How To Make Your Greens Into Chips

One of the easiest and most delicious ways to prolong their shelf life for future eating is to make kale and spinach chips. All you need is some olive oil, salt, and of course, kale and/or spinach. They can be made in either an oven or a food dehydrator.

First, cut out any thick stems from the leaves by running a knife down both sides of the stem.* Lightly coat the leaves in oil before sprinkling with salt. Remember, the leaves shrink as they cook resulting in concentrated flavor so go easy on the salt! If you’re using both spinach and kale, cook them separately as the kale tends to take longer. Arrange them in a single layer on cookie sheets for the oven or in the food dehydrator. If using an oven, preheat to only 275° or less to reduce the risk of burning.

Cook or dehydrate until the leaves are completely dried out with no ply or moisture left at all. You may need to flip them half way through. In the oven this takes anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. In the food dehydrator it could take several hours.

Once they are done, store them in an airtight container (though they’re great right out of the oven). They are great as is for snacks, but my favorite way to eat them is crumbled slightly on top of casseroles, mashed potatoes, pasta dishes, popcorn, or sandwiches. They soak up a little moisture from the prepared foods and just melt in your mouth while adding tons of flavor and nutrition! These should last several weeks, if not months, if dehydrated thoroughly.

The stems can be composted or saved for a stir-fry as they are delicious chopped and cooked down a little.