Fried Garlic-Paprika Croutons

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients from the list. Croutons take just a handful of ingredients that every kitchen always has on hand, so you can safely call them a budget snack. Feel free to switch up the spices and seasonings for a different flavor each time.

2. Step 2:

   

   For croutons it's best to use fresh bread, when it's tasty and fragrant. But slightly dried bread is easier to cut into small cubes, so you can take fresh bread out of its package and leave it out at room temperature for a couple of hours to dry a bit. Cut the wheat bread into small cubes or sticks, whichever you like. Stick-shaped croutons are usually served with beer, while cubed croutons are more common for soups and salads.

3. Step 3:

   

   Make the seasoning oil for the croutons. In a bowl, combine the salt, ground black pepper, and sweet paprika, then pour in the olive oil. Stir.

4. Step 4:

   

   Put the bread pieces in the bowl with the seasoning oil and toss.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add garlic — grated on a fine grater or pressed — to the bread cubes. Stir and let sit for a few minutes so the bread soaks up the seasoning.

6. Step 6:

   

   Spread the bread pieces, along with any leftover seasoning oil, into a skillet and fry over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden. The croutons are done — let them cool and crisp up, then serve.

7. Step 7:

   

   There's another, quicker way. Peel the garlic and cut it into slices. Fry it in olive or sunflower oil.

8. Step 8:

   

   Then remove the garlic slices from the pan and fry the bread pieces in the fragrant oil that's left. You can add the spices afterward to taste.

9. Step 9:

   

   Enjoy!