Many years ago (25 or so!) our friends, Joe and Holly G, invited us to dinner at their house. While I have no recollection of the salad that we brought, I know that it included homemade croutons. Joe and Holly had never thought to make homemade croutons and to this day when I see Joe, he reminds me of those croutons.
Whenever I make croutons, I think of that story and it makes me smile. It’s a good example of a little effort going a long way.
I recently made an entrée salad that included homemade croutons and realized I’d never shared a recipe for them. While this calls for gluten-free bread, any full of gluten (regular) bread will do. This is also a good use for slightly stale bread as you want them to be a bit crispy.
For gluten-free bread, I used an Against The Grain Baguette. It’s sold as a two pack and can be found in the gluten-free freezer section. I also recommend GreenLite’s Classic Gluten-Free Rustic Baguette. If you’re using frozen bread, be sure to defrost it prior to proceeding with this recipe.
I like croutons with a bit of garlic and prefer freshly minced garlic (garlic from a garlic press is ideal for this recipe), but these croutons are just as good with simply salt and pepper. You also can add other fresh or dried herbs to taste or sprinkle on some Everything Bagel Seasoning.
When making these for soup or a salad, make a few extra as you just might want to snack on them. After you’ve tried homemade croutons you’ll never go back to those from a box.
| Croutons (Gluten-Free) | | Print |
- ½ pound (8 ounces) gluten-free bread, such as a baguette (see Notes)
- ~ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- If you are using frozen bread thaw at room temperature before proceeding.
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut bread into ½-inch cubes and place in a bowl.
- Drizzle olive oil over cubes and toss. You want the cubes to be lightly coated.
- Mix in garlic (if using) and sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – toss again.
- Transfer bread cubes to the prepared pan in a single layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes and stir cubes. Bake for another 5 minutes or until cubes are dried. They should be mostly crunchy.
- Let cool at room temperature (they should be cool in about 10 minutes). Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container. Store for up to 3 days at room temperature.
* For gluten-free bread, I recommend Against The Grain Baguette (sold as a two pack) and GreenLite’s Classic Gluten-Free Rustic Baguette. Both are sold in the gluten-free freezer section.
My series of winter soups will now have a delightful crunchy pairing! Thank you, Nicole!
Spenser – Perfect! A bit of crunch with your soup is always a good idea.