Italian Croutons Recipe

Croutons are small pieces of baked or sautéed bread. It is primarily used to add taste along with some flavour to soups and salads . At times, they are also eaten as snacks.

I enjoy croutons in soups and salads and wanted to experiment making some Italian Croutons myself. So, I got some non-dairy brown bread loaf and had a crack at it.

Croutons with just a hint of Italian herbs like oregano are crunchy. You can make them crispy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. Given how quick and easy the recipe for Homemade croutons is, there’s no reason not to give it a try and make them yourself.

For those who do not know, croutons are tiny pieces of baked / sauteed bread (in our case – non dairy brown bread) which are toasted, using either an oven or a frying pan, until they turn golden brown and crispy.

You may use croutons in the following ways

• Toss them in green salads
• Sprinkle them  on top of soups. You may also scatter them on casseroles
• Crush them over cooked veggies (try it with vegetables like asparagus, potatoes, broccoli etc)
• Use them as the base for stuffings or maybe something like a savoury (combination of salt and spicy) bread pudding.

Croutons are an excellent way to use up any leftover bread

Vegan Italian Croutons Recipe Video

What bread should you use?

It’s essential and recommended, but not a compulsion to use a negligibly stale bread when making Italian croutons. I usually use leftover bread to make croutons. However, if you want to use fresh bread, that is alright too. You can also use non-dairy brown bread, levain, etc.

Since the sandwich bread is sliced too thin, and have a texture which is too soft and too crumbed. I personally don’t prefer using this kind of bread. A handmade rustic style loaf is mostly what I prefer.

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices Non- Dairy Brown Bread
• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Chilli Flakes
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Italian Herbs

Instructions:

• Take 4 slices of brown bread and cut them into small square pieces and keep aside in a bowl.
• Take a big bowl; put the brown bread pieces into it.
• Add all the above ingredients into it and mix well.
• Bake in a baking tray. Bake for around 200^o C (200 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes.
• Serve With Hot Soups.

Do try out this Italian Croutons Recipe and let us know how you like it.

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