Bread-free Croutons

[talon]

For those of my friends who can't tolerate gluten or wheat and would otherwise live a crouton-free life, here are some of my favorite unusual croutons to sprinkle over salads and soups.

Garbanzo Croutons

1 cup garbanzo flour
2 cups water
Smoked paprika
Salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder

Extra-Virgin olive oil

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in chickpea flour, sea salt, and a generous shake of seasonings. Whisk until smooth and thick.

Spread mixture out on a greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an 1 hour or more. Preheat oven to 450F. Cut mixture into squares, and toss on baking sheet with olive oil and more of your seasoning mix. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Broil for one minute until golden.


Cauliflower Croutons

These can be made in 2 ways: Raw and roasted

Raw is easy - simply break the cauliflower down into small pieces and sprinkle onto hot creamed soups

Roasted requires a little more work.

1 cup small cauliflower pieces, steamed but still crunchy
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon dried herbs (I like parsley, thyme, and summer savory)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir the herbs and garlic powder and salt and pepper into the butter, then toss the cauliflower in that. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast at 400ºF until golden and crisp (15 - 20 minutes, less if your pieces are really small). Sprinkle on soups or salads.



Potato Croutons

1 medium potato
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon of favorite seasoning mix (I like garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper)

Peel the potato and cut into very small cubes. Mix the seasoning blend into the butter and toss the potato in it. Fry in a hot skillet until well browned and crisp - 15 minutes.




Sweet Potato Croutons

1 medium sweet potato
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sweet seasoning mix (I like mine a tad on the savory side, so I use salt, pepper, parsley, savory, onion salt, and a pinch of brown sugar and cinnamon)

Peel the potato and cut into very small cubes. Mix the seasonings and butter, then toss in the cubes. Fry in a hot skillet until fragrantly brown and crisp.


Carrot Croutons

2 or 3 large carrots
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon seasoning mix (I like a blend of dill, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and cinnamon)

Peel the carrots and steam until almost tender, then cut into crouton sized cubes. Mix the seasonings into the butter, toss the carrot cubes in the seasoned butter, and fry in a hot skillet until crispy and browned.



Meatball Croutons

½ pound ground beef
1 small Italian sausage, skin removed and mooshed into ground beef
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon oregano

Mix this all together very well. Then roll into tiny, tiny meatballs - no more than 1" across. I prefer to bake them on a foil lined baking sheet at 350º until well browned and crisp, but they can also be fried in a hot skillet. Excellent with tomato soup, fresh spring salad, and creamy potato soup.