Crunchy Raw Kale Chips

​Do you ever get the craving for something savoury, crispy and crunchy? Well if so, these chips are sure to hit that spot!
I love kale chips, but they’re so expensive to buy in the shops and in my opinion they don’t taste as good as homemade anyway, not by a long run!

After trying out various recipes, my favourite is this one. Erika, of A Little Insanity, inspired me. I think the addition of sundried tomatoes and dates gives it that little extra something!

These chips have a tangy, spicy taste, with a very slight hint of something sweet in the background.  Oh I can’t describe it, you’ll just have to try for yourself! You definitely won't be disappointed!

Crunchy, spicy & oh so delicious!

9 trays of kale chips ready to be dehydrated

​This recipe makes about 9 trays of delicious, crunchy chips. The ingredients list looks really long, but it's worth it.

You will need:

• 2 bunches of kale (I've used both curly kale and cavolo nero/dinosaur kale. Both are good, although personally I prefer the crunchiness that the cavolo nero gives.)
• 1 cup cashews
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• 8 halves sundried tomatoes
• 7-8 pitted dates (If you use Medjool, you won’t need so many, 3 should probably suffice.)
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 stick celery (optional, tastes great with, but works well without too)
• ½ - 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• 3 & ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar (I know, what’s with the “1/2”? In my opinion it’s needed, but you be the judge!)
• 3 tablespoons aminos (If you haven’t got aminos, use 2 tablespoons tamari. You need less as it’s stronger)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 & ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (it sounds like a lot, but it’s just enough to give the chips that extra bite)
• 1 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 & ½ cups water (to soak the sundried tomatoes and dates)
• ¼ - ½ cup water (if needed)

Method:
Leave to soak overnight in a bowl of filtered water (you will be discarding this water):

• 1 cup cashews
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup sesame seeds 

Cashews, sunflower seeds & sesame seeds

Soak the nuts & seeds (discard the water afterwards)

Leave to soak overnight in 1 & ½ cups of filtered water (you’ll be keeping and using this water for the cream):

• 8 halves sundried tomatoes
• 7-8 pitted dates 

Sundried tomatoes

Pitted dates

Soak the dates & sundries tomatoes

​Once you have soaked the above ingredients, you are ready to start.
(I always soak overnight, but as long as you soak the ingredients for at least 5 hours, it doesn’t matter when you do it.)

Making the cream.
If you're using a small or regular blender, do the blending in steps. If you're using a large, high-powered blender such as the Vitamix, you can blend everything together at one, as I did in the photos.
Blend together:

• 1 carrot
• 1 stick celery (optional, tastes great with, but works well without too)
• ½ - 1 onion
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• 3 & ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons aminos
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ - ½ cup water

​You will probably need to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula a few times.
Don’t worry about getting the mixture perfectly smooth, as you still have other ingredients to add.

​Drain & rinse the cashews, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and add them to the blender, together with the soaked dates (make sure you have removed the pits) and sundried tomatoes.
Blend until smooth and creamy.

Now add:

• 1 & ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (it sounds like a lot, but it’s just enough to give the chips that extra bite)
• 1 cup nutritional yeast

​If the mixture is too dense and is difficult to blend, add an extra ¼ - ½ cup of water.
The mixture should be quite thick.

The cream is ready

It makes quite a lot

​If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to de-stem the kale.
It’s not as difficult as it sounds!
Pick up a kale leaf and with one hand hold it by the stem and with the other hand pull your closed fingers along the stem with one sweep of your hand, literally pulling the leaves off of it.
For the chips you will only need the leaves, but you can always save the stems for juices or soups. They are quite strong in taste though.

​Wash and spin the de-stemmed kale dry, you don’t want it dripping wet.

Cavolo nero aka dinosaur kale

​If you have the space, have your dehydrating trays ready lined up so you won’t need to keep wiping your hands to prepare each tray as you need it.

​Now you need to cover the de-stemmed kale with all this creamy mixture.
I find that the best way is with my hands and a spatula.

Put some of the cream into a bowl & add some kale

Mix it in well

​Put a couple of cups of the mixture into a large bowl and add some of the de-stemmed kale leaves.
Massage the leaves with the cream, covering them well. If you’re using cavolo nero (like in the photo) really get the mixture into all the crevices.

​Place the leaves on the dehydrator sheets.

Cover the kale with the tasty cashew cream

Fill up the dehydrator sheets

​Dry at 125°F for 2 hours, then lower the heat to 114°F and continue drying for a further 20-22 hours, or until crisp.
After about 8-9 hours take a peek at the chips. If they have dried enough, turn the leaves over and if necessary, rotate the trays to ensure the chips dry completely.

Time to turn the chips over

Let the chips dry on the mesh tray once they are no longer creamy

125°F is not considered to be a ‘raw’ temperature, however, during the first 2 hours the food won’t reach that temperature and the enzymes will remain intact.
Dr. Ann Wigmore, the ‘mother’ of raw food eating, used this method of dehydrating.

Tips:
When you turn the chips over, transfer the chips from the smooth dehydrating sheet and move them onto the mesh one, this way more warm air can circulate and dry the chips.
And try not to eat them all in one go!