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Several friends have been raving to me lately about homemade kale chips, a delicious way to enjoy your leafy greens. While you can buy them at the health food store too, they are WAY tastier not to mention FAR less expensive if you take a few minutes and make them yourself!Â
In particular, kale chips really satisfy as a low carb snack when you are craving a crunch but don’t want to eat any type of starchy chip.
Why It’s Best to Cook Your Kale
Making kale chips basically involves breaking up an entire bunch into 2-inch pieces, mixing them with olive oil, vinegar, and salt and then drying them out to a crisp in a warm oven for about 30 minutes. That’s it!
Why are we even taking the time to make kale chips, you may ask?  Isn’t kale far better to eat raw in a green smoothie?
Actually, the answer is no, kale is not a good choice for eating raw. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, and as such, contains goitrogens that actively suppress the thyroid gland. Contrary to popular belief, however, it is not high in oxalic acid, which can be a risk for the kidneys.
The good news is that gentle cooking above 212 F /100 C will significantly reduce the goitrogens, so you can enjoy your kale with reduced downside risk. (1)
If you already suffer from thyroid disorders, you may choose to avoid cruciferous veggies altogether, and that is, of course, your choice based on your personal situation.
However, in the context of a traditional, iodine-rich diet, cooked cruciferous veggies like kale are a healthy choice.
I realize that there are people reading this who will scoff at the recommendation to cook kale. I would suggest to those who are really into the green smoothie fad that blowing out your thyroid is not a great idea. Whatever small amounts of nutrition are lost by the gentle cooking of kale is more than made up for in the additional protection to this delicate, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck.
You don’t want to do ANYTHING that messes with your thyroid. This little gland is very hard to fix once it goes on the fritz. Protect it at all costs!
Homemade Kale Chips
I should mention that I was skeptical of this recipe at first, as I really do not like kale much at all. I must say that after trying them myself, the verdict is that they are truly delicious!
They make a good crunchy substitute for croutons on salads if you are low-carbing it.
Another great thing about this kale chips recipe is that it uses olive oil. Fat eaten with your veggies increases nutrient absorption considerably. If you’re worried about cooking with olive oil, the linked article explains why this isn’t a problem. The recipe turns out better with olive oil than using coconut oil or even avocado oil, in my opinion.
Homemade Kale Chips Recipe
Easy recipe for homemade kale chips that preserves the nutrients and reduces the potential for thyroid damage from the goitrogenic substances in this popular leafy green vegetable.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale rinsed well and dried, preferably organic
- 1 Tbl raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Strip leaves from stems in approximately 2 inch pieces. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
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Place kale pieces in a large ziplock bag and pour dressing over them. Close bag tightly. Massage dressing into the kale pieces for 1-2 minutes.
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Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets and bake at 300 F/ 149 C for 20-30 minutes. Turn the kale pieces for the last 10 minutes to make sure both sides are thoroughly dried out and crisp.
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Yum! The crunchiness is what makes this recipe, in my opinion. Kale chips would be an awesome, grain free addition to salads for that bit of crunchiness without any croutons!
Recipe Notes
I used red kale for this recipe, but any type of kale works great!
Sherry Rothwell
I just made a video demo on how to make Kale Chips about a week ago! Here is the link to the blog post containing the recipe and a youtube video:
http://wholefoodswholefamily.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/how-to-make-kale-chips-a-foodie-family-friday-production/
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Ok…what green veggies are safe to juice? Celery and cucumbers? (sorry it's off topic!)
TinaC
Oh yes, they get nice and crisp! But I am going to try to lower temp next time, especially since I use the olive oil. Love your articles, they always get me thinking and give us such great ideas!
Sarah Smith
They are also very good using lemon juice instead of vinegar. I use a mixture of refined coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil so that the oven temps are fine for the oil too. But that was with a higher temp, so perhaps using your 300 degree temp the olive oil would be fine by itself.
Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist
Amy, great tip about just rubbing the dressing in my hand. Will try that next time I make them.
Tina, a lower temp for a little longer would probably preserve the nutrition a little better than a higher temperature for a shorter period of time. Do yours get nice and crisp in only 15 minutes at 375?
Michelle .. I will have to try the cayenne. I wondered if it would be too tangy but will have to try now that you mention it. I love tamari too. Yummy!
Michelle (Health Food Lover)
I love Kale Chips! I love adding cayenne as well! And tamari is another great option too.
At different times I've also used coconut oil and olive oil which both work really well.
I would love to make some kale chips…its all out of season now which is sad!
Derek
Curious… Is olive oil safe when used for this baking of the kale. I read it turns toxic in the case of using it above a saute.
TinaC
Yum! I generally toss the kale with a little olive oil, sea salt, and some diced onions and cook them at 375 for about 15 minutes, we love them! Would the higher temp affect the nutritional value at all?
Amy
i make kale chips alot! and love them:) i massage them by hand – no need to use a plastic bag (and your hands get nice and soft). my favorite toppings is nutritional yeast – such a great umami flavor. a little soy sauce is good too.
Elizabeth
I've not used apple cider vinegar…I'll have to try it. I normally do oil and garlic salt.
Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist
I really should mention that I bought the organic kale at the store yesterday afternoon and put them in the refrigerator overnight .. this morning I saw they were getting slightly wilted already, so I made the kale chips right away and posted about it shortly thereafter. So, if you buy a bunch of organic kale to make this, be ready to make them right away as the kale gets wilty pretty fast in the fridge. My MIL told me that to keep it fresher longer, stick the stems in a glass half full of filter water and cover them with a plastic bag and then refrigerate.
Chris
I’d like to add: I use my “Misto” sprayer for adding the olive oil to the dry kale leaves, which leaves a very light amount on every piece. (I only mist one side.) But, since I’ve never heard of using ACV, I may put both EVOO and ACV into my Misto! Sounds delicious!
One more thing: Trader Joe’s now has “dehydrated” kale chips that have a delicious coating. I saw a similar recipe on The Raw Chef’s website, using cashews, etc. I’m going to try that recipe next!
Diane
To keep Veggies longer in fridge ~ shave the cut end, ust to expose fresh end and rinse tips in water, rebag and refrigerate..this works well for celery, red cabbage, lettuce, Kale..