Vegetable Crisps
Photography by Simeon Crofts
DIETARY – Gluten-free/Nut-free/Vegetarian/Vegan/Dairy-free
I have always loved vegetable crisps! Even more than classic potato chips. I love all the different flavours vegetables bring and the way they really complement herbs and seasoning. The sweetness of beetroot and the savoury hit of sweet potato; with every mouthful, it’s a different flavour. Let’s face it, you can pay a fortune buying a bag of ‘gourmet’ veggie crisps from the local supermarket or deli, but did you know they are one of the easiest things to make at home and are a lot healthier without all the preservatives added in?! Homemade vegetable crisps make a delicious healthy snack as they are baked, not fried, and, even better, they can help get the kids to eat their veggies as they’re in disguise as a moreish treat! I personally love to serve them as a pre-dinner nibble with friends or as an alternative movie snack. Better yet, even complete beginners can master this recipe.
Some of you may think special equipment is required to make your own crisps at home, but there are no fryers or dehydrators in sight in this recipe. Just a regular oven and ideally a mandolin to make thinly slicing your veggies easier. It is possible to use a sharp kitchen knife to prepare the veg, but it can be tricky to get the slices thin enough to turn into crisps, so a mandolin is an inexpensive but worthwhile investment.
When it comes to seasoning, you don’t have to use thyme as I have. Vegetable crisps will taste fantastic with almost any herb, spice or other seasonings like soy and ginger. You can try sweet potato crisps with a sprinkling of paprika, beetroot with fresh rosemary, carrot paired with ginger, parsnips tossed with olive oil and roasted garlic… the possibilities are endless! And you don’t need to stop there. Experiment with your veggies too. Plantain, squash, green beans, kale and even courgette (zucchini) can all work as chips. In fact, why not try making crisps out of all your favourite vegetables to see what turns out best? Happy roasting!
Vegetable Crisps
Ingredients
- 2 parsnips
- 2 carrots
- 2 beetroots
- 1 sweet potato
- 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line four baking trays with parchment paper. Spray each one lightly with olive oil.
- Peel all your vegetables and then, using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice. They should be wafer-thin.
- Toss the vegetable slices in a bowl with the olive oil, thyme leaves and sea salt. I started with 1 tbsp of olive oil and added more as needed. You want all your vegetables to be thinly coated. You may need to do this in batches to ensure an even covering.
- Transfer the sliced vegetables to the prepared trays, separating all the slices. I like to separate each vegetable on to its own tray, as they bake at different rates, so this makes it easier to control.
- Bake for around 20 minutes, then turn over your slices. Your vegetables will shrink considerably as they cook. Sweet potato takes around 35-40 minutes in total to crisp up, beetroot around 45 minutes and the parsnip and carrot around 45-50 minutes, depending on the size. You’ll know they’re done when the vegetables begin to curl up at the sides and take on a darker colour. They may still feel slightly soft to the touch on the tray but will crisp up once out of the oven. Be careful not to let them burn.
- Transfer your crisps to a baking rack to cool. After around 5 minutes they will become crisp and ready to eat. I highly recommend eating them on the day you make them, but if you wish, you can make them up to three days in advance and store them in an airtight container. They will likely soften, but you can revive them in the oven for a couple of minutes to crisp them up again.