Posted by Janet Harriett on Mar.06, 2010

©iStockphoto.com - SharonDay

I discovered kale chips while looking for something to satisfy a crispy snack craving during a period of low-carb eating. I’ve eaten low carb off and on since 2003, and unless you buy into deep-fried pig skin as a healthy snack option, low carb just isn’t a very crispy diet. Celery and other raw vegetables can satisfy a need to crunch, but as I quickly learned on my first low-carb experience, crunchy isn’t the same as crispy. After a few weeks, I missed that crumble-in-your-mouth feeling of chips and crackers. Crispy kale fills that dietary void.

Variations on crispy kale abound, often with names that attest to the somewhat addictive nature of kale baked until crispy. This disappears quickly around my house, often straight off the baking sheet. After one experimental batch made for a brown-bag lunch, I found that crispy kale doesn’t stay crisp overnight, but you can re-crisp it. Another five minutes in the oven after it gets limp, and crispy kale is good as new.

Crispy Kale Chips

1 bunch kale (curly or flat)
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt, to taste, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 F and position an oven rack in the middle.

Wash the kale and dry thoroughly. Tear the kale off the midribs and into bite-sized pieces. The more evenly sized the pieces, the more evenly the kale cooks. Uneven pieces result in some burnt chips and some underdone chips in the same batch.

Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle the olive oil over the leaves. Toss to coat. To ensure a thorough coating of all the leaf surface, particularly with curly kale varieties, get your hands in there and rub the leaves to get oil over all the leaf surface, and moisturize your hands at the same time. For an extra tasty kale chip, use a flavored oil. Kale with garlic chili oil is a favorite with my family.

Spread the kale pieces on a baking sheet. Try not to heap more than a couple of leaves deep to ensure even crisping.

Bake on the center oven rack for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. The kale is done when it’s crumbly and bright green with hints of brown around the edges. Particularly on metal baking sheets, the parts of the leaves in direct contact with the baking sheet cook much faster than the parts in the air, so stir and flip the leaves frequently to ensure even cooking. Crispy kale goes from “done” to “burnt” quickly, so keep a vigilant watch as it’s cooking.

When the kale is done, sprinkle salt or other powdered seasoning to taste, if desired.

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Posted under Food, Nutrition & Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Snacks.