I feel like I’m a bit late to the party on kale chips. I’ve been hearing about kale chips for a couple of years now, but I’m just now getting around to experimenting with them. Kale salad has been a bit of an obsession of mine, so I’ve been sticking with what works for me. But since my kids and husband aren’t as obsessed with salad as I am, I figured I’d mix it up and see if they could get into “chips” instead.
There are certain key words that work with my kids. “Chips” is definitely one of those words. When my kids heard that I was making chips as part of our dinner, they were on board to try them. I mean, chips? For dinner? Now that’s a treat for my kids!
I did a little searching online and found a recipe for salt and vinegar kale chips that I thought would please everyone. Who doesn’t love salt and vinegar chips? Also, I already had all of the ingredients on hand, so that was a definite plus.
In less than 20 minutes, my first batch of kale chips were ready for a taste test…and the reviews were excellent! My kids and my husband loved the chips and ate every last one in the bowl. I, on the other hand, found that I prefer my kale salad to kale chips. But I will gladly make these for my family if it gets them to eat kale!
Here’s how I made the chips:
Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips (serves 2-4 as a snack)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of kale, thoroughly rinsed and dried (in a salad spinner or on an absorbent towel)
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, and lined 2 baking sheets with foil. While the oven was heating, I removed the kale stems and cut the kale into bite-sized pieces. In a large mixing bowl, I whisked together the olive oil, vinegar, and salt. I made sure the kale was thoroughly dried (the chips will taste better and last longer if they are properly dried), then added the kale pieces to the oil and vinegar mixture and tossed to coat. I spread the kale pieces in a single layer on the baking sheets and baked them for about 12 minutes (but I started checking them after 8 minutes). Once the chips were crisp, slightly shrunken, and darker (but not yet brown), they were ready to come out of the oven.
I let the chips cool slightly and then placed them in a bowl for my family to munch on. They are perfect for a quick, easy and healthy snack. Granted, they do take more time than opening a bag of potato chips, but I think getting my kids to eat kale is worth a few extra minutes! You can store kale chips in an airtight container for a couple of days, but I would recommend eating them the day they are made for the best flavor and texture.
