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

A crouton, hopefully with some dressing clinging to it, enriches one tiny moment with an accompanying tiny crunch.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

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

Not only will you nosh on these throughout the day, but you'll also be adding them to soups, stews, and even salads as a crouton replacement.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2022

Melt Crisco in saute pan, fry tournedos quickly and brown nicely, season with pepper and salt, and dress each on round crouton of bread, cut same size as fillet, and fried.

From The Story of Crisco by Neil, Marion Harris