Not-cho 'Cheese' Crispy Kale Chips are oven baked with a zesty nacho-inspired seasoning made from cashews, nutritional yeast, salsa and more.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 2 hourshours
soaking time 5 hourshours
Total Time 7 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Calories 121kcal
Author Tristin Rieken
Ingredients
8cupskale leavestorn, from about 2 bunches of kale
1cupraw cashewssoaked overnight – will equal 2 cups after soaking.
1tablespoonlime juice
1cupsalsaor pico de gallo
½smallonionchopped
1cupfresh cilantrochopped, leaves and stems
3clovesgarlic
½teaspooncumin powder
¼teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
3-4tablespoonscanola oil
1small jalapeno pepperor other chili pepper, if desired
2tablespoonsnutritional yeast
Instructions
Place cashews in a small bowl and cover with cool water to soak 5-8 hours or up to overnight, at room temperature.
1 cup raw cashews
Wash kale and pat dry. Tear kale off the stems into large pieces and add to large bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over kale and massage to cover evenly.
8 cups kale leaves, 3-4 tablespoons canola oil
Drain and thoroughly rinse cashews and add to a food processor or high powdered blender. Add lime juice, salsa, onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin powder, salt and pepper to the blender with the cashews. As well as the jalapeno pepper and nutritional yeast, if using. Pulse several times to combine then increase speed and stream in 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil to thin the sauce and help it come together. Sauce will be thick.
1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 cup salsa, ½ small onion, 1 cup fresh cilantro, 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 small jalapeno pepper, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour the cashew nacho ‘cheese’ sauce over the oiled kale in the large bowl. And massage sauce into kale into all the kale is evenly coated with the spicy nacho seasoning.
Place seasoned kale in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Season again with salt and pepper and place in preheated 225 degree oven. Bake 1 hour, then stir and continue baking until super dry and crispy, 45 minutes to an hour longer.
After about 2 hours of total baking kale chips should be dry and crispy. If not, continue baking and stirring every 10 minutes until dried.
Remove from oven and season again with salt to taste. Enjoy!