Sun Dried Tomato Basil Kale Chips

Kale chips is a great way to increase your snacking pleasure using plant-based foods. They are not deep fried, but still have a wonderful flavor like a chip, and the texture and calories are much lighter. These kale chips are a perfect light snack if you get hungry before you make dinner. Enjoy this guilt free, tasty treat knowing each bite is packed with nourishment.

The original recipe comes from Oh She Glows.com, although, the recipe I am posting is my version based on the foods I keep on hand. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Sun Dried Tomato Basil Kale Chips

Time: Preparation: 1hour 15minutes Dehydration: 8-10 hours
Difficulty: easy
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♥ Ingredients ♥

2 bunches of kale

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup, loosely filled, sun dried tomatoes

3 large garlic cloves

4 tablespoons, packed tightly, fresh basil leaves

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or Nutritional Yeast

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

– Walnuts and sun dried tomatoes need to soak for an hour. To make this process easy, use a 2 cup size measuring cup (minimum size if possible). First add 1 cup walnuts, then 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes to the measuring cup. Now add water to the walnuts and tomatoes up to the 1 1/2 cup mark. Let sit for one hour while the nuts and tomatoes absorb water and soften.

– After washing your kale leaves, dry off excess water. Tear approximately 2″ pieces off the spine of each leaf. Please note if the pieces are too small, once dried in the dehydrator, they shrink into little crumbs.

– After the walnuts and tomatoes have soaked one hour, pour walnuts, tomatoes, and remaining water into a blender or food processor. Add garlic, basil, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese or Nutritional yeast, and salt to the walnuts and tomato. Puree all the ingredients until smooth. If needed, add more water a tablespoon at a time for a smooth consistency—but not a runny consistency.

– Pour mixture on kale leaves and coat well.

– Load coated kale leaves close to each other onto dehydrator trays. Dehydrate until crispy, approximately 8 to 10 hours. Delicious!

Tear off 2″ pieces into a large bowl.

Make sure kale is well coated on each leaf.

Place kale close to each other without layering on top of each other. This mixture is much wetter than the Parmesan Kale chips, so it will take longer to dehydrate. If the leaves are stacked on top of each other, it prevents the airflow from drying the kale in an efficient amount of time.

Of course I had to taste test a few pieces before taking the photo! Notice how the kale shrinks in size as it crisps up.

Store kale chips in a sealed container. Maintain crispness by first adding 1 tablespoon of uncooked rice in the bottom of your container—same concept as drying out a wet cell phone.