I had never heard of kale until about eight years ago when it exploded onto the health-and-wellness scene. Kale has become almost the poster-child for all over-glorified health foods promoted by “clean-eaters”, held up as the pinnacle of health and placed on a pedestal it can never live up to. In contrast, backlash against the clean-eating trend has, rather unfairly, deemed kale only as “rabbit food”, casting it aside entirely as something only to be associated with dieting. Now look, kale isn’t everyone’s favourite food – I get that. And at the end of the day, it’s no better or worse than other vegetables. Sure – all dark, leafy greens are a fantastic source of nutrition, kale included. It’s packed with vitamins A, C, K and folate, as well as calcium, iron and fibre. But if you can’t stand it, there’s no reason to force-feed yourself. However, as far as force-feeding goes, these cheesy kale crisps are a pretty nice way to go.

What’s The Deal With “Massaging” Kale?

We all have different food preferences, and that’s okay. But I think one reason kale, in particular, is disliked is due to the rather bitter flavour and tough texture. A super simple way to alleviate both of these is to incorporate it into curries or hearty stews, letting it cook down and soften (for example, try adding kale into my plant-based ‘Cheese & Broccoli Soup‘). The toughness of kale actually makes it perfect for this reason – it holds its own much better compared to spinach, which is at risk of becoming almost sloppy if overcooked. However, what do you do if you plan to eat it raw (like in a salad)? Well, much like myself when I’m feeling bitter – a good massage works wonders (candles and oil diffuser optional). A little-known fact about kale is it’s actually pretty sensitive – sometimes we need to let it know it’s appreciated.

Massaging kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes really helps make the rough leaves much more tender, and actually makes them easier to digest as well. There are two key ingredients here – (i) oil (e.g. olive or rapeseed), and (ii) an acid (e.g. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar). These work together to partially break down the kale and release some of those bitter compounds. Oh, and one other thing – remove those frickin’ stems. They nasty.

How To Massage Kale

Mastering the perfect massage takes years of practice. But first things first – set the mood by dimming the lights and playing some relaxing music or rainforest sounds. Whale sounds also acceptable.

I kid.

It’s pretty simple – place the (de-stemmed) leaves in a bowl, drizzle with some oil and a squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar, crack a little salt, and then work these into the kale by rubbing and squeezing the leaves between your hands. Depending on the amount of kale, anywhere between 30-120 seconds is enough. Don’t overwork it as the last thing you want is mushy kale. It gets far too over-emotional.

Some kale varieties don’t need any messaging – cavolo nero for example. You can also skip massaging if you’re preparing a salad ahead of time. Dressing it with an acid-based dressing and letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours will have the same effect.

Kale Crisps

Okay, but this post doesn’t include a recipe for a stew or a salad. Nope – we’re taking it back to kale in it’s simplest form. And I could honestly eat it every day. I can’t promise that these kale crisps convert you if you’re a hardcore hater, but I recommend giving it a shot. And if you already like kale, you’re in for a treat. These could also be added to a salad bowl (see my ‘Zesty Chipotle Nourish Bowl‘), or used as a side dish for a main meal.

“Cheesy” Vegan Kale Crisps

Recipe by Katie Wilson at Salt & HoneyCourse: SnacksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1-2

servings

Prep time

2

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

These kale crisps are perhaps your best shot of being converted into a kale-lover (if you aren’t already). They take less than 15 minutes to make, and give you something to munch on in the afternoon while boosting your micros for the day! They work perfectly as a perfect savoury snack on their own, or as part of a snacking platter with veggie sticks and hummus for example. Alternatively, they could be incorporated into a salad or eaten as a side dish to your favourite meal. They’re suitable for vegans, made with whole ingredients, and of course, unbelievably tasty – but I may be biased.

Ingredients

• 3 good handfuls of kale

• 1tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1-2tbsp olive oil

• 7tbsp nutritional yeast

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Wash kale and make sure to pat dry with a clean tea towel. Remove stems and chop into smaller pieces if required.
• In a bowl. mix the remaining ingredients together. Then spread your kale onto a lined baking tray, pour over your mixture, and massage in for 60 seconds.
• Place your tray into the oven for about 10 minutes to bake. I like them a little charred around the edges, but bake to your preference!
• These can be stored for a couple days in an airtight container – but are best served straight away.