Crispy Roasted Kale
This is one of my favourite ‘in front of the TV’ snacks. It’s almost like eating popcorn, but you can indulge in the notion that kale is incredibly good for you – the dark green colour is indicative of the huge amount of anti-oxidants that it contains and it’s full of vitamins and fibre too! This Crispy Roasted Kale tastes just like the deep-fried seaweed that you get from a Chinese restaurant without all the horrible MSG that you get in a Chinese takeaway. Also, as it’s oven baked it has less of the greasiness and fat content than it would if it was fried. And it’s incredibly easy to make!
You start by pre-heating the oven to 80C or 170F. You want to cook this for a long time on a low heat to dry the kale out. If you try to cook it on too high a heat it will just burn and turn to charcoal. Prep the kale by removing as much of the tough stalks as you can. If you have large kale leaves, slice them in half and remove the tough spine, if you have chopped kale, go through it a bit and just remove any of the stalks that you can see.
Lay the kale out on a baking tray and drizzle the olive oil all over. Season liberally with salt and pepper. You could also add other spices at this point, whatever takes your fancy, I’m sure cumin would be delicious (a tsp for the whole baking tray should be sufficient).
Then you need to get your hands involved. Massage and toss the kale with the olive oil and seasoning so that everything is coated with a small amount of the oil. Make sure the kale is evenly distributed over the baking tray and pop it into the oven for 40-45 mins.
You can take it out and stir it a bit halfway through but you’ll know it’s done when all of the kale is crispy and it crumbles if you squeeze it between your fingers. It will have turned a darker green and if you hold a piece up to the light it will be slightly translucent.
Transfer to a bowl and enjoy in front of your favourite TV show or movie! Or use it as a replacement for the fatty, fried seaweed in your favourite Chinese meal – I served it alongside my Slow-Cooked, Sticky Chinese Chicken Thighs. Sprinkle over salads for an extra crunch – you really can use it anywhere. If you have any left over (I bet you won’t) you can keep it in a ziplock bag in the fridge but it does tend to lose its crispness after a while as it takes on moisture from the air – although you can always pop it in the oven for a few more mins to dry it out and crisp it up again.
This amount serves 4 as a snack or 2 (in a big bowl to share) for TV munchies!!
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Kale chips are a family favorite. They go quickly in our house. I have to hide them if I want some on my salad.
I know – my boyfriend inhaled most of these before I even got a look in!! ?
This looks delicious! I know kale is good for me and I want to like it, but I’m just not a huge salad person. This looks like the perfect way to eat it!
This tastes like a treat and definitely doesn’t taste like its good for you!! ?
Kale roasted is soooooo good. Watch it close so it doesn’t burn.
I love kale! I don’t roast kale often enough. Thanks for the reminder to bring this back into rotation!
This sounds sooo good! I’m always looking for new ways to cook and eat kale.
Love this, I’m excited to try your recipe!
Yummy! Looks like a healthy yet delicious snack.
I have to try this. I am always looking for new ways to incorporate kale in my diet.
It is a great snack! I never thought about adding cumin, but I’ll have to try it. Thanks!
Thank you, will try this out, I have only tried once and failed but love crispy kale!
I love kale chips!! They are a great way to enjoy something salty and crunchy, and so good for you at the same time. I’ll have to give your recipe a try.
I have never tried this or even thought about it for that matter, but it sounds interesting!
Can we use spinach or any other green leafy instead of kale?
I haven’t tried it with any other veggies – kale is much more fibrous than spinach so I’m not sure spinach wouldn’t just crumble when it’s roasted. Maybe something like chard or Spring greens would work – let me know if you give anything a try and how it turns out! ?
Looks really yummy and healthy. definitely good for diet.
I am going to have to try this, my children love eating fresh kale from our veggie patch.
Green and healthy, sure winner by far.
I’ll need to try this!
I tasted this goodness when a dear friend of mine hosted a vegan dinner. I love Kale chips like crazy!
This sure is perfect for those who have been on a strict diet. I am not familiar with kale but sure it is one of the best option to eat if you are keeping your goal to maintain a good frame.
This sounds amazing deco gonna try but what temp for ithe oven?
Hi Catherine – It’s 80C or 170F – mentioned in the 2nd paragraph 🙂