crouton

American  

[kroo-ton, kroo-ton] / ˈkru tɒn, kruˈtɒn /

noun

1. a small piece of fried or toasted bread, sometimes seasoned, used as a garnish for soups, salads, and other dishes.

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crouton British  

/ ˈkruːtɒn /

noun

1. a small piece of fried or toasted bread, usually served in soup

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Etymology

Origin of crouton

1800–10; < French, equivalent to croûte crust + -on diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

To elaborate: Part of the whole of a salad, yet a respite from all the vegetation, a crouton is a crispy little treasure.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

I like a garlicky, large, super-crisp crouton, so I often buy a baguette or Italian bread, cube it and then crisp it up in a pan or in the oven in lots of garlic-flavored oil.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2023

This one, not too tall with a fine crumb, fulfills its supporting role flawlessly, with the tiny flair of the crouton crumbs riding on its golden-brown dome adding a minute crispy texture.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2023

I’ve had strawberry and pecan salads, but none came close to this ensemble: candied pecans, fresh strawberries, pickled shallots and a warm pistachio-and-goat-cheese crouton with an apricot vinaigrette.

From New York Times • Nov. 1, 2022

When the pheasant is cooked, place it on the crouton and garnish it with slices of truffle which have been previously cooked in Madeira, and serve with a Perigord sauce.

From The Cook's Decameron: a study in taste, containing over two hundred recipes for Italian dishes by Waters, W. G., Mrs.