There are a lot of good reasons to eat kale. It’s such a nutrient dense food and it tastes amazing. The only downside is it easily goes soggy, and if you leave the stems on it can be a bit on the tough side. Kale chips are an ideal way to eat kale as a side dish and they really can curb a chip craving. These are a perfect side dish to a weeknight dinner. I want to show you how to make this super vegetable as tasty as it can be, in less than 15 minutes beginning to end. Ready? Go.
In order for kale chips to be really crunchy and not soggy, we need to make sure they are free from as much moisture as possible before baking. After washing the leaves I like to blot them dry with a paper towel to remove as much water as possible. If they go in the oven with too much water, they will effectively steam and they won’t have the signature crunchiness. Begin by removing the thick stems and tearing the leaves into large chunks. Place in a bowl and cover with the olive oil.
Spread the leaves on the baking tray in a thin layer. Another key to the crispiness is not having lots of kale on top of each other. If you need to it’s better to bake these in two smaller batches to achieve optimum crispiness (yes, this is a thing). Once spread, evenly sprinkle over the salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Together these simple spices will transform these mean greens into delectable crunchy chips.
Now we also don’t want the oven too hot because the kale can quickly turn from crispy to just burnt. As the leaf is naturally very curly and delicate it can easily catch and burn, so we start with the oven at a low 150 degrees Celsius. If your oven runs hot, you can turn it down to 140. It is better to bake these for longer at a lower temperature than shorter at a higher one. It then takes just 10 minutes before these are ready. We are effectively just looking to dry out the leaf more than “bake” it.
Once they are done there isn’t much to do except serve and enjoy!
Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients
8-9 Kale leaves
2 tsp Olive Oil (or another oil of your choice)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Chilli Flakes for serving (optional)
Steps
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Line the baking tray with parchment paper.
1. After washing the kale leaves, dry thoroughly with a paper towel or in a salad spinner.
2. Remove stems from kale leaves and tear the leaves into large chunks.
3. In a bowl add the kale chips and the olive oil and toss with your hands so the leaves are evenly coated.
4. Spread the leaves in a single layer on the baking tray and sprinkle on all the seasonings evenly.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius. Serve immediately.
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About Lauren Caris
Lauren is the author and chef of the vegan food blog, Lauren Caris Cooks. She is passionate about showing people just how awesome vegan food can be with simple, delicious recipes and vegan lifestyle tips.
