Easy
4 per.
10 min
Introduction
The croutons are a tasty side dish and ideal for enriching many dishes. These small crunchy cubes can be prepared with different types of bread and aromatic herbs: just a drizzle of oil in the pan and a little flavoring and in five minutes you will have finished the preparation. In addition to being that extra touch needed to enrich soups and soups, but also salads, soups or other dishes, they can also be enjoyed as a snack during a buffet or an aperitif. Today we decided to prepare them in a pan: not only will their taste be enriched by the aroma of extra virgin olive oil, but it will take very little to prepare them. However, if you prefer a lighter version, you can cook them in the oven in grill mode for 10-15 minutes, until they have become beautifully golden on the entire surface. In addition to the oil, we then used rosemary, thyme, garlic and chilli pepper, so as to have a final result with a strong and intense flavour.
In short, if you want to find out how to make these golden and crunchy croutons at home, then you are in the right place: we used stale bread, but nothing stops you from using fresh bread or bread. Simple, spicy and delicious: let’s see how to prepare them right away!
Ingredients
- 5 slices of bread (fresh or stale)
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 clove of garlic
- Aromatic herbs to taste
- Chili pepper to taste
Preparation
First of all, take care of slicing the bread into slices of at least one centimeter. At this point, still using a bread knife, cut out croutons of the same size.
Take the aromatic herbs and chop them finely with a knife. We chose rosemary and thyme, but other aromas will also work. Now, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and let it flavor with the garlic and chili pepper. For a more delicate taste, you can replace the latter with paprika.
Place the bread cubes inside the pan and season with salt and pepper. Leave to brown on all sides, turning them from time to time with the help of a fork. Remember that the bread will burn very quickly, so be careful to really turn them regularly and carefully.
Once ready, place themin a bowl and add the chopped aromatic herbs. Your homemade croutons are ready.
Variants
Are you looking for quick recipes to serve a tasty aperitif to your guests? So we’ll show you how to make baked Grana Padano crostini. Once you have cut the bread, line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange the cubes next to each other. At this point add a pinch of salt, pepper, a little turmeric and finally a generous sprinkling of grated Grana Padano. Cook the croutons in grill mode for approximately 10-15 minutes at 250°. Always check the browning and, if necessary, turn them every now and then to prevent them from burning. Once they are ready, let them cool for a few minutes and finally you can serve them as a tasty snack or use them to enrich first courses, soups, salads, stews and many other recipes.
If you want to stay more classic, the secret is simply to experiment with different types of bread with different spices. Try wholemeal bread, white bread, cereal bread and perhaps experiment with new flavours, such as basil, thyme, parsley, or even more sophisticated spices for truly special croutons. In short, the only limit is your imagination.
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