Crostini | Homemade Croutons

In Italy, throwing away bread is said to be bad luck, so the Italians have found numerous ingenious ways to recreate stale bread into something delicious, like these homemade croutons! You can easily make Crostini precisely the same way, except slice the bread instead of cutting it into cubes. Add these croutons to a creamy soup, like my Porcini Mushroom Soup, and enjoy a glass of Poggio Grande Syrah to transport you to the rolling hills of Tuscany.

To make this vegan-friendly, substitute the Parmesan cheese with vegan cheese. I use Violife Plant-Based Parmesan cheese.

Receipt Date: August 4, 2020

Difficulty: Easy

Measurements: Imperial (US)

See ingredients, directions and pairings.

Ingredients

Stale Bread, cubed

1/4 cup EVOO

3 tablespoons Parmesan, grated

Pinch of Garlic Sea Salt, I like Jacobsen's

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Pinch of Red Chili Pepper Flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with EVOO. In a bowl combine all the ingredients and toss thoroughly to coat each piece, use more or less EVOO as needed. Tip the seasoned croutons onto the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Freeze any unused croutons in a freezer bag for up to one month. You can also make bread crumbs with leftover croutons by pulsing them in a food processor.