I know what you’re thinking…
Is she really doing another post about kale chips?
Yes. Yes I am.
After writing about how to make kale chips using long, elegant dinosaur kale leaves, then reviewing an artisanal kale chip product, I thought I’d said about all I had to say on the subject. Not true. I’ve just learned there’s a new kale in town – baby kale!
Some baby vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes, are fully ripe miniature vegetables cultivated for perfection, while others are immature vegetables picked before they’re fully grown. Baby kales are the latter. Their leaves are harvested before they mature to make sure they’re extra tender and sweet. Unlike mature kale, baby kale leaves don’t have thick central stalks to trim away, and if you choose to buy organic, they are free of pesticides, pre-washed, and ready to use. Toss them with olive oil and a little seasoning, and you can have them in the oven in under a minute.
I used a medley of baby kales for this batch, some of which had long stems that were a bit tough. You can pinch them off before baking or leave them on like I did. They make a great handle if you want to dip your chips in a little vinaigrette.
A note about salt: The first time I made kale chips I seasoned them liberally, as if they were potato chips. Big mistake. They were so salty they were almost inedible. As the kale bakes in the oven, it dehydrates, causing the salt to become more concentrated. Now I season them lightly before baking, taste after they come out of the oven, then add more salt if needed.
- 4 cups loosely packed baby kales
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, more if you like some heat
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 275 F
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Pile baby kale leaves in the middle of the baking sheet
- Drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and salt
- Using your hands, toss well to combine
- Spread kale out in a single layer
- Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until leaves are very crisp
- Check the seasoning. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.
- Enjoy.
- Store in an air tight container. Do not refrigerate.
I still know what you’re thinking…
Surely that’s the last of the kale chips posts.
Yes. Yes it is, but I can’t promise I don’t have one planned for a baby kale salad.
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Good tip about the salt Laura.
Thanks Val. I learned it the hard way
I love how fresh these look even though they’ve been baked. I bet these chips are addictive!
They are addictive and even more so with dip. I had some leftover orange-miso vinaigrette on hand that went perfectly. Thanks very much for stopping by
Totally with you on the love for “baby” things! I love kale chips in any form — can’t wait to try these out!
Also, love your blog — I nominated you for a Liebster Award!
Thank you so much Ishita! I’m very flattered; especially coming from a fellow Don Draper fan
After visiting your site it’s easy to see why you were nominated. You have so many incredible looking recipes! (I’ve already bookmarked your adaptation of Tom Colicchio’s chickpea sandwich at ‘wichcraft.)
My sister recently made us all kale chips to nibble on in the office – unfortunately she also over salted them but the texture was good.
I am still a little unsure about how I feel regarding the kale chip. I’ve purchased a bag at Urban Fair and it wasn’t my cup of tea, but then again it was ranch flavour :S
I’ll be passing this along to my sister.
Murissa
In my opinion Kale chips are best when just barely salted before cooking. I’ve made the same easy mistake of too much salt and it ruins the chips. The store bought ones from my experience have never been as good as homemade, and the ones with flavor added are usually terrible.
Also adding a little Lemon after cooking adds some great flavor, but be careful as its easy to get too much and ruin the chips.
I like the idea of adding lemon to bring the slightly bitter tone into balance.
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Laura, you are always on top of the food trends. This looks delicious and fun. Love your writing style, I think I said it before. Very engaging and makes me feel like I am there with you.
Thanks very much Dina! So nice to hear from you!
Thanks for posting your kale recipe. I’ve been wanting to try something like this because I’ve really been missing chips as a snack since I started losing weight last year. Was thinking about spinach chips, but the spicy kale would be nice to mix in there.
Laura, I wasn’t sure where to place this comment. Love the new look of the site, so stylish and sophisticated. Very exciting.
Thanks so much Dina! Lots of work still to do but I’m enjoying the process.
What shelf in the oven?
Hi Jessie – I use the middle rack.
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