In my recent produce basket from my co-op (which will be getting its own post, soon), we got two large bunches of kale. Organic kale, to boot. (We were out of town for the last normal/conventional distribution date, so I got the organic baskets, which is distributed on opposite weekends (from the conventional).) I’ve never even had kale, so I did what I always do… did a bunch of google searching on recipes. I often do this, and then create my own recipe from all the things I see other people doing. I saw recipes for sauteed kale, stir-fried kale, kale with chicken, kale with bacon and onions… and then I saw it. Roasted kale. Crispy roasted kale. Oh really.
Directions were very simple. Wash, dry, chop, toss with olive oil, bake for 15-20 minutes, take out of oven, sprinkle with salt, nosh to your heart’s content.
In practice, it wasn’t quite so simple. There were a few lessons I learned, so I’m actually going to give you a recipe and instructions, so you can avoid the pitfalls I found. 
Also, there are many permutations of this recipe, which I’ll relate below.
Crispy Roasted Kale
- 1 bunch kale
- 1-2 Tb olive oil (or any other oil you prefer. Adding a little sesame oil to the olive oil could be nice, as could something like hazelnut oil)
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or something acidic and mild-flavored (if you’re doing an Asian-themed dinner, you could use unseasoned rice wine vinegar. Italian-themed, use red wine vinegar. I would avoid things like balsamic because of the high sugar content (comparatively) and the strong flavor.)
- 1-2 Tb flavor-some bits of stuff like chopped garlic or crushed red pepper or herbs or whatever takes your fancy
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Before you cut it up, wash your kale and pat it dry (if you have a salad spinner, you can dry after you chop). Chop up kale horizontally in to one-inch bits. If you’re feeling extra-perky and actually care, you can remove the tough, fibrous ribs of the kale before you chop it into bits – you’ll end up with only crispy kale fluff. If you don’t mind a bit of bite to your munchies, don’t remove the center rib. I didn’t, and it was still fine.
Mix your oil and vinegar/lemon juice/whatever in a very large bowl. If adding flavor-y bits, add them here. I think the garlic would make an entirely lovely addition. Add your dry, chopped kale to to the bowl and toss well to coat. I did this step on the baking pan, and really should have done it in the bowl. Work in batches if you need to.
Spread the kale on a large baking sheet, as close to one layer as possible. Because you will be stirring throughout the cooking process, it doesn’t have to be a super thin layer, but you definitely don’t want a mound of oily, mushy kale in the middle of the baking sheet.
DO NOT ADD SALT NOW. If you do, it’ll pull the moisture from the kale leaves, and the stuff will probably steam-cook, rather than crisp up.
Put your kale-laden pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Every five minutes or so, stir the kale around to ensure each bit gets equal top-cooking time. If at the end of 15 minutes, you’ve still got some mush, keep cooking. The kale will begin to brown around the edges, and that’s fine. Brown isn’t burnt. Usually.
When everything is happily crisp, remove from oven and immediately give a good dusting of salt. By preference, use a good salt like a celtic sea salt or maladon (which I’ve never used, but is generally highly recommended). Table salt will work in a pinch, though. Remember, you can always add more salt, but it’s damned difficult to remove too much salt.
Commence the nibbling and enjoy.
*Word to the wise – even this method of cooking releases the slightly manky smells common to dark leafy greens. Open a few windows.
