Kale Chips are a healthy alternative to a potato chip snack. And you can also use the same technique to make these Baked Spicy Swiss Chard Chips.
Have you joined the kale chips band-wagon? It’s an ingenious way to get your salty chip fix and eat a healthy green at the same time. I know, it’s not exactly the same as a potato chip, but it’s a great alternative if you are watching your carb intake while you get a jump start on your new year’s resolution or if you are dancing around in your swim suit this summer.
I like keeping either kale or Swiss chard in the fridge for a number of reasons. So why not make some Swish chard chips?
Kale is thicker than chard, but they are both packed with nutrients we all need. When choosing chard, I love using rainbow chard. Again, I love to eat the rainbow. Aren’t these colors beautiful?
Whether you are making kale chips or chard chips, the concept is the same. Cut up your chard leaves into equal pieces. I chose to cut mine into 2-3 inch pieces. Then, toss with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, season with sea salt, spicy chile powder (or mild if you prefer), garlic powder, or whatever spices you like.
I don’t have a dehydrator so I just bake the chard leaves in a 275º F oven for 40 minutes. It works pretty darn well, and I don’t have another gadget taking up space in my cupboards.
It does require a flip over halfway through baking, but they crisp up beautifully. What do you think?
Confession time: I am not a big fan of the bitter green. But, I have to admit that whether you snack on kale chips or chard chips, it is definitely a flavorful and healthy snack. And, on the plus side, it doesn’t smell like dead fish, like the dried seaweed my sweet daughter loves to snack on.
I have seen online that this technique can also be used for spinach and lettuce chips, you just have to reduce the cooking time as they are not as thick as chard or kale.
Since you only use the leaves for the chard chips, don’t throw out the chard stems. Check out this recipe from Cookistry on how to make Pickled Chard Stems!
And for ways to add greens to your diet, like kale & chard, check out this great article from Shockingly Delicious!
Need more alternatives to potato chips? Try my Baked Sweet Potato Chips and Baked Jerusalem Artichoke Chips.
So grab a bowl and snack on, my friends!
Spicy Swiss Chard Chips
Like kale chips? Then you'll love these seasoned & spicy swiss chard chips to snack on! Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice
Ingredients:
- 3 large Swiss chard leaves
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- pinch of garlic powder
- pinch of chile powder
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 275ºF.
- Remove stem and cut into 2-3 inch pieces:
- 3 large Swiss chard leaves
- Place cut leaves in one layer on a baking sheet and toss with:
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Season with:
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- pinch of garlic powder
- pinch of chile powder
- Bake for 20 minutes, then turn leaves over and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- Let chard chips cool and serve.
Notes:
Serving Suggestions: Serve as an appetizer or snack, or crush over your steak, tacos or any else that needs a little crunch!
Cooking Tips: This technique works for swiss chard, kale and other greens, too. Keep it simple with just salt or your favorite spices. Make sure your greens are dry. The drier the green, the crispier the chip!
Prep Time:
Yield: 20 chips
Cook Time:
This looks wonderfully healthy
yes! we do that! they are delicious
OK, kale and chard on your side of the Pond. Neither is widely available here, but methinks fullsized silverbeet and fullsized bok choi [which we just about live on!] would make some interesting alternatives?! This does sound fun!! Do hope yo are having a great summer 🙂 !
Fantastic!
what a terrific idea – I’m a big fan of kale chips but never considered trying this out with chard.
I really have to try these. I’ve been reading all about the kale chips, and really like the idea. Like you, I have a lot of Swiss chard in my garden – and I already substitute Swiss chard for a lot of kale recipes, so why not this, too? Really nice post – thanks.
What a great recipe for chard! I’m always cooking it the same way and never thought to make chips out of it. I will be trying this for sure!
Kale chips are so 2010. LOL. These look lovely. I like the stacked presentation/photograph!
Love this! What a great idea and variation on kale chips! We’re going to feature this on our Facebook page and link here so people can see your recipe and your great photography. If you wish, come LIKE us on Facebook for more recipes and tips on superfood greens like kale, chard, beet, mustard, turnip, collard, spinach, escarole, dandelion and other super healthy dark green leafies. https://www.facebook.com/San.Miguel.Produce
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at San Miguel Produce
https://www.facebook.com/San.Miguel.Produce
I never would have though of this… but they look so good.
I love chard gotta try these chips!
There’s nothing like trying to be healthy. I’ll tell my husband we are throwing out the chips and bringing in the chard. Close your ears. Really original idea someone had though.
What a good idea, and I love your stack of chips!
I’ve tried kale this year, but haven’t tried chard yet – I love the color of chard and I’ve been curious for a while. I just checked the recipe and was surprised how easy this is. Gotta shop for chard now!!
yummy ! Never tried chard chips & these look delish ! Lovely pics too ! Am making it ! Pinned it too 🙂
What a great idea! I love kale chips. These sound perfect.
So pretty! I’ve made kale chips before, but haven’t tried Swiss Chard Chips-going on my “to-do” list. I just made a kale pesto that turned out delicious-no promises, but you MIGHT like it 🙂
Those colors are gorgeous! What a great idea Laura. I think I hear another foodie trend starting. Thanks for sharing:)
Based on your delicious chard chips photos, we’d like to invite you to submit your food photos on a Food Photography site so our readers can enjoy your creations.
It is absolutely free and fun to make others hungry!
Hopped over from a friend’s blog and happy I did – I am in the process of uploading pictures for my next post which is a taro leaf dolmidas – You have given me a new idea for them with this post – and I may have to ask the Chard to move over 🙂 just kidding – this is completely awesome and I cannot wait for my chard to grow big enough (if the deer will only allow it) – happy to follow your blog – please do visit and follow if you are inspired like I am 🙂 cheers, Priya
Thank you for sharing Cody’s story. I will be participating in the auction. Can you tell me what I am doing wrong – Perusing your site, I found recipes I wanted to try and when I clicked recipe, it led me to a descriptive, but not the recipe. I had to click another button to get to the recipe. Am I in the wrong place, or do I have to be redirected to another spot on your site? At first I thought I was in the wrong site, being redirected to the correct site. Thank you. (sorry to put this in your comments, I could not find an email address.)
Just made these. Thanks for the great idea!
I love the title of your post! I’ve been searching for great swiss chard recipes and yours caught my attention! Yum!
Hi Jen! Thank you for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the chard chips!
I made this recipe twice. The first time the leaves stuck to the baking sheet and were tissue thin, which made them hard to eat (they kept breaking). My husband suggested that I stack the leaves to make the chips thicker and more sturdy. This was a vast improvement, as was lining the baking sheets with parchment paper. I stacked the chips as much as 6 leaves high. Required more baking time to completely crisp up, but did not require flipping the chips. The leaves were completely dry before I started; I massaged each leaf with oil to make sure all surfaces were covered. The result was way more edible from a structural standpoint. However I did not care for the taste–not a recipe problem, more a flavor of Swiss chard problem. I really wanted to love these because I have a bumper crop of Swiss chard in my garden, but I don’t like them enough to go through all the work involved. It took forever to wash, dry, cut, oil, stack and bake these chips and in the end I was disappointed. (My dog loved them though!) Still, I wanted to pass on these suggestions in order to help others who may feel differently. P.S. Oven temp of 275 deg. was perfect.
Thank you for your suggestions. I’m sorry you had so much trouble with the recipe. The chard I had baked into chips were pretty thick, so I didn’t need to double up. If you don’t want to make the chips again, use the chard like spinach and add to soups, pasta, omelettes or casserole?
Yes and I may even try putting it in a green smoothie (but the taste factor may still be an issue).
Hey Laura, Inspired by your recipe, I thought to give a shot to it and I loved the result. They are easy to make and are very crispy. What I really enjoyed was the cheese which I had sprinkled on it. Never thought that even leaves can be made as chips. I have also tried beet greens as chips and they too were equally yummy. Here is my recipe https://www.plattershare.com/recipe/swiss-chard-chips. – Hope you will like it.
Perfect recipe to curb the urge for salty snacks in a healthy way!!
Such a good idea to make them from chard! Gotta try this.