Healthy Snack: Kale Chips!

by Megg

It’s a pretty sweet deal when you find foods that you love to eat and are actually good for you.  Dark leafy greens just happen to be on my list of favorite foods, and I’ve loved pretty much every variety I’ve encountered.  Recently, at one of my local farmers markets, I picked up some curly kale: green leaves touched with violet, and reddish-violet stems.  I had eaten the “dinosaur kale” variety before, grilled, but that was about it.  I brought this stuff home, looked up some recipes, and found tons for kale chips…  what an idea!

While we also used the kale in more traditional ways (braising and steaming), I still had enough to try out those chips.  They were so easy to make, and instantly addictive!  I’ve made them a couple times since, always with fresh, local kale from the farmers market.  I’d be willing to bet that even if you’re not a huge fan of dark greens, you’ll like these chips!  They’re really crisp, delicious, and beautiful to boot!  Oh yeah, and they’re also full of iron, vitamin c, etc!

 

As I said, I’ve made this a couple times, and initially I’d looked up so many recipes, so I’m not going to reference anything here since it’s not adapted from any specific recipe.



Kale Chips
-makes 1-10 servings… depending on how much self-control you have…-
  • One large bunch of kale (I used the curly kind but I’ve heard other kinds work too!)
  • Extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly grated parmesan (optional)
1.  Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Wash and dry kale in a salad spinner.  Cut off the woody stems and tear the leaves into pieces slightly larger than the size you’d like the chips to be.
3.  Arrange the kale on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and parmesan, or whatever seasonings you prefer!
4.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and slightly translucent.  Keep an eye on the kale so it doesn’t burn!
And that’s it!  Nice and simple, right?  These chips are so addictive and so nice to look at too.  I usually eat them as is, but I’ve found they’re also great over some home-made mac n’ cheese!  If you put them in a resealable bag and refrigerate them, I’ve been able to keep them up to a whole week!  I have no way of knowing if they’ll last longer… it was already amazing I had them a week without eating them all…


I’m a big fan of the simple salt and parmesan seasoning, but I’ll probably try some new kinds next time.  I’ve heard of using vinegar, seaweed, chili powder… really, the possibilities are endless!

Have you ever tried kale chips?  If so, how did you season them or what did you enjoy them with?

Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/06357520014400205780 Diana

    This looks like a good snack for me :)

    I'll try it and let you know how it goes.

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/17219875290791522802 Megg

    They are soooo awesome, Diana! Hope you like them!

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/03608484496354584828 Bentobird

    Oh, can't wait to try these healthy treats, Megg. Awesome post, thanks for the info and always-enticing pics. Happy weekend!

  • Pingback: Japanese Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Mizuna Chips()

  • http://soulsoupsoap.blogspot.com/ babykins

    Wah it is kind of incredible you can make that awesome, healthy snack yourself. Does it keep the crispness for a while with just this way? I’ll definitely have to look for this cool stuff or substitutes! — No kale at our locals.

    • http://www.popartichoke.com Megg (PopArtichoke)

      Hi Izumi! They will keep their crispness if you put them in an airtight container… I find a ziploc bag with as little extra air as possible is the best way to go. You can also keep them in the fridge; that helps a bit.

      I tried this recipe with beet greens once but those were too thin and got burnt. Maybe less hearty greens would work in the time and/or temperature was reduced a bit. Once I made mizuna chips and those were delicious (though I doubt the nutritional value compares to that of kale, but it’s not like they are unhealthy!) Here’s that recipe: http://www.popartichoke.com/2011/03/japanese-beer-braised-beef-short-ribs-with-mizuna-chips.html#Mizuna

      • http://soulsoupsoap.blogspot.com/ babykins

        Thanks so much for the idea and recipes! I will try with some kinds of greens! 😀

Previous post:

Next post: