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    Home / Recipes / Soups

    Easy Polenta Croutons

    Published: Oct 2, 2024 · Modified: Oct 2, 2024 by Kathy Carmichael · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This polenta croutons recipe is a fabulous addition to any salad or soup! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, these tasty polenta croutons can be air-fried or baked in minutes, and they are gluten-free!

    Polenta croutons in a bowl next to a large salad.

    I love croutons on my salad or on top of a bowl of soup. Something extraordinary about a crunchy topping on a salad or soup brings it all together. Tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, these polenta croutons are a gluten-free alternative to traditional bread croutons.

    Jump to:
    • What is Polenta?
    • Polenta Crouton Ingredients
    • Ingredient Substitutions
    • How to Make the Polenta Croutons Recipe
    • Ways to Use Polenta Croutons
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips
    • Other Suggested Recipes.
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    What is Polenta?

    Polenta cut into inch slices on a cutting board

    Polenta is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as hot porridge or allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled.

    Although polenta is easy to make, premade polenta is readily available in the pasta section of the grocery store or the refrigerated section. One big benefit of pre-cooked, tubed polenta is how well it stays together after it's been sliced. This makes grilled polenta an unexpected but delicious side dish. And premade polenta is perfect for polenta croutons.

    Polenta Crouton Ingredients

    The cut cubes in a bowl with seasoning on top on the table
    • Premade Polenta: Premade polenta usually comes in a tube wrapped in plastic. Polenta tastes a lot like corn since that's what it is! It has a similar flavor to grits and is even comparable to the flavor of cornbread (but not the texture).
    • Italian Seasoning: Italian seasoning usually consists of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.
    • Onion Powder: Onion powder is a seasoning made from dehydrated ground onions. This potent-smelling spice is often used in dry rubs and marinades to get concentrated onion flavor without the moisture and bulk of the onion bulb itself.
    • Garlic Salt: Garlic salt is a mixture of ground garlic and sea salt or kosher salt. The ratio of garlic powder to salt is one part garlic powder to three parts salt

    Ingredient Substitutions

    • Make your own polenta and all it to cool before cutting it into bite-sized cubes.
    • Choose different varieties of seasoning combinations for other salad or soup recipes.
    • Substitute onion salt for onion powder, but only use garlic powder instead of garlic salt.
    • Make your own Italian seasoning blend, or add the herbs from individual bottles if you don't have an Italian seasoning blend.

    How to Make the Polenta Croutons Recipe

    Polenta cut into cubes on a cutting board
    • You can begin by cutting the polenta into bite-sized cubes.
    • Use the large chopper blade of a vegetable chopper to make them uniformly sized.
    • Then, transfer the polenta cubes to a bowl, add the herbs and seasonings, and toss the sticky cubes.
    • Although many people use oil when cooking polenta, it isn't necessary. The polenta is naturally sticky, so the seasonings stick well to the polenta croutons.
    • Next, decide which cooking method works best. For example, I air-fried my polenta croutons, but baking also works well.
    Seasoned polenta cubes on an air frier pan on the table

    Air Frying

    • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
    • Place seasoned polenta croutons on the air fryer basket/pan.
    • Cook for 10 minutes.
    • Flip the croutons over and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
    • Cool on the baking sheet until ready to use, or once cool, transfer to a container, but do not cover the container.

    Baking

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
    • Cook the seasoned croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet for 35-40 minutes until the polenta croutons are crispy.
    • Cool on the baking sheet until ready to use, or once cool, transfer to a container, but do not cover the container.
    Polenta croutons recipe in a bowl

    Ways to Use Polenta Croutons

    Without a doubt, polenta croutons taste fabulous on salads and soups. So, if you want a little healthy crunch added to any salad or soup, add a handful of these crunchy nuggets and enjoy! Not only are these polenta croutons gluten-free, but they are also low in calories.

    • Try adding nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese to the polenta croutons and add to the top of vegan tomato soup. It tastes like a mini grilled cheese floating in a bowl of hot tomato soup.
    • Or, try the croutons on Southwest salad and season with chili powder and cumin.
    • Recently, I made a large green salad with vegan ranch dressing and topped it with polenta croutons, and served it with a loaded sweet potato. My family raved about the whole meal!

    Recipe FAQs

    How many calories are in polenta croutons?

    Only 2 calories per serving. And, they are gluten-free and oil-free.

    Are polenta croutons healthier than bread croutons?

    Yes, most bread croutons are fried in oil. And polenta croutons are both oil-free and grain-free.

    Is polenta gluten-free?

    Basic polenta is made with water and cornmeal. Since these ingredients are naturally gluten-free, a basic polenta should also be gluten-free. Typically, water is brought to a boil, cornmeal is added, and then the mixture is stirred and simmered until the desired consistency is reached.

    Mixed green salad with the recipe on top on the table

    Tips

    • Refrigerating the pre-made polenta makes it even firmer than its original form.
    • Use a large vegetable chopper blade to cut perfectly uniform croutons.
    • Do not cover the polenta croutons after baking; they get moist and lose the crunchiness if covered with plastic wrap. Instead, allow them to cool completely on the baking pan and use them when ready.
    • Choose any seasoning blend.
    • It isn't necessary to toss the polenta cubes in oil. The polenta will crips on its own when air fried or baked.

    You will love this bite-sized polenta croutons recipe as a salad or soup topper. However, watch out for people with sticky fingers. My polenta croutons kept disappearing from my baking sheet!

    Other Suggested Recipes.

    • vegan cream of broccoli soup recipe
      Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
    • vegan goulash recipe
      Vegan Goulash
    • vegan carrot soup recipe
      Vegan Roasted Carrot Soup
    • vegan gnocchi soup recipe
      Vegan Gnocchi Soup

    If you loved polenta croutons recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

    📖 Recipe

    polenta crouton recipe

    Easy Polenta Croutons

    Kathy Carmichael
    Polenta croutons are a fabulous addition to any salad or soup recipe! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, these tasty polenta croutons can be air-fried or baked in minutes! And they are gluten-free!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 13 minutes mins
    Course Salad, Soups
    Cuisine American, Mexican
    Servings 12
    Calories 2 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 16 ounce tube of pre-made polenta
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 2 teaspoons garlic salt
    • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

    Instructions
     

    Polenta Croutons

    • Remove the wrapper from the tube of polenta.
    • Cut into 1 inch slices
    • Cut each slice into ½ inch cubes (croutons), or use a large blade of a vegetable chopper.
    • Place polenta cubes in a bowl.
    • Add seasonings and gently toss.
    • Set aside.

    Air Fried Polenta Croutons

    • Pre-heat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
    • Place a single layer of seasoned polenta cubes on the air frier pan.
    • Cook for 10 minutes.
    • Flip the croutons over and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
    • Remove the pan from the air fryer and allow the croutons to cool completely.

    Baked Polenta Croutons

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
    • Place a single layer of seasoned croutons on the baking sheet.
    • Cook for 35-40 minutes; flip halfway through cooking.
    • Allow tthe polenta croutons to cool on the baking sheet completely.

    Notes

    • Do not cover the cooked polenta croutons with plastic wrap or the croutons will get moist. 
    • If you plan to eat the leftover polenta croutons in 2-3 days, the easiest way to store them is in the fridge. There are, however, some tricks that help avoid excess moisture. Let the polenta cool completely before refrigerating, then wrap the croutons in a clean cloth or set them on a plate covered with a couple of paper towels and seal with plastic wrap.
    • If they still get moist, you can reheat refrigerated polenta croutons in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they’re crispy again!
    • Polenta croutons can be frozen, but they will need to be reheated once they thaw completely. 
    • The time needed to bake the polenta croutons may vary based on your oven, and how big you cut your cubes of polenta. Start checking the oven at about 30 minutes to ensure your polenta croutons do not burn. Keep baking until the croutons are lightly browned on each side. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 2kcalCarbohydrates: 0.4gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.02gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 388mgPotassium: 7mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.03gVitamin A: 7IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.2mg
    Tried our recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Kathy Carmichael

    Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

    www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/

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