Spicy Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 2 bunches curly green kale central stalk removed, torn into bite-size pieces
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ - ¾ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika I use Pimenton de la Vera (optional)
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ - 1 teaspoon Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (see Cook's Notes).
- Wash and completely dry the kale. Set aside, sandwiched between paper towels, while you make the dressing.
- Place the rice vinegar in a small bowl. Add the salt and spices (if using them) and whisk a few times to dissolve the salt. Slowly add the olive oil, while whisking to get a good emulsion. Take a kale leaf and dip it into the dressing and take a bite. Adjust the seasoning to your own taste.
- Place the dry kale leaves in a large bowl and pour half of the dressing over it. Toss thoroughly with your hands and add more dressing as needed.
- Lay the dressed kale leaves on the prepped baking sheets in a single layer. The leaves can touch each other, but if the leaves are overlapping too much, they’ll steam and never get crispy.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese over the leaves.
- Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until crispy.
Notes
- These chips are a great entry point to kale for kids and adults alike, but I suggest eliminating the spices for kids.
- I've made these kale chips successfully with both dino and curly green kale, but prefer the shape of the latter.
- The center stalk of each leaf should always be removed when cooking kale; it’s very tough and no amount of cooking is going to significantly soften it. Think thick floss.
- You can cut the kale into bite-sizes pieces if in a hurry, but you’ll get prettier shapes if you tear them; although I should add that kale chips are not the prettiest type of chip you’ll probably ever make.
- I wash kale by tossing it in a bowl filled with ice water, spinning dry in a salad spinner, and laying out on paper towels. If the kale is a little limp coming out of the refrigerator, soaking it in a bowl of ice water is a great way to perk it up!
- It's important to line the baking sheet with parchment paper, otherwise the kale leaves will stick to the pan as they bake and crumble when you try to remove them.
- Eat like a potato chip or crumble over soups, salads, baked apples, pizza or popcorn.