Vegan Croutons With Herbs

Homemade croutons are so easy to make and much tastier and crispier than the store-bought ones. You will only need a few ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and 3-4 slices of bread. The recipe works great with any bread, fresh or old that is about to go bad. Why throw it away? You could just repurpose it and make some delicious croutons!

I always keep a stash of these croutons in a tin box as I’m a big fan of soups and have them quite often. I love adding a few in my creamy and spicy squash soup. Another way, you could use these homemade croutons are in salads for some texture. Try adding some in my fig and halloumi salad or in my roasted butternut squash salad.

Why you should try my recipe

• Ready in just 20 minutes.
• Works with any type of bread.
• Can last for weeks in an airtight container.
• Perfectly crunchy and vegan.
• Crispy texture addition for soups and salads.
• Great snack on its own or with some cheese cubes.

Ingredients & How-to

To make these vegan croutons you will only need these 6 simple ingredients: bread slices, olive oil, italian seasoning, garlic, salt & pepper. For full quantities check the recipe down below.

01. I start by cutting the bread slices into little cubes around 1cm or 0.5”, you don’t have to be precise here. You could use any bread that you like. I love sourdough bread, but you could try it with any bread you have and it works better if it’s a couple of days old. I find that using a serrated knife works better when cutting the bread, but you could even cut it into smaller bits with your fingers if it’s fresh and difficult to cut.

02. Then I add the bread cubes to a tray lined with parchment paper. Try not to overcrowd the bread cubes as they will not get as crispy. They need to have enough space between them to get the air to flow.

03. Now it’s time to prepare the dressing. Simply, I mix all the other ingredients in a small bowl, the olive oil, italian seasoning, salt and freshly ground pepper. I finely cut a garlic clove or use a hand presser to crush it and add it to the bowl too. If you don’t have italian seasoning at home, then you could mix different herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, dry basil.

04. Then I add the dressing to the bread cubes and using my hands or a spatula I mix everything well to get all the bread coated. I spread the bread on the tray, so it’s not all stack in the middle. Remember that you need to have enough space between them to get the air flow to get perfectly crispy croutons.

05. I only bake the croutons for 10 minutes in a preheated oven to 180°C/350°F, enough time to get crispy but not burn. When you take them out of the oven, leave them to cool down for 5 minutes before adding them to your salad or soup. If you add them immediately in, they will get soggy and won’t be as crispy.

Serving suggestions

I absolutely love adding these vegan croutons with herbs to my soups and salads. They are such a great addition with all their crispiness and aromas from the herbs and garlic. I will admit here, that all in my family like to eat them on their own too, especially when they come out of the oven. They are a great snack! We sometimes have a small bowl of croutons and cheese cubes to nibble when watching our favorite TV show.

Storage

You could store the vegan croutons in an airtight container when they completely cool down. They could last up to 2 weeks at room temperature but since they are so easy to make, I recommend having them fresh within the first couple of days and just make a new batch when needed.

FAQ

• What bread can I use for homemade croutons? To make homemade croutons, you could use any bread that you like and have available at the moment. It can work with sourdough, rye, brown, toast, gluten-free bread, literally any kind. If the bread is a couple of days old, it’s going to be easier to cut with a serrated knife, whereas with fresh bread you might have to tear it with your hands into little pieces.

• How long does it take to make your own croutons? Making your own homemade croutons is easy as pie. You just cut the bread into little pieces, drizzle with some olive oil, add the seasoning of your choice and shove it in the oven for only 10 minutes.

• How long can homemade croutons last? Homemade croutons can last at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, stored in an airtight container.

• Why do my croutons turn out soft? If your croutons are turning out too soft, then you should check that your oven temperature is set correctly and leave them to bake until they have a nice golden crispy color. Make sure you spread the croutons on the tray and don’t overcrowd them, as you need that hot air to flow around them to get nice and crunchy.