Boxed croutons from the store are nothing compared to these homemade garlic croutons, which are made with fresh garlic, shallots, and herbs. These are crisp on the outside and ever so slightly chewy inside, and they pack in so much more flavor! I love these so much! I make them often and love adding them to my favorite salads and soups. I even use these croutons during the holidays to make our herb stuffing!
Key Ingredients
Bread: I love something rustic, like a French or Italian loaf. A French baguette is also excellent and makes delicious croutons. If the bread is a day or two old, it’s even better. Olive Oil: I roast these in the oven using good-quality olive oil. I love the flavor, and it helps the bread turn golden brown. Garlic, Shallot, and Herbs: These garlic croutons are all about fresh flavor, so we toss our bread cubes with garlic, shallot, thyme, parsley, and rosemary. If you’d prefer to use dried herbs, I have added tips to the recipe below or look at this easy recipe for homemade croutons, which calls on dried herbs to add flavor. Parmesan: Chef Richard encouraged us to add cheese to our crouton mix, and I am glad he did! Adding parmesan before baking enhances both the flavor and color. If you want to keep them dairy-free, leave the cheese out.
How to Make Garlic Croutons
Mix the olive oil and seasonings in a big bowl, and then toss in cubes of bread. Toss them with the olive oil and seasonings until evenly combined. Look at all that flavor!! I love the generous amount of fresh herbs, garlic, and shallot in this recipe. Spread the croutons on a baking sheet and bake until crispy, flipping them a few times while they bake. As the croutons cool down, they will crisp up even more. Serve immediately or store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. This recipe makes 5 to 6 cups of croutons, so you’ll have enough to use a few different ways. Salads are a no-brainer! Try them on this white bean salad or this tahini kale salad. We also love them for soups, especially this roasted cauliflower soup. You can even use them to make other recipes like stuffing or my favorite tomato gazpacho. We also use them to make this summery tomato panzanella salad. Finally, you can turn these garlicky croutons into breadcrumbs and use them anytime a recipe calls for breadcrumbs. To do it, pulse them in a blender or food processor or add to a big resealable bag and bash the heck out of them with a rolling pin until they are crumbs. Use homemade breadcrumbs to make meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, our lighter eggplant parmesan! 5 tablespoons (75ml) olive oil 1 small shallot, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves or use 1 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary or use a pinch dried 2 tablespoons (12g) grated parmesan cheese, optional 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 2Combine the olive oil, shallot, garlic, thyme, parmesan, parsley, rosemary, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. 3Tumble in the bread cubes and toss until the bread is evenly coated with the herb and oil mixture. 4Spread the bread cubes onto a sheet pan. Scrape all of the seasoning stuck to the bowl onto the pan. 5Season evenly with the salt, and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir around the pan. Rotate the pan and place back into the oven for 4 minutes. Stir again, and bake for another 2 minutes. 6Let the pan cool to room temperature. The croutons will crisp up even more as they cool. 7Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
