Zucchini Chips

A couple of years ago we found a bag of seasoned “vegetable chips” at a roadside stand and it changed the way we thought about our summer harvest. Certainly, kale chips are incredible and we make them when we can, but just like you can make chips out of any kind of green (as we write here), you can make chips from a whole lot of vegetables. If you can slice it thin and it stays intact, you ought to try to make a chip out of it. Zucchini certainly fits the requirement.

Pick the zucchini tender and young, about five inches long. Younger zucchini are not full of water, so once they are dehydrated, there is still fiber and flavor on your dehydrator tray or cookie sheet. In a food processor, these younger zucchini will also likely fit whole into your machine, leaving you with a cute round chip.

If you can use a food processor to slice your zucchini, that is your best bet. They will be a uniform size and will dry evenly. However, the slices do tend to stick together. When you toss in the oil and seasonings, use your hands to loosen the slices and integrate the oil onto your zucchini rounds.

Another thing to consider with homemade chips is that as they are exposed to air after being dehydrated, they lose their crisp. If you end up with a chewy chip, you can always pop it back in the dehydrator or oven to re-crisp it.

The steps are simple. Adapt the technique to your own needs. This recipe fills our five tray Excalibur dehydrator, with about one young zucchini per tray.

Zucchini Chips Ingredients

• Five tender young zucchini

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 scant tablespoon of zaatar or your favorite seasoning mix
• 1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic (if your spice mix contains no garlic, as is the case with zaatar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Zucchini Chips Steps

1. Wash and dry the zucchini.

2. Cut off both ends of the zucchini.
3. Slice the zucchini in your food processor. If you slice by hand, use a mandolin.
4. Place the squash slices in a mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on the seasonings.
5. Use your hands to integrate the oil and seasonings, loosening up the individual slices of squash and covering them well with the toppings, handling them gently.
6. Place zucchini rounds on food dehydrator trays.
7. Load your dehydrator. Set the temperature for about 130 degrees if you have a temperature setting.
8. Allow five hours to dry, though your drying time will vary based on your ambient kitchen temperature and humidity.
9. Your chips are done when they are crispy.

Enjoy the chips by themselves or with a dip. Five zucchini did not last long here.

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You might also enjoy:

1. Beyond Kale Chips: Dehydrated Chips From Any Tender Green
2. Homemade Kale Chips
3. Zucchini Casserole (with Tomatillo Sauce and Cheese)
4. Dehydrating Apples for Apple Chips
5. Zucchini and Pepper Saute