Zesty Kale-Dusted Popcorn
This snack is gluten-free, vegan, and perfect for your next movie night! The recipe was adapted from Deb Perlman's Kale-Dusted Pecorino Popcorn from her book, Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites.
makes about 8 cups of popcorn | difficulty level: easy
For the Zesty Kale Dust:
1 bundle of kale (trimmed, washed, and dried)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (I like this brand)
Sea salt
Popcorn:
4-5 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernals
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat oven to 300° F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry the kale. Trim off any tough stems. Lightly brush the parchment paper with a thin coat of olive oil. Arrange the kale leaves in a single layer and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the leaves are crisp. Using either a food processor or mortar and pestle grind the kale chips down to a coarse powder. Add the nutritional yeast and a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.
Place 3 tbsp. olive oil and 2 or 3 popcorn kernels in a large pot. Turn heat to medium-high and cover with a lid. When you hear the kernels pop, add the remaining kernels and replace the lid. Shake and shift the pop, using pot holders, to keep the kernels moving at all times while they cook. Once several seconds pass between pops, remove from heat.
Transfer popcorn to a large bowl and toss with remaining 1-2 tbsp. olive oil, kale dust, additional salt, and pepper.
