Homemade Croutons Recipe for Soup & Salad

This Homemade Croutons Recipe is the perfect pair to all your favorite soups and salads. Simple to make and ready quickly.

Honestly, aren't croutons the best part of most salads?! Okay, maybe that is my inner bread lover speaking, but seriously they are so crunchy and perfect for soups and salads. easy croutons recipe is quick and easy and only requires six ingredients.

These homemade croutons are great for Caesar salads, soups like tomato bisque and lots of other great recipes. These little crunchy cubes of heaven can also be made with several different types of bread and spices to go with whatever recipe you choose. I hope you love this simple and versatile salad and soup topper.

Croutons are simple to make and pair wonderfully with soups and salads.

Kitchen Tools

• A Large Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• A Large Prep Bowl
• A Bread Knife and Cutting Board
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• A Large Wooden Spoon or Spatula

Ingredients

• White Sandwich Bread
• Olive Oil: Olive oil or extra virgin olive oil work best, but you could sub in any neutral tasting oil like vegetable oil if you would like.
• Dried Herbs and Spices: Personally, I like to keep my croutons on the neutral flavor side so they can pair with lots of different recipes. For these crunchy croutons I used a combination of sea salt, ground black pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. You could use this combination, or add in some of your own spin.

How to Make Homemade Croutons

Simple steps to help you make the best crunchy croutons perfect for soups and salads. Ready quickly and can be easily customized with a variety of herbs, spices and cheese.

1. Prep
   Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F and lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Bread Prep
   While the oven is preheating, slice your white bread in even chunks no large than inch cubed. Once all the bread is cubed add it into a large prep bowl.
3. Prepping the Croutons
   Pour olive oil and dried herbs and spices into the bowl and toss the bread until all the croutons are evenly coated.
4. Baking Instructions
   Pour the coated croutons onto the baking sheet and bake in the oven on the center rack for 15-20 minutes tossing halfway though.
5. Completing the Recipe
   Once the croutons are golden and crispy remove from the oven and let them cool. Add over your favorite salad, soup or store leftovers for later.

Recipe Pairing Ideas

My favorite way to enjoy these crispy, golden croutons are with a Caesar salad or cup of soup. You can them to any of your favorites or try out some of my soups and salads below. The croutons have a neutral flavor making them versatile and easy to pair with lots of different recipes.

• Red Pepper Tomato Soup
• Kale Caesar Salad
• Grilled Peach Salad
• Crockpot Vegan Lentil Soup
• Black Bean Soup
• Spinach Apple Salad
• BBQ Chicken Salad

Tips and Tricks

Even Cuts: When cutting the white sandwich bread for the croutons try your best to make them as even as possible. This helps all the croutons be about the same size helping them cook more evenly.

Baking Tips: I like to toss my croutons 1-2 times while they are baking in the oven. Doing this helps all the croutons get golden and crispy.

Flavor Ideas: I stick to a pretty simple flavor combo for these homemade croutons, but you could add so many different herbs and spices to make them your own. Some other things you could add to your homemade croutons or onion powder, grated Parmesan cheese, some red pepper flakes, dried thyme, oregano or rosemary.

Note: If you add Parmesan cheese to your croutons then the shelf life will be reduced to only 3-5 days.

Common Questions

I hope you love this Quick and Easy Croutons recipe and find lots of uses for them. Leave me a comment and rating below letting me know what you think!

Happy Eating!