Kale Chips

My twitter food challenge throw downs with @darthgarry continue! This time, it’s kale chips. After he braved my croquembouche challenge, he gave me kale chips. Not exactly a challenge equal in difficulty, but certainly a worthy one. There are tales of failed, soggy kale chips scattered throughout the internet so I was a little concerned.

I did some research – and frankly, kale chips are deceptively simple. Some olive oil and salt and you’re basically set. The key here is to not over-saturate the kale with olive oil. For a large bundle of kale all you really need is a tablespoon, maybe less, of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.

But, because I’m me, I couldn’t just settle with olive oil and salt. The night I made the kale chips I had been roasting asparagus and sweet potatoes in a vinaigrette of sorts.

Last summer I was perusing the aisles at Trader Joe’s and came upon the most delightful sounding vinegar – orange muscat champagne vinegar to be exact! The bottle was cheap – definitely less than $5 and as it turns out I used that stuff all summer long on my salads and in marinades. It’s light and refreshing, not overly sweet and it adds a nice zip to a vinaigrette without being as acidic as lemon juice.

Since I was baking the kale chips on the same pan I’d just roasted veggies in my made-up mix, I thought I’d do the same for the kale. As it turns out, it was a really lovely compliment to the deep, earthy flavor of the kale.

I’ve made two batches of these bad boys now and my friends and co-workers adore them! Just remember: light touch with the olive oil and diligence when it comes to watching the time (20 minutes is really all they need) and you’ll have a healthy, crunchy snack.

Recipe after the jump, enjoy!

Kale Chips

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Trader Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 large bunch of kale, leaves torn off stalk

Pre-heat your oven to 300F.

Mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl until fully combined.

On a non-stick cookie sheet or a parchment lined sheet pan, place the torn kale leaves and drizzle the vinaigrette over them. Using your hands make sure each kale leaf is coated in the mixture – the leaves will turn dark green.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Check them for texture – crunchy and flaky? They’re done! If not, pop them in for a 2-3 more minutes. 

Place in an air tight container for snacking!