How to make dehydrator crispy kale chips - 3 tasty flavours!

Dehydrator vitamin K chips!

Do you often get a bit peckish for something savoury? Looking for a healthy and tasty snack that you can call on to fill the gap? How about some crispy kale chips; AKA vitamin K chips?

Kale is especially abundant in vitamin K (famous for fighting cancer) This queen green is crazy good for you! As well as being a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, kale is high in iron, a rich source of antioxidants, an anti-inflammatory AND high in fibre! Quite a list - don’t you think? Even better, dehydrated kale leaves, retain all these nutrients just as if you were eating the raw leaves.

What more could you want in a chip? 3 flavours perhaps? Well you got it.

• Salt ‘n’ pepper
• Moroccan spice
• Asian twist

Crispy kale chips are a deliciously different snack for all sorts of occasions. I consider them perfect pre-dinner finger food. Watch out, the crunch is super satisfying!

WHICH KALE IS BEST?

I always recommend organic veggies free from nasty pesticides. I used organic black kale and Tuscan kale. Both varieties became equally crispy, so I don’t have a preference.

GOOD QUALITY, OIL MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Olive oil is most commonly used for kale chips however I have used both coconut oil and sesame oil with yummy results.
Note: Coconut oil can be difficult to manage in colder months because it solidifies quickly and is difficult to massage into the leaves.

Ingredients 

1.  SALT 'N PEPPER CRISPY KALE CHIPS
½ bunch kale leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
finely cracked black pepper to taste (optional)

2.  MOROCAN SPICE CRISPY KALE CHIPS
½ bunch kale leaves
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil (or a combination)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground chili powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground cumin powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano

3.  ASIAN TWIST CRISPY KALE CHIPS
½ bunch kale leaves
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon of olive oil (mix oils together)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (light toasted tastes even better)
¼ teaspoon of Chinese five spice

Method

1.  Cut the stems off the leaves. (Save the stems for another dish, they are too good to waste).
2.  Wash the leaves and pat dry thoroughly. A salad spinner does the trick very efficiently.
3.  Prepare your preferred seasoning mix in a small bowl and set aside.
4.  Pour the required amount of oil into a small dish. With your finger-tips, rub a tiny amount of oil over both sides of each leaf. Making sure the oil reaches all the outer curly tips. Do not drench the leaves, a fine coating is all that is needed. Lay the freshly oiled leaves in a single layer on a tray or platter.
5.  Lightly sprinkle the seasoning mix onto each leaf. Turn the leaves and dust the other side. A fine sieve produces a perfect even coverage.

6.  Transfer the leaves to the dehydrator trays. Lay the leaves in a single layer. It is best not to overlap the leaves.
7.  Dehydrate on a low heat overnight. A higher temperature can be used and in less time (approx 5 hours) however I took the slow route to ensure all the nutrients were as close to their vital raw state as possible. When the crispy kales chips are done they will have shrunk considerably.
8.  Kept air tight, crispy kale chips stay fresh (and crispy) for over a week.

Love vegetable chips? Click over to these dehydrator beetroot chips with rosemary and salt or thesesweet potato chips.

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