Umami Kale Chips

These kale chips are the perfect snack. I have shared them with countless friends and family over the years and all of them react the same way—they want more! The dressing is rich, tart, and savory; the kale is crisp and crunchy and totally chip-like. I prefer Tuscan kale here for its thicker, textured leaves that grip onto the dressing, but feel free to use any kale. The grated garlic is the most labor-intensive part, which just goes to show how easy this recipe is, and which is why I made it optional because sometimes I skip it just to get to the point. (Photo source: Nora Becker)

Yield: About 4 cups | Active time: 5 - 10 minutes, Inactive time: 2 hours

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 large cloves garlic, finely grated (optional)

1 bunch (about 10 ounces) Tuscan kale, washed and dried (or salad-spun), stems removed and leaves torn into big chip-size pieces

Potential substitutions

I like Tuscan kale (also known as lacinato or dino kale) for this recipe, but feel free to use any kale variety.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200F. If your oven has a dehydrator setting—or if you have a stand-alone dehydrator—use that, set to the same temperature.

In a large mixing bowl (big enough for the kale), whisk together the olive oil, tahini, soy sauce, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and grated garlic, if using. Taste and add a little more vinegar or lemon juice if you want more tartness, soy sauce if you want more saltiness, or olive oil if you want to mellow the other flavors.

Add the kale to the bowl and mix with clean hands, rotating the kale and dressing. Mix until all the pieces of kale are well-coated. Make sure to rub the dressing into the crevices of the kale.

If you are using an oven, set a wire baking rack into a sheet pan. The wire baking rack is critical here, as it allows air flow to access the underside of the kale to create a crispy chip. You can still make the kale chips directly on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, but it will be harder to get the perfect crispness.

Spread the dressed kale onto the wire rack. You want the kale to be spread out as much as possible to help with drying, but it’s okay if leaves are touching or overlapping—these may just take a bit longer to dry.

Bake for about an hour, then check on the kale and pull out any chips that seem completely dry. Put the remaining kale back in the oven to dry out more. Check back in another thirty minutes, repeating steps above. Bake any remaining still-limp or -wet kale until dry.

Store dry kale chips in a large air-tight container at room temperature. They can last well, maybe a week—but mine never do. Snack away!