Crispy, crunchy croutons are the perfect finishing touch to so many dishes. They bring variety to a simple salad or soup, and are also a great way to salvage a stale bit of bread. Pretty much anything can become a crouton too – focaccia, baguette, even prawn toasts as this recipe from GBC Kitchen proves.

There are some recipes though that really demand croutons, like French onion soup, which is always topped with a deeply cheesy hunk of bread that absorbs the flavourful beef broth-based soup as it sits. Similarly, a Caesar salad just wouldn’t be the same without bites of crispy, parmesan-dusted croutons.

Croutons can be seasoned to match whatever they are paired with: this bagel-inspired platter is served with poppy and sesame-seed encrusted croutons, while this horseradish beef carpaccio goes with a more simple combination of tarragon and garlic. Or, if you’re after some crunch but don’t have any bread, give these roast potato ‘croutons’ a go – a perfect recipe for lovers of earth-shatteringly crisp roasties and fries.

Find your favourite crouton recipe in our collection below.