Baked Root Vegetable Crisps with Thyme
These are the vegetable crisps that turn up in British pubs and across Europe as a snack alongside a drink, usually deep-fried and heavily salted. Baked low and slow with no oil, they lose none of the crunch and gain back the actual taste of the vegetables, which frying tends to bury. Three cheap winter roots each bring something different: celery root goes savory and nutty, carrot turns sweet and lacy, and turnip stays sharp and clean. The whole method comes down to two rules, slice them paper-thin and give every piece its own space on the tray, because crisps are made by driving out water, and any slice that is too thick or crowded will steam soft instead. Season the moment they leave the oven while they are still warm enough to hold it. They are best the day they are made.
Ingredients
- 1 small Celery root, peeled
- 3 wholes Carrots, peeled
- 2 wholes Turnips, peeled
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Slice all three roots as thin as you can, ideally on a mandoline, aiming for the thickness of a coin. Thickness is everything here; a slice too thick will bake into leather instead of a crisp, and evenness is what lets a whole tray finish at the same time.
- Pat the slices dry between towels, then spread them in a single layer on parchment-lined trays with no piece touching another. Surface moisture is the enemy of crispness, and any overlap traps steam, so the slices that touch will stay soft while the rest crisp.
- Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 30 to 45 minutes, turning the trays once, until the slices lose their gloss, curl at the edges, and feel dry. The low oven is deliberate: these crisp by drying out slowly rather than frying, so the water has to leave before the sugars can brown, and rushing it with high heat only scorches the edges.
- The moment they come out, while they are still warm and a little tacky, toss them with the thyme, nutritional yeast, and pepper. Warm crisps hold the seasoning; once fully cool they turn slick and the herbs slide off. They crisp further as they cool, so let them sit five minutes before eating, and store any leftovers with a paper towel to keep them dry.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 3 g protein, 5 g fiber, 40 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
