Kale Chips - the healthier chip

Kale is the oddest vegetable. I can't stand it raw, but when it's baked I'll eat handfuls until I'm sick. At health-food stores kale chips are ridiculously expensive - about $6 for a few ounces at my local store. Making it at home is so much cheaper but it'll take time. So be patient and you'll be rewarded with a great healthy snack!

The trick is to start off with the freshest kale. Look for dark green and curly leaves. If the kale looks limp or yellow, just pass. It'll produce mediocre chips.

A piece of kale ready to be made into a chip!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale 
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with  parchment paper or baking mats. 
• Rise kale well. Inspect leaves for bugs that can hide in the crevices of the leaves.
• Tear kale into chip-sized pieces (approximately 2 inches wide).
• Remove any large stems.
• Dry kale with a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMOVE AS MUCH MOISTURE AS POSSIBLE.
• Put enough kale on each tray to cover the tray with pieces overlapping minimally. 
• Pour one tablespoon of olive oil in the middle of on each tray
• Coat leaves with oil by smooshing them together (a.k.a. gently smashing).
• Spread the kale evenly on the baking sheet. 

 

• Bake for 25 minutes (check at 20 minutes). Done chips will literally "crunch" when you press on one and break into smaller pieces. If the kale feels wilted, bake for another 5-10 minutes. 
• Lightly salt chips while they're hot. 

 

• Enjoy! If the chips will be made ahead of time, verify that they have cooled completely before storing in an airtight container. Chips will be good for a week. 

  For comparison, close up pictures of the leaves before and after! (Units are in inches).

Some side notes:

• A large bunch of kale (big enough to fill a typical produce bag) will make 4 tray-fulls and yield about 4 cups. 
• A small bunch of kale (the size of a small lettuce head) will make 1-2 trays.