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Homemade croutons are an excellent addition to fresh soups and salads throughout the year.
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 slices stale, whole-grain bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Several cloves garlic (about half a head), peeled and minced (from Saturday’s prep)
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
Directions
- Preheat a wide skillet over medium-high for a couple minutes. Pour in olive oil until it reaches about 1/4-inch deep. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cubed bread one layer deep, turning carefully to coat all sides with oil. (You may have to repeat this process depending on skillet size.)
- Fry bread about 10 to 15 minutes, continually turning cubes until all sides are golden-brown.
- Transfer to towel to drain and cool. Sprinkle with salt while hot.Find more recipes and tips for successful meal planning in Cook Once, Eat All Week.
Pan frying semidry bread is the best way to achieve a crouton that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. You can use bread that has already dried out completely, but it won’t be as chewy inside.