Raw Food: Kale Chips 9 Ways!
Until yesterday, I had never created a raw food recipe for kale chips. I couldn’t bring myself to take a veggie that I consider a bit bitter and try to turn it into something yummy. My friend, Joanna kept insisting that they were fab so I decided to give it a whirl. They turned out better than I could have hoped for. Which is great because Kale is incredibly healthy.
Kale, which is actually a form of cabbage, is loaded with fiber. One cup of kale provides you with twice your daily requirement of vitamin A, tons of vitamin C and has over a thousand times the RDA for vitamin K! Kale helps keep your body strong and also helps prevent damage from other forces that are constantly attacking our bodies.
Kale is full of fiber and phytonutrients. It produces sulforaphane which is a natural cancer-fighter that signals the liver to produce cancer fighting enzymes. Kale has high amounts of carotenoids that protect your eyes from ultraviolet light and other major issues. It even helps prevent cataracts.
There are many different kinds of kale out there. I wanted to know how each one tasted, and how it adapted to different recipes. I bought dinosaur kale, purple kale and green kale. Then I came up with three different recipes. So, we have 9 different outcomes.
For the first batch I simply used olive oil and salt. For the second batch, I added garlic and thyme. The third batch, one of my favorites, is a spicy combination of chipotle and smoked paprika combined with some nutritional yeast, cashews and garlic. I think this hot version is my favorite.
The difference between the kale, after all was said and done was negligible. The dinosaur kale has a flatter shape and kept that through dehydration but the curly kale was fine and actually held a little more of the flavor mixture.The taste was pretty much the same for all. You can go very easy on the olive oil. They dehydrate very quickly (4-5 hours) so, start them early in the day and you will have a great snack for later. My biggest challenge with these was to not eat them all before I got the picture taken! Make a lot as they dehydrate down quite a bit.
Kale Chips
For all versions: wash and spin dry 2 bunches kale. Remove the tough spine and tear into bite size pieces, keeping in mind that they will shrink in size as they dehydrate.
Dinosaur Kale
Green Kale
Purple Kale
Kale Chips Three Ways
Version One
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Combine olive oil and sea salt in large bowl. Stir in kale and coat. Place on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 115 for 4-6 hours or until crisp.
Version Two
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
With food processor running, drop garlic in. It will mince. Add oil and thyme. Place mixture in bowl and follow directions above.
Version Three
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup Cashews, soaked at least 8 hours, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast*
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Chipotle (spice)
- Pinch Sea Salt
With processor running, drop in garlic and mince. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Pour over kale chips in a bowl and massage until kale is coated. Dehydrate on screens at 115 for 4-6 hours or until crisp. *Nutritional yeast is not raw but used frequently in raw food recipes.
Trish wrote on July 30, 2013
I don’t have a dehydrator but want to make the chips. Can I do them in the oven? If so, at what temperature and how long.
Susan wrote on July 31, 2013
Hi, Trish, You can make them in the oven but you will have to experiment. Since this is a raw food site, I don’t test the recipes in an oven. I would suggest starting at the lowest temp and keeping an eye on them. Cheers!
pamela wrote on May 19, 2013
Loved the base of this recipe but I like a lot of flavor so I spiced it up a bit more using; juice of 1 lemon, Tbls. of Nomishoyu, 1/2 of a red bell pepper, 1 small tomato, instead of dry chipotle spice I used the chipotle in adobe sauce using 1 of the peppers in the sauce plus a Tbls. of adobe sauce. OMG amazing!!! this sauce is good on just about anything.
Micheale wrote on April 24, 2013
Just wanted to let you know that I have passed this link for the Kale chips on to people who tried the ones I made and thought I was somehow a kitchen goddess for making them.
I ‘fessed up and sent the link to them.
I made them without the cashews, with the cashews, with grocery store barbeque rub, grocery store Pico de Gallo, and am looking at using some French Sea Salt blend on the next batch. So, yeah, these are a keeper and repeater.
Thanks for sharing them!
Susan wrote on April 24, 2013
Micheale…you put a smile on my face. Glad you are sharing the love.
pam wrote on March 7, 2013
I made the third version in my oven, set at lowest temp, around 120, for about 8 hours, absolutely loved them!! Will definitely be making more! They were every bit as good as the ones in the health food stores, better for you, I’m sure, and a whole lit cheaper. Thanks so much for all your great ideas!
Emily wrote on March 2, 2013
How long can you store kale chips? Also, are they best stored in the fridge or freezer?
Susan wrote on March 2, 2013
I would not freeze or refrigerate them. It would introduce moisture. You want to store them in a air-tight container. As far as for how last? We always eat them within two days!
Heather wrote on February 27, 2013
Oooo, a cheesy flavor…gotta love that..and of course the b vits too;)! Thanks a ton Susan!!:)
heather wrote on February 25, 2013
Hello:) Just got my first dehydrator and have been wanting one for a few yrs now! I LOVE kale in general and am excited to try the chips…sound amazing! Had a question on the yeast…can you use that recipe and omit the yeast? Im new to this and was wondering what specifically that adds to the chips? Thank you sooo much….LOVE your site!!! 🙂
Susan wrote on February 25, 2013
Yes..but the yeast is there for a cheesy flavor. It is wonderful. Don’t worry, it isn’t an active yeast and it is full of b vitamins.