Kale Chips: A Savory, Simple, and Nourishing Snack

April 4, 2009

When some friends announced they'd be stopping by last Sunday, I wanted to make a welcoming snack in a flash. But after hours of munching on heavy March Madness snacks the day before, I needed to give my body a little lovin' with some lighter, vegetable-centric fare.

I knew exactly what to make: oven-baked chips made from nothing but olive oil and Tuscan kale. The crispy bite, conceived by James Beard-nominated chef Dan Barber, is so basic, it's practically a non-recipe. Find out how I made these nutty, melt-in-your mouth chips when you read more.

From Bon Appétit

Tuscan Kale Chips

Ingredients

12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 250°F. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves.
Transfer leaves to rack to cool.

Makes approximately 24 chips.

View 5 Photos ›

16 Comments

KateFurr67 3 years 28 weeks

I tried these with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and they were quite good! They got a little toasted and aren't as good as they could be I think. I'm going to try marinating them a little longer in the vinegar to infuse the flavor more and then try crisping them in the dehydrator. Thanks for the recipe! Kate http://haphazardhomestead.blogspot.com/

POPSUGAR Food 4 years 6 weeks

LemonOut: Yes, definitely! lilprisci: You could experiment with different seasonings (Cajun seasonings, maybe even a little grated Parmesan cheese), but I think these chips are probably a bit too delicate to stand up to a dip. They break quite easily!

LemonOut 4 years 6 weeks

I don't know if I have com across tuscan kale. Will the normal kale from the supermarket work?

michlny 4 years 6 weeks

I LOVE Kale Chips! I used to make them everyday so I get my daily greens....but I have forgotten! Thanks for the reminder!

GlowingMoon 4 years 6 weeks

Interesting. I may try this for the holidays. It would make an interesting appetizer.

La Tua Cantante 4 years 6 weeks

I like kale! That would probably be good with hummus. But then again I love hummus so much I put it on absolutely anything.

lilprisci 4 years 6 weeks

Oh these looks so tasty!! Any ideas about dips or the like? Some hummus maybe or just a little salt and garlic powder perhaps?

jhig 4 years 6 weeks

Yuk!!! This reminds me of the time a friend and I visited an Asian Market. She picked up a bag of Dried Seaweeds and ate them like potatoe chips. After trying one out myself, I didn't stop gagging until two days later. So, I'll have to give this a pass.

Txredd 4 years 6 weeks

I've not had them before. They do sound good.

amylp 4 years 6 weeks

Kale chips are soo good! I like to add a bit of lemon juice, garlic powder and nutritional yeast to mix in with the olive oil.

ChowMama Stacie 4 years 6 weeks

I heard that Bon Appétit featured this recipe. The pics look great! And kale chips are DEF worth making. I recently posted a recipe that's very similar, but adds a bit of cider vinegar. You might want to try that, too. Do a little taste test! Either way, you win! Stacie http://www.chowmama.com/2009/03/10/kale-chips/

hithatsmybike 4 years 6 weeks

ooh! I want to try this! Kale is the best food you can possibly eat health-wise -- but I have yet to try it because I don't really know what to do with it. This looks great!

Advah 4 years 6 weeks

I found out about these by "mistake" (read: I forgot kale in the oven) and they're incredibly delicious! My friend and I spent the whole winter "burning" kale! :P

Spectra 4 years 6 weeks

I've never tried these, but they sound kind of good. I would never have thought to bake kale like that...it seems kind of different, like baking lettuce or something.