crouton n : a small piece of toasted or fried bread; served in soup or salads

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -uːtɒn

Noun

1. A small, often seasoned, piece of dry or fried bread.

Translations

• Italian: crostino
• Russian: гренок

See also

• canapé

A crouton is a small piece of sautéed or rebaked bread, often cubed and seasoned, that is used to add texture and flavor to salads, notably the Caesar salad, and as an accompaniment to soups, while some prefer to eat them alone, as a snack food. The word crouton is derived from the French croûte, meaning "crust".

Making croutons is relatively simple. Typically the cook cuts bread into small cubes, coats them in oil or butter, (which may be seasoned or flavored for variety) and then bakes them. Alternatively, they may be fried lightly in butter or vegetable oil, until crisp and as brown as desired to give them a buttery flavor and crunchy texture.

Nearly any type of unsweetened bread, in a loaf or pre-sliced, with or without crust, may be used to make croutons. Dry or stale leftover bread is usually used in lieu of fresh bread. Once prepared, the croutons will remain fresh far longer than the bread.

A dish prepared à la Grenobloise has a garnish of small croutons along with brown butter, capers, parsley, and lemon.

See also

• Breadcrumb
• Shkedei Marak

External links

• a la Grenobloise
• Olivia's Croutons