Seasoned Croutons

We seem to like crunchy things. Well, to be a little more scientific, I should say textural differences. Or maybe its the flavors that come with them. Them being seasoned croutons. They definitely have a place on the table. They can be added to different dishes and are surprisingly easy to make.

The croute

The word crouton is actually a derivative of the French word croute, which means crust. Generally most people would associate a crouton with a small cube of seasoned dried bread. But, the size can vary to an entire slice. Not an entire slice of a regular loaf, a baguette (French bread) would usually be used. There are, however some more uses. Notably, stuffing is made from the same ingredients. Melba toast is a crouton in another form. The original idea was to utilize something from the pantry in another way rather than throwing it out. What do you do with dried bread? Also, when prepared, croutons will store for longer than regular bread

The uses

The most common way to make croutons is the cut bread into cubes, sprinkle with some oil and seasoning, and bake for 15-20 mins. However, the cubes of bread could also be fried in some seasoned butter in a pan till done. Another option is to use a baguette, slice thin (1/2-3/4″), bake till crisp, melt some cheese on top and serve as a garnish on a soup. And, if you’re making croutons for a stuffing, well, just leave them plain. The seasonings are whatever you like. You will always need a fat component, that can be oil or butter. Then add the seasonings.

The how

As you can see, there are lots of options when it comes to croutons. Play with some of the ideas, that’s the fun part of cooking. In this post I’m just making seasoned croutons for a salad.

Start with 4 slices of regular bread, I use whole wheat, but if you only have white, that’s fine too. Cut them up into small squares and put into an appropriate size bowl. In a cup, mix two tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and a dash of pepper flakes, mix really well. Pour the contents of the cup over the cubed bread while mixing well to coat everything.

Spread out in a single layer on a parchment lined baking tray and put in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 mins.

Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. When done allow to cool.

There you have seasoned croutons. Serve in a salad, or, in a soup. To store, place in an air tight jar. Either way, thank you and enjoy