Let's get this out of the way: Kale is a funky vegetable.
Unlike other greens that may look like dainty little bushes that pop up from the ground, kale leaves are tough, wrinkled, crinkled, and regardless of the variety, deeply green. Almost prehistoric in nature, calorie-for-calorie kale is the most nutritionally dense food on the planet.
For many, it's also intimidating. Fear not! I’m offering an approach that will quell even the most fearful vegetable eater: chips. With a little dip on the side, you’d never know you were being healthy. (Bonus: it's a pretty amazing dip.) Then, once you've made yourself or whomever you're cooking for a kale fan, you can branch out to more wait-it's-healthy-and-green recipes. Because you'll already have established that kale is delicious. And for as many superfood fans there are out there, there's still several folks that find kale unapproachable. Many of those folks are kids. Some of those folks are picky eaters. Either way, you can usually win them over with salty & crunchy.
Make It CRISPY, then dip it.
This delicious crunchy, Crispy Kale is set off by a fabulously tangy Homemade Ranch Dressing that sure to please the pickiest palates.
Yep, the kids, the picky eaters, the basic babes who think Ranch belongs on everything - we're hitting them right where they live. In fact, you may want to make this for your next ballgame/game night/chips & dip moment, because you're gonna have fans. Promise.
But you can make the Ranch by itself if you want, too. We won't judge you.
Do More With Kale!
Once you've master Crispy Kale, pick up some extra kale to make Colcannon- Irish Mashed Potatoes with Kale (another way to create kale-lovers!). Then try Crazy Delicious Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad, Kale Salad with Cranberries and Pumpkin Seeds (a meal-prep wonder) or even Kale + Sweet Potato Lasagna.
Crispy Kale with Tangy Homemade Ranch
Ingredients
For the chips:
- 1 bunch kale
- olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the tangy ranch dressing:
- 1 green onion, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tbs. dill
- 1 tbs. Italian parsley
- 7 oz. whole-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbs. olive oil
- 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 4 tbs. half-and-half
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the chips:
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Wash kale leaves. (Note: I leave them whole, but you may wish to remove the center stem of each leaf—it'll stay chewy, even after cooking). Toss the leaves with enough olive oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- On a silpat-lined baking sheet, lay out the leaves in a single layer, and place in the oven. After 15 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until leaves are crisp but not brown.
For the dressing:
- In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined. Serve chilled with the chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Crispy Kale recipe credit: Tracy Edwards for TasteFresno
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