Kale Chips

Kale chips are a super easy to make, vegan snack.  I’m always amazed at how quickly I can chow through an entire head of kale. Try as I might, I just can’t make myself feel guilty for doing so.

For the most part you will be trimming, washing, oiling, salting and baking the kale.  To do this you will need:

Kale

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I like to use the Lacinto Kale as I find that it bakes up a bit more evenly than the curlier varieties of kale do. Mine was a little bit limp, but after finishing “Bitter is the New Black” last night, I’m not feeling particularly wasteful. They came out great but when cooking it is generally better to use the freshest stuff you can.

Cut the leaves off of the stems. I fold my kale in half and run the knife right along the stem. Depending on the size of the leaf, cut your long halves in to a few smaller pieces.

Wash your kale. I put my kale pieces in to a salad spinner, wash them and then give the kale leaves a good spin. You want the leaves to be nice and dry, so I then blot them a bit between between two clean kitchen towels.

Take a bowl big enough to hold your leaves comfortably. Drizzle in a smidge of olive oil, toss in the leaves and then drizzle a little bit more olive oil. Wash up and then use your clean, dry hands to toss the kale around in the bowl. You want the kale leaves to be evenly, but lightly coated with olive oil. Spread the leaves out on to your cookie sheet, wash up and then sprinkle with Sea Salt.

Toss those bad boys in to the oven. I start to check mine at around the ten minute mark and gently stir them around. How long it takes will depend on how densely you pack them on to the cookie sheet and how heavily they are coated in oil. You want them light and crisp, but not brown.  I pulled mine out after 11 minutes, a few of them weren’t quite done yet so I pulled off the ones that were and then stuck the tray back in the oven for another three minutes.

Try to sneak a few for yourself before the kids find out they’re done. Kale chips disappear pretty quickly around here.