If anyone in your house is not eating as many greens as you think they ought to be (whether it’s you, or the kids, or your spouse), then make this asap! Think of it as a kind of party salad. You’ll notice that this particular recipe uses two large bunches of kale, but don’t think that’s too much: once they shrink in the oven, they turn into a moderate-sized bowl of chips at best.
Make sure to set the oven temperature below 250 degrees, because higher temps may burn your kale chips! It may take a little bit longer to reach optimum crunch factor at a lower temp, but you’ll be glad you waited, because the flavor and crispness will be so worth it. Thank you to nourishingmeals.com for an earlier version of this recipe.
2 large bunches kale, rinsed well
1 small lime, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons creamy almond butter (tahini or sunflower seed butter are also good)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes (less if you are squeamish or sensitive)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (see the recipe* below)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Use a knife to slice out the thick rib in the center of each kale leaf. Chop the leaves into large pieces and place in a large bowl.
Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, almond butter, maple syrup, chili flakes and salt in a small bowl. Pour mixture over the kale and use your hands to massage the mixture into each and every cranny of each and every leaf.
Spread kale in a single layer onto one large (or two medium-sized) cookie sheets. Bake 40 minutes until crisp. Remove pans a few times to flip and stir the kale leaves. Remove from oven, allow to cool, transfer to a bowl, and serve. Yum!
*Seasoned salt (recipe)
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 1/8 cup dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon dried kelp
Add entire list of ingredients to a mini-food processor, process until well mixed, and store for use as desired. Don’t stress if you happen to be missing a couple of the ingredients. Just carry on!