Kale is making a comeback in the kitchen as baked chips that trump their greasy potato counterpart.

Crisp, light and addicting is the best way I can describe my new savoury munching favourites.

Kale chips only require an easy 5-minute of preparation so the convenience and nutrients in these leaves make kale chips a winning combination for the student lifestyle and diet.

Ingredients

1 bunch of Kale
Olive oil
Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Gently remove stem from kale leaves using a knife to cut away the stem. Alternatively, use your hands to rip the leaves from the stem (using a knife is my preferred method to keep the leaves together in bigger pieces).

2. Tear kale into 3 or 4-inch pieces. Keep in mind: kale shrinks when it bakes, so don’t make pieces too small.

3. Soak kale in basin and allow any dirt particles to sink to the bottom. Rinse kale again and then dry thoroughly by patting it with a kitchen towel. Ensure kale is dry as damp kale will steam instead of bake and will not be crispy.

4. Before popping kale into the oven, season it with olive oil and salt. Thoroughly coat all leaves with a generous amount of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Sprinkle on any additional seasoning like cumin, chili flakes, garlic salt or smoked paprika. If you do decide to use wet ingredients such as vinegar or lemon juice, you will need to increase the baking time at a lower temperature to ensure the kale chips and wet ingredients turn out crispy.

5. Place kale on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and ensure the pieces are not overlapping too much, but only forms one layer on the sheet. Place tray in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Watch kale carefully and stay near the oven as kale chips can easily be overcooked with an extra minute of cooking time. Once they’re overcooked, they’ll be brown and bitter.

6. Remove chips from oven and allow them to cool on the tray. Avoid piling hot kale chips as this causes them to steam and wilt.

Kale chips can easily be kept for a few hours in a tightly sealed container, though storing them will likely affect its crispness; kale chips are best enjoyed right away and the crunchiness and potato-like after taste make this a great healthy substitute for potato chips!

Variations: Try sprinkling vinegar or lemon juice before baking. Kale chips can also be dipped in hummus or balsamic vinegar as a healthy snack or sprinkle bits of kale chips on top of pasta entrees to enhance your cooking presentation!

Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com