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    Home » Recipes » Bread

    Bread Croutons for Soup

    Published: Aug 8, 2021 · Modified: May 28, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · Leave a Comment

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    • 31shares

    Crispy croutons made from stale bread are a must-have companion to many classic Czech soups such as pea, lentil, or garlic soup. If you love soups, this simple and quick recipe for homemade croutons is for you!

    bread croutons for soup

    About this Recipe

    Czechs prepare croutons (chlebové krutonky) from sliced old bread. The best way to cook homemade croutons is to bake them in the oven or fry them in a pan with a piece of butter until golden brown.

    Ingredients

    bread croutons ingredients
    • Stale rye bread; roll or baguette; ideally 2 to 3 days old. Use any leftover bread you have at home - croutons are also a great way to avoid wasting stale bread. They taste great when made from classic white rolls as well as whole/rye bread, or French baguette. Be careful with toast bread, it's quite soft and if you add a handful of the croutons to the hot soup, they will dissolve immediately.
    • Unsalted butter

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    Making Homemade Croutons

    STEP 1: Cut the 2 to 3-day old bread into cubes of about ½ inch (1,5 cm) in diameter.

    cubed old bread for croutons

    STEP 2: Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and place the bread cubes in it.

    Making bread croutons in a pan.

    STEP 3: Stir briefly and reduce heat to low when cubes begin to turn golden. Fry the croutons until crispy on all sides, turning so they don't burn.

    Making bread croutons in a pan.

    Serving

    Add the croutons to the soup you've already prepared on the table. Don't do it beforehand, as they tend to draw liquid out of the soup right away! It usually doesn't take long for them to become soggy.

    Bread croutons in pea soup.

    The good idea is to put the croutons on the table separately in a bowl so that everyone can serve themselves to their liking.

    bread croutons for soup.

    Useful Tips

    • Croutons can also be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 °F (150° C), melt the butter on a baking sheet, add the cut croutons and stir. Bake until golden brown, turning the croutons occasionally.
    • Let the cubed bread dry on a baking sheet if you don't want to heat the pan or oven. This may take a few days, but you'll have a ready supply the next time you make soup.
    • Store leftover croutons in a sealed container, so they don't get wet and moldy. If fried in butter, they will be good for a shorter time, about a week. Air-dried, you can use them longer, but check them regularly.

    More delicious recipes

    • Lettuce salad – with buttermilk dressing
    • Pork patties – Czech vepřenky
    • Czech rye bread

    These bread croutons are great for soups. My tip: Browse the category with Czech soups to choose your favorite.

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    bread croutons for soup recipe

    Bread Croutons for Soup

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Crispy croutons made from stale bread are a must-have for many classic Czech soups such as pea, lentil, or garlic soup. If you love soups, this simple and quick recipe for homemade croutons is perfect for you!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 9 minutes mins
    Total Time: 14 minutes mins
    Servings: 2

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 2 slice stale rye bread (or baguette, roll) 2-3 days old
    • ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter

    Instructions 

    • Cut the 2 to 3-day old 2 slice stale rye bread into cubes of about ½ inch (1,5 cm).
    • Melt ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter in a pan over medium heat and place the bread cubes in it.
    • Stir briefly and reduce heat to low when cubes begin to turn golden. Fry the croutons until crispy on all sides, turning so they don't burn.

    Notes

    • SERVING: Add the croutons to the soup just before serving. Don't do it beforehand, as they tend to absorb the liquid quickly and become soggy.
    • A good idea is to put the croutons in a separate bowl on the table so that everyone can serve themselves to their liking.
    • These croutons can also be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Melt the butter on a baking sheet, add the cut croutons, and stir. Bake until golden brown, turning the croutons occasionally.
    • Let the cubed bread dry on a baking sheet if you don't want to heat the pan or oven. This may take a few days, but you'll have a ready supply of croutons the next time you make soup.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 99kcal
    Servings: 2
    Calories pro serving: 99
    Course: bread
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Bread recipes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Hi there, I am Petra, born and raised in the Czech Republic, a self-taught home cook with over 20 years of experience. I am on a mission to keep Czech culinary heritage alive by sharing cherished recipes & stories with nostalgic hearts worldwide.

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