This is the most addicting healthy snack in the world! Crunchy, cheesy goodness that is not only vegan but also raw. The cheese is made up of simple natural ingredients like cashews and red bell pepper. This recipe fits perfectly into my busy lifestyle. I just throw them in a bag and take them with me or eat them as an appetizer while I’m preparing dinner. I also sprinkle the leftover cheesy kale flakes on my salad. I love sharing this recipe with friends and family because they instantly fall in love. Now they are making their own and sharing with me! Nom, Nom, crunch, crunch…
Prep Time::30 mins
Additional Time:: 9 hrs
Total Time:: 9 hrs 30 mins
Servings::16
Yield::1 gallon of kale chips
Ingredients
2 cups raw cashews
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
¼ cup roughly chopped onion
1 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (Optional)
2 cloves garlic
¾ cup water, or more as needed
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (Optional)
1 teaspoon dried mustard (Optional)
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 bunches curly kale, stemmed
Directions
Place cashews in a bowl. Cover with water; let soak for at least 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
Transfer cashews to a blender; blend until finely chopped, scraping the sides of the bowl periodically. Add red bell pepper, onion, lemon juice, jalapeno pepper, and garlic; blend until well chopped. Scrape the sides of the bowl; add 3/4 cup water, nutritional yeast, paprika, turmeric, mustard, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary.
Combine cashew mixture and kale in a large bowl; scrunch kale with your hands until evenly coated with cashew mixture. Spread in a single layer on an unlined dehydrator tray.
Dehydrate kale at 105 degrees F (41 degrees C) until crisp, about 8 hours.
Cook's Notes:
Substitute 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper for the jalapeno if desired.
I always recommend a dehydrator but an oven will do. Put the kale chips on a metal cooling rack (for air flow) and bake on the lowest possible setting. I would also crack open the oven door to allow moisture to escape. Check every so often and remove when completely dry.