In summer, we eat salad almost every day. On a hot day, it’s simply the best option for keeping your stomach happy and ensuring a (reasonably) comfortable night’s sleep. To keep things interesting with all those salads, we like to make different types of toppings now and then, such as these easy Homemade Croutons (made in an Air Fryer). They look good on top of a salad, they add some extra crunch, and they taste excellent, of course.
Well, croutons are not just for salads, obviously. These crispy roasted bread cubes are also great on top of soup or as an add-on for stews. They simply make those dishes more appealing and probably better. Different textures in a dish are always good – soft vs. crunchy. Perfect!
You can buy ready-made croutons for salads or soups at the supermarket. Unfortunately, we don’t really like those that much. The texture is sometimes too crunchy (and by crunchy we mean rock hard) and the ingredient lists for these products are often unnecessarily long. If you toast the bread cubes at home, all you need is bread, a little oil, and a few spices – that’s it.
Croutons can be prepared in various ways – they are typically made in a frying pan, but can also be made in the oven, or in an Air Fryer. We prefer using an Air Fryer to be honest. You require less oil to make the croutons, the kitchen doesn’t smell, and you’re done in a few minutes without doing much.
You can use many types of bread for croutons. Lighter types of bread, such as baguette or ciabatta, are often used, but we like to prepare our toasted bread cubes with Sourdough Potato Bread or simple White Toast. If you prefer it a little more rustic, you could also use wholemeal bread, of course. Basically, any type of bread or bread roll will work, even if they have been lying around for a while. Stale bread is not a problem here.
Making croutons in the Air Fryer is a very easy task. Just dice the bread (small or larger pieces), mix with some oil and spices, then add the bread to the basket of the Air Fryer and toast it for a few minutes. We prefer to use an oil spray bottle* to distribute the oil as evenly as possible – and use less oil at the same time. It’s perfect. When it comes to spices, everyone can let their imagination run wild. We usually just use garlic powder, onion powder, a little oregano, as well as salt and pepper. That’s all you need.
If you are looking for a suitable salad or other dishes that go well with your homemade croutons, you will most definitely find something here on the blog. Whether it’s a Caesar salad or an Italian Bread Salad, both certainly benefit from crispy toasted bread. Gazpacho or Salmorejo are particularly delicious and refreshing in summer – cold soups that also go very well with some crunchy croutons!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(2 servings)
2-3 slices of potato bread or white bread, cubed
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder*
1/2 tsp. onion powder*
1/4 tsp. dried oregano*
salt, pepper
(2 Portionen)
2-3 Scheiben Kartoffelbrot oder Weißbrot, in Würfeln
2-3 EL Olivenöl
1/2 TL Knoblauchpulver*
1/2 TL Zwiebelpulver*
1/4 TL Oregano*
Salz, Pfeffer
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Cut the bread into large cubes, place them in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Add the spices to the bowl and mix well. Season with a little salt and pepper.
2. Place the seasoned bread cubes in the basket of an air fryer – the bread cubes should not overlap, if possible. Set the air fryer temperature to 200°C (390°F) and roast the croutons for 5-6 minutes – the time depends on the power of the appliance and how crispy you want the croutons to be, so the time may therefore vary slightly. Shake the croutons once during the baking time.
Notes:
+ The croutons are best when fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
+ You can season the croutons however you like – smoked paprika works well here, as do herbs de Provence.
+ Instead of garlic powder and olive oil, you can also use garlic oil*.
1. Das Brot in große Würfel schneiden, in eine große Schüssel geben und das Olivenöl darüber träufeln. Knoblauchpulver, Zwiebelpulver und Oregano vermischen, zur Schüssel dazugeben und alles gut vermengen. Mit ein wenig Salz und Pfeffer würzen.
2. Die gewürzten Brotwürfel in den Korb eines AirFryers geben – die Brotwürfel sollten nach Möglichkeit nicht übereinander liegen. Die Temperatur des AirFryers auf 200°C (390°F) einstellen und die Croûtons für 5-6 Minuten rösten lassen – die Zeit hängt von der Leistung des Geräts ab und davon, wie stark man die Croûtons geröstet haben möchte. Die Zeit kann also etwas variieren. Zwischendurch einmal alles durchschütteln.
Hinweise:
+ Die Croûtons schmecken frisch am besten, können aber in einer luftdicht schließenden Dose bei Zimmertemperatur bis zu 3 Tage aufbewahrt werden.
+ Man kann die Croûtons natürlich nach Lust und Laune würzen – etwas Rauchpaprika funktioniert hier auch ganz gut, ebenso Kräuter der Provence.
+ Statt Knoblauchpulver und Olivenöl kann man auch gleich Knoblauchöl* verwenden.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Easy Homemade Croutons (Air Fryer)
- Prep Time: 00:05
- Cook Time: 00:06
- Total Time: 00:11
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The perfect topping for salads – these homemade croutons are made in the Air Fryer. Super simple, easy, and quick to prepare! So good!
Ingredients
2-3 slices of potato bread or white bread, cubed
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder*
1/2 tsp. onion powder*
1/4 tsp. dried oregano*
salt, pepper
Instructions
1. Cut the bread into large cubes, place them in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Add the spices to the bowl and mix well. Season with a little salt and pepper.
2. Place the seasoned bread cubes in the basket of an air fryer – the bread cubes should not overlap, if possible. Set the air fryer temperature to 200°C (390°F) and roast the croutons for 5-6 minutes – the time depends on the power of the appliance and how crispy you want the croutons to be, so the time may therefore vary slightly. Shake the croutons once during the baking time.
Notes
+ The croutons are best when fresh, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
+ You can season the croutons however you like – smoked paprika works well here, as do herbs de Provence.
+ Instead of garlic powder and olive oil, you can also use garlic oil*.
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