I am thrilled that the hearty leafy greens are coming into season, full-force. The farmers market was OVERRUN with great options this past week, and I had big plans for the bunches of kale we picked up.
Kale chips were one of the first things I discovered when I began my raw food experiment a few years ago (it was eight months of food adventuring and a really interesting way to connect with how, what, and why I was eating). Kale continues to be a staple in our home, and when it comes to versatile preparations, this leafy green takes the cake. (Maybe we should change the saying to 'takes the kale' -- anyone? Maybe?)
These kale chips are super easy to prepare. They're incredibly nutrient-dense (lots of great stuff for the body without a ton of calories, no preservatives, trans fats, etc... which regular chips simply can't compete with!). They're also incredibly good and make a wonderful addition to parties. (We recently had a housewarming and these were the hands-down winner, food-wise, for the night. How about the kale-down winner? No? Too much?)
This time around, I used lacinato (or dinosaur) kale, but curly kale works as well! I've not tried to make chips out of Russian red or purple varieties, but I imagine they could work, too! Lacinato was a nice option here because it's so dense: it holds up well when coated with sauce.
If you don't have a dehydrator, no worries! You can bake these chips in the oven at 200F (and it actually takes less time). Texturally, they will be a little different than the dehydrated version, but just as yummy. If you will be using a dehydrator, plan ahead: these take 6-8 hours to dehydrate fully.
These are awesome as a snack substitute, a pairing with a sandwich or soup, or to complement a raw veggie pasta dish. Enjoy!
- 2 heads lacinato kale, washed, hard ribs removed (each piece should be about 4-6" long, so feel free to tear up as necessary)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp each: curry powder, chili powder, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, turmeric, ground coriander
- Combine olive oil, yeast, salt, and spices in a small bowl and mix until smooth.
- Toss kale with mixture in a large bowl. I like to do this in several small batches to ensure it's evenly coated.
- - spread onto trays and dehydrate for 6-8 hours at 113F, checking in at about hour #6 to remove any pieces that are fully 'cooked'
- - preheat to 200F
- - spread kale on baking sheets in a single layer
- - bake for 40-45 minutes until crispy
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
[…] We topped it with already roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini, along with a little extra Daiya (because it’s delicious). I am looking forward to trying this recipe again and seeing what other kind of fun I can create with the same basic crust recipe + other add-ins (sweet potato? spices? kale chips?!) […]