Who doesn’t love croutons? They add texture and complexity to creamy bowls of soup, bulk up light summer salads, and make just about any meal more fun. Do you want croutons on that? Yes, please!
Luckily, homemade croutons are incredibly easy to make. All you need is good crusty bread (tip: the better the bread, the better the croutons), garlic, olive oil, plenty of salt, and a little dried parsley. Yep, this crouton recipe is that simple, and the results are fantastic. The homemade croutons are crunchy, rich, and garlicky – far better than any you’d find at the grocery store. Once you learn how to make croutons at home, you won’t look back.
This method for how to make croutons is super easy! It takes under 30 minutes, and most of that is hands-off baking time. If I’m making croutons for a specific soup or salad, I like to pop them in the oven first and prep the rest of the meal while they bake. Here’s how I make them:
First, cube the bread. You want good-quality country or French bread for this recipe, but don’t worry about it being super fresh. Day-old (or days-old) bread is fine – the goal is to get it nice and crispy, so leftover bread has a head start! Cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. Try to get them as even as you can so that they cook at the same rate in the oven.
Next, make the garlic oil. Many garlic croutons are seasoned with garlic powder, but I prefer the sharp, complex flavor of fresh garlic in this recipe. To achieve it, I make an infused garlic oil. Heat two smashed garlic cloves in 1/4 cup of olive oil for about a minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Allow the oil to cool slightly before drizzling it over the cubed bread.
Next, toss. Toss to coat the bread with the oil and a few big pinches of salt. When everything is evenly coated in the oil and salt, spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Finally, bake! Pop the homemade croutons in the oven and bake until they’re golden brown and crisp, 10 to 18 minutes. The time will depend on the freshness of your bread and how crispy you like your croutons. The longer you bake them, the crispier they’ll be. Remove them from the oven, and sprinkle them with a little dried parsley. Enjoy!
I wouldn’t blame you for eating the rich, crunchy homemade croutons straight off the baking sheet, but make sure to save a few for topping onto salads and soups! I especially love homemade croutons in green salads. Add them to my Homemade Caesar Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, or Bright Spring Salad recipe, or toss them with your favorite greens and any of these flavorful dressings to make a simple side salad:
They also add delicious crunch to creamy bowls of soup. I love sprinkling them over gazpacho in the summertime, and in the fall and winter, I often serve them with these soup recipes:
If you have leftover croutons, store them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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