Vegan Croutons

Here's what you need to make vegan croutons:

• Bread - Rustic bread makes the best croutons. Use crusty bread or sourdough bread. Baguette and focaccia work well too. You can use white, whole wheat, rye or spelt bread. Most good-quality bread is naturally vegan. If you're not sure, check the ingredients or ask at your local bakery. Grocery store sliced bread can work ok too (if it's vegan), but the croutons don't turn out as good as they do with rustic bread. Use gluten-free bread for gluten-free croutons. Croutons are easier to make when the bread is a few days old rather than fresh.
• Olive oil - For its delicious flavour, to crisp up your croutons and to make the seasoning stick. For oil-free croutons, use aquafaba. Instructions are included.
• Salt & pepper - For flavour and seasoning. Be generous with the black pepper!

You will also need a large baking sheet, or a couple of medium-sized ones.

Making homemade vegan croutons is really easy and takes no time at all. Here's how it's done:

1. Cut or tear the bread into chunky bite-sized pieces and tip them into a large bowl, or just straight onto the baking sheet if you prefer. I do find it easier to coat them in a bowl.
2. Drizzle over the oil, add the salt and pepper (plus any additional seasonings you might want to add), and toss together with your hands.
3. Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet, bake, turning them over halfway, then allow to cool on the baking sheet before storing them in an airtight container.

Feel free to customize your vegan croutons to make your own crouton flavours. You can add any dry seasonings, herbs, or spices to them. Here are some ideas:

• Cheesy croutons - A dusting of nutritional yeast makes for deliciously cheesy dairy-free croutons. Amazing on my vegan potato soup!
• Cheese & onion croutons- Add a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast and 1 to 2 teaspoons of onion powder.
• Garlic croutons - There are a few ways to do this. You can just add some garlic powder. 1 to 2 teaspoons. Or you can toss your bread cubes in vegan garlic butter instead of the oil. Or you can very finely grate some fresh garlic (1 to 2 cloves) into the olive oil before tossing the bread cubes.
• Onion croutons - Add a generous amount of onion powder, 2 to 3 teaspoons.
• Garlic & rosemary croutons - Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of garlic powder and 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary.
• Herby croutons - Use your favourite dried herbs. Rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, sage, Italian seasoning, Italian herbs and Herbs de Provence are ones I love to use. 2 to 3 teaspoons should be enough.
• Spicy croutons - Chili powder, smoked paprika or cayenne pepper for a delicious spicy hit. 1 to 2 teaspoons should be sufficient, depending on how spicy you want them.
• Chili croutons - Use chili oil instead of the olive oil for spicy flavour that will seep right into those little bread pockets, or sprinkle over some chili flakes or chili powder when tossing them.
• Buttery croutons - Use vegan butter instead of the olive oil for delicious buttery-tasting vegan croutons.
• Parmesan croutons - Bake the croutons until halfway done. Turn them over, then finely grate vegan parmesan over them with a microplane. It's important that it's grated very finely. Continue cooking until golden and crispy.

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