Have leftover crusts from another recipe? Turn them into a crunchy garnish in less than 20 minutes.

I made these croutons with the intention of using them as a topping for soups and salads but ended up eating them as a snack instead…and they went fast. The great thing about this recipe is that you can literally make any kind of croutons you want. You can use whatever bread you want and customize the seasonings to your personal taste—I think next time I might try a smoky chipotle crouton.

I used pre-sliced sandwich bread for these croutons because I had a ton of leftover crusts, but I think other fresh loaves would be nice too. I’d experiment with rye, sourdough, baguettes and naan.

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups bread crusts from your favourite bread, cut into 1-inch rough cubes
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. each dried basil, oregano, thyme and sage
• Pinch of roasted garlic flakes
• Salt to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place crust cubes into a bowl with a lid. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together olive oil, mixed herbs and roasted garlic flakes. Evenly drizzle the oil and spice mix onto the bread crust pieces, then put the lid securely on the bowl. Shake it for 30 seconds vigorously until each piece is lightly coated in the oil mixture, then spread the pieces out evenly on a dry, ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, stirring at the halfway point to avoid burning. Remove from oven, lightly sprinkle with salt and serve over soups, salads or just eat them as a snack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.