Crispy cavolo nero is a delicious recipe to make with this type of kale, and it's an easy way to eat an extra portion of leafy greens. Crunchy and slightly salty, you can serve crispy roast cavolo nero as a healthy snack as well as a side dish with other recipes.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Just 5 minutes prep and 10 minutes in the oven and it's ready to eat
- Crispy cavolo nero is simply roasted in the oven with a little oil, so there's no frying involved. The end result is very like crispy seaweed from a Chinese takeaway!
- Cavolo nero, also known as Tuscan kale, is very nutritious. This healthy leafy green is high in antioxidants, and it's a good source of fibre
- Crispy cavolo nero is a versatile recipe. It's slightly salty flavour makes it a great savoury snack to nibble on with drinks. And of course you can serve it as a healthy side dish where it adds texture as well as flavour to your meal
If you'd prefer not to use the oven to cook your crispy roast kale, you might prefer this stir-fried kale recipe.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for crispy cavolo nero couldn't be simpler.
Cavolo nero or Tuscan kale. You can also use any other type of kale for this recipe if you prefer.
Olive oil. I like the flavour that olive oil adds to the recipe, but if you prefer you can use another type of healthy oil. For a slight Asian twist, use sesame oil.
Salt. If you've got a good sea salt, use that, otherwise any type of salt will be fine.
How to make crispy cavolo nero
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (140 fan).
Prepare the cavolo nero. Wash and dry the leaves. If you've picked them from your garden you might be able to get away with giving them a quick wipe (and in my case picking off the caterpillars!!)
Hold the kale leaves by the thick stem at the bottom and run your thumb and forefinger down the length of the stem to tear away the leaf.
You'll probably be left with some of the smaller stem at the top - that's fine but the thick stems at the bottom will be too tough to eat.
Stack the leaves on a chopping board and shred them with a sharp knife. Or if you prefer, you can roast larger pieces of cavolo nero leaf.
Place the kale in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Add a generous sprinkling of salt and mix with your hands or two forks.
Spread the kale out on baking trays. It needs to be in a single layer so that there's space for the kale to roast and crisp up so you'll need to use 2 trays.
I put a reusable liner on the trays but it's not essential.
Roast in a preheated oven for 10 minutes until crispy. Halfway through the cooking time turn the leaves over. If they are not quite crispy after 10 minutes, roast them for a couple of minutes more.
The leaves will burn quite easily as they are very thin so keep a close eye on them.
Serving
If you are serving crispy cavolo nero as savoury snack, why not add some roast chickpeas or pumpkin seeds to serve alongside, plus some easy hummus.
Cavolo nero crisps are delicious, and much healthier than potato crisps!
As a side dish, I particularly enjoy roast kale with robust flavoured dishes such as this red lentil shepherds pie, or beef shin casserole. Serve it in a separate dish so that it remains crispy.
Cinnamon and Kale recipe tips
If you want to add another flavour or spice to your crispy kale, try using a flavoured olive oil. Either garlic oil or chilli oil will give a great result.
Frequently asked questions
Cavolo nero is a type of cabbage, and has the slight tanginess of many other leafy greens. However, cavolo nero is slightly sweeter in flavour and has a nuttiness to it.
Cavolo nero is a type of kale and it's also known as Tuscan kale or black kale due to its distinctive dark-coloured leaves. The leaves are long and strappy and have a lovely bubbly texture which makes them look quite prehistoric!
Other healthy vegetable dishes
Did you know you can also roast nettle leaves to make nettle crisps? It's a great make to use this pesky weed which is very prolific in the Spring in my garden!
You might also like to browse other healthy vegetable dishes, or try one of the recipes below.
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Recipe
Crispy Cavolo Nero
Equipment
- 2 baking trays
Ingredients
- 350 g cavolo nero
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (180 fan).
- Wash and dry the cavolo nero. It's important that the leaves are dry so that they crisp up.
- Remove the large stems from the cavolo nero. Shred the leaves, or cut into larger pieces as you prefer.
- Add the prepared kale to a bowl. Drizzle over the oil and sprinkle with salt. Mix thoroughly until all of the leaves are coated.
- Spread the cavolo nero onto the baking trays. It needs to be in a single layer so that it can roast, so you'll need at least 2 trays depending on their size.
- Roast the kale in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, turning the leaves partway through cooking. If the leaves aren't properly crispy, bake for a couple more minutes but take care as the cavolo nero will burn easily.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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