Salt and Vinegar Zucchini Chips
This one is for those seeking that deeply delicious and satisfying flavor of salt and vinegar. Typically you’ll find this in a bag of potato chips or in a restaurant with some malt vinegar and a side of fries, but neither of these are the healthiest option for those seeking to lose weight or eliminate fried foods and/or starchy foods from their diet. Enter: zucchini.
We love zucchini for many reasons. For starters, it’s low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. According to Cleveland Health, one medium zucchini packs only 33 calories, 2g protein, 2g fiber, and only 6g of carbohydrates. As far as nutrients go, you’re getting vitamin C, vitamin B6, riboflavin, manganese, folate, potassium, copper, and even some iron. The key though? Leave the skin on because many of these nutrients are in the skin! And when you’re slicing it into chips as thin as we are, you won’t even notice it thanks to its mild flavor. Just wash it off and slice!
We’ll be the first ones to admit that this recipe is not going to yield chips in the traditional thin, crunchy potato chip sense. So if you’re looking for something to provide crunch, then we recommend checking out some of these Potato Chip Swaps for something that packs a little more crunch. Instead, you’ll get a chip shape that will have a varying level of crunch to it, depending on how thick your slices are and how long you cook them. We don’t mind that though, because what these chips lack in traditional crunch, they make up for in a fiercely delicious salt and vinegar flavor! Pucker up, buttercup! And get ready to find your new favorite salty snack!
Ingredients:
- Zucchini, washed
- Vinegar
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions:
- Thinly slice the zucchini. Place the slices in a shallow bowl and cover with vinegar. While the zucchini is soaking (about 5-10 minutes), preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees F or oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place zucchini slices on a layer of paper towels to drain, dabbing the tops with a paper towel as well. Spray air fryer with cooking spray or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer. Bake until browned and crisped to your liking. In the air fryer, this may take up to 15 minutes, start checking at 10 minutes. In the oven, this may take up to 25 minutes, start checking at 15 minutes.
- Top cooked chips with flaky sea salt and serve warm.
Servings: Variable | Serving Size: 4 oz. cooked | One Serving Replaces: 1 vegetable
Tips:
- Different sized slices of zucchini will not all cook the same. Use a mandolin for the most uniform slices and most even cooking. Or you want a little bit of textural variety with your chips, purposefully slice them different sizes! We like 'em both ways!
- All kinds of vinegar work well with this recipe. Use what you have on hand. We used a mix of apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar with ours. Malt vinegar, if you have it, would also be delightful.
- Do NOT skip salting the zucchini after they are cooked. The salt, even just a light dusting like you’re using, is going to really bring out the vinegar flavor and give the chips that classic “salt and vinegar” flavor.
