Potato Croutons Are The Deliciously Crunchy Topping Your Salad Needs

A good salad will leave you feeling satiated and full of energy. But as much as we love medleys of leafy greens and sauce-drenched, parmesan-dusted veggies, no salad is complete without croutons. More than just your average garnish, croutons add visual appeal, texture, crunch, and flavor to any old salad. Although they're an essential ingredient, there's nothing wrong with mixing up the type of croutons you use in your favorite salad recipe. Enter potato croutons.

Croutons are typically made from stale bread seasoned with herbs and spices and baked until crispy. However, the average crouton crusader may not know that potatoes are versatile in texture, flavor, and variety, making them the perfect starchy substitute for their bread-based counterparts.

Depending on how they're prepared, potato croutons take on a texture that's crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. But if soft potatoes aren't your thing, they can also mimic the full-body crunch of classic croutons — the choice is yours. Potatoes come in many different shapes, sizes, and flavors, so you can experiment with sweet potatoes, fingerlings, and russets to determine which varieties work best in your rotation of salads. While potatoes themselves have a neutral flavor, they act as a blank canvas for absorbing the flavors of the herbs, spices, and seasonings you use in your salads. Not to mention, potato croutons are an excellent option for foodies with gluten sensitivities, making it an accessible choice for all types of salad lovers. 

Aside from their unique texture and flavor, one of the most convincing reasons to try potato croutons in your salads is that they're just as easy to make as bread croutons. It's as simple as cutting potatoes into your preferred shape and density, drizzling them with oil, dusting them with seasonings, and baking them to potato perfection.

Whether you want them thick or thin, aim to cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces that will cook evenly. We suggest keeping the skin on, as it helps develop the irresistible crunch of bread-based croutons. Toss the pieces with olive oil or melted butter, and add your favorite herbs. Potatoes work well with a wide range of seasonings and aromatics — so jazz them up to your liking — there are no rules for adding flavor to these salad spuds!

Once they're ready for their transformation, preheat the oven to 425 F and bake for at least 25 minutes before taking them out to add a smidge more olive oil and butter. Let them roast for 10 more minutes, and you'll have a batch of crispy potato croutons ready. Allow them to cool slightly on a wire rack after removing them from the oven — this helps firm them up and settle into their crunchiest form.

Now that you've started preheating the oven before you could even finish reading this love letter to potato croutons, you'll need some recipe ideas for livening them up and putting them to use. If you don't know where to start, don't worry, we've got you covered.

No salad benefits from croutons quite like a classic Caesar salad. Make crispy potato croutons with Yukon Gold potatoes seasoned with garlic powder, grated Parmesan cheese, and Italian herbs. Serve them on a bed of romaine lettuce with Caesar dressing shaved Parmesan and ascend to spud serenity.

There's nothing more filling than a baked potato, so try making a salad inspired by their hearty bravado by adding smoked paprika and cheddar cheese-kissed russet potato croutons with mixed greens, romaine lettuce, chopped bacon, sour cream, chives, and red onion for a deconstructed baked potato medley.

For something on the lighter side, roast up some sweet potato croutons seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg before adding them to a refreshing garden salad made of arugula, spinach, feta crumbles, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, and a refreshing red wine vinaigrette.

Don't shy away from experimenting with the shape and size of your potato, either. Use a cheese grater to get them nice and skinny, dice them into perfect crouton squares, or cut them into homefry-style shapes for a bigger mouthful. Whichever way you choose to use your potato croutons — have fun with it!