at a lower temp, others shorter on a higher temp. Also, I like to salt them after they come out of the oven because I found that the salt sticks in the ruffles if you do it the other way.
[Reply]
Jessica Meyer Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
@Amy, Hello again! I prefer to cook mine at 350 for 20 minutes and I salt mine before but good idea. I bet it does stick nicely if you salt afterwards!
[Reply]
Sandy Gillett
posted on November 13, 2009 at 9:30 am
My thanks to Dawn for the tip. I’d never hear the end of it if the house reeked for 2 days. My husband and gr-nephew have a very acute sense of smell and they’d be moaning and groaning the whole time. Thanks again!
[Reply]
Heidi
posted on November 13, 2009 at 9:58 am
Wow! They sound really tasty, healthy and easy to do. I will have to give them a try. Thanks for sharing.
[Reply]
Chelsey
posted on November 13, 2009 at 11:04 am
Wow, who would have thought you can make kale taste like chips?!!! I am definitely trying these. I love reading Dinner With Julie too. She can whip out hose posts like nobody else. I also like that she is Canadian and there doesn’t seem to be to many Canadian food bloggers yet. Thanks for posting!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
@Chelsey, I didn’t believe it until I tried it myself. They’re great. Let me know what you think if you try them.
[Reply]
Gretchen
posted on November 13, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Know very little about kale. We are looking at your picture and recipe here at the office. The woman I work with was able to tell me that her daughter fed it to her pet turtle– she knew what it was and looked like. I (of course) am clueless. No culinary diva here. We both can’t tell if the picture is a before or after the 350 degree nuke.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
@Gretchen, After the 350 degree cooking. Kale is full of great vitamins and minerals…you can read about it on Wiki.
[Reply]
Gretchen Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
@Amy, …. is the picture pre-cooked or post baked?
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
@Gretchen, Maybe you didn’t get my reply…sorry…sometimes this is a little glitchy. It’s post-baked. There’s some browning in the veins – I don’t know if you can tell or not. But, those are kale chips after they’ve been cooked up. They retain their nice green color.
Amy Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
@Gretchen, An after thought…there was a time when kale was new to me, too. I used to be a little weirded out by the thicker greens because I’d never had them. I love them now, though. Couldn’t imagine not eating them.
[Reply]
Gretchen Reply:
November 18th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
@Amy, Had to see it for myself. Hard to believe that this foliage in the heat does not become wilted but retains its thick green structure. Thanks again for your response.
[Reply]
Iris
posted on November 13, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I’ve been seeing kale chips popping up in blogs everywhere lately, and have really wanted to try them. Maybe I’ll add them to my grocery list for tomorrow and try them!
[Reply]
Christy
posted on November 13, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Oh, yummy I just might get my kids to try these. (or not, might want to hog them myself lol)
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
@Christy, I’d love to hear if your kids love them…it would be a fabulous, healthy snack.
[Reply]
Samantha
posted on November 15, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I love chips. A friend of mine introduced them to me about a year ago. I toss mine in Olive oil and Ume Plum Vinegar and then sprinkle with with a little sea salt before baking. They taste like salt and vinegar chips. yummy
[Reply]
Chelsey
posted on November 25, 2009 at 9:54 am
So I finally made these! They weren’t bad. I encouraged my husband to try them and he was like “no way, they look like dried garbage”! and I said come on they’re good!” again he turned up his nose. So I forced them on him. “Too bad they’re going in the hatch” I teased. He took a bite and stood there motionless. “So?” I prodded. “What do you think?”. “They’re good!” He decided surprised. So thank-you Amy. He really liked them. So much so that he asked me to make some for him to take to work for a healthy snack.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
November 25th, 2009 at 9:59 am
@Chelsey, I consider that a healthy victory! I haven’t made any for my hubby yet – but I am going to today but he just said if I made them he’s open minded and willing to eat a kale chip.
[Reply]
monica
posted on January 19, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Hi!
Just made my first kale chips batch…love them!
Now, my question is…..how do you keep them fresh…say…until tomorrow?
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
@monica, I don’t think they’re a long-term keeper. I put them in an airtight container overnight and ate them the next day. But beyond that I’d throw them out.
[Reply]
NC
posted on March 28, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Getting rid of the rib altogether keeps them crispy longer.
[Reply]
Kimberly
posted on October 4, 2011 at 6:35 pm
I’ve had really good luck with cooling the chips on a wire rack and storing any leftovers (???) in a zip top bag….
[Reply]
Jan J
posted on October 4, 2011 at 6:44 pm
I can’t wait to try these!
[Reply]
Carol@easytobeglutenfree
posted on October 4, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Yum! I love kale chips!
[Reply]