Rye Croutons Recipe

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 06/9/21
Rye Croutons
© 2009 Barbara Rolek licensed to About.com, Inc.
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This rye croutons recipe is a great way to use up leftover rye bread. If the bread has caraway seeds, all the better.

In this two-step process of sautéing first and then baking, it takes all of about 20 minutes to have the perfect foil for salads or beer soup, dill pickle soup, split-pea soup, Polish-American potato-sausage corn chowder, and others.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

  • 3 1-inch thick slices rye bread, cubed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, heat oil with garlic over medium heat. Add bread cubes and sauté, turning frequently, until bread is well-browned on all sides, about 3 minutes.

  3. Discard garlic and transfer bread cubes to a baking sheet and toast until cubes are dried through, about 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container for several weeks.

When to Use Extra-Virgin and When to Use Regular Olive Oil

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: This is the highest-quality olive oil you can buy and, therefore, the most expensive. It has more of an "olive taste" than regular olive oil and is greener in color. Its lower smoke point makes it unsuited for cooking because it will burn quickly. This pricey oil is better used as is in salad dressings, for dipping bread, dips, and other cold dishes.

Regular Olive Oil: This first cousin to EVOO is more golden in color, has less of an olive taste and is better suited for cooking, baking or roasting, than extra-virgin. 

You can substitute one for the other, but keep in mind they have different smoke points, but why would you want to waste a pricey, delicious extra-virgin olive oil on a product whose flavor will be ultimately baked out or cooked out in the end? Use regular olive oil in those situations.

Can I Bake With Olive Oil?

Baking with olive oil is not unusual and has become quite the rage because of this oil's heart-healthy properties. Here are some recipes using regular olive oil:

Dairy-Free Lemon Olive Oil Cupcakes Recipe: Here the butter is replaced with regular olive oil and brightened with lemon.

Olive Oil and Sea Salt Crackers Recipe: These homemade crackers don't have any mysterious ingredients or unhealthy preservatives, just sea salt, olive oil, flour, baking powder, and water. Add fresh or dried herbs if you like.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
58 Calories
4g Fat
5g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 58
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 64mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 20mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)