This is by far my favorite crouton recipe. I made the crouton to pair with the potato leek soup for our Pistachio Dinner. Shio kombu gives the crouton the perfect savory umami with a little bit sweetness, and it goes so well with any creamy soup and salad.
What is Shio Kombu?
Shio kombu is basically kombu (kelp) that’s been cooked down with soy sauce, sugar, and salt, then dried until it’s slightly chewy and super concentrated. Even though it says “shio,” it’s not just salty—it’s more like salty, savory, and a little sweet all at once. It’s packed with umami, so a small pinch already adds a lot of depth. I usually think of it as a seasoning more than an ingredient. Just sprinkle a bit into rice, veggies, stir-fry or even pasta.
You might also like Pistachio Pesto or Edamame Cheese Ciabatta.
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Ingredients of Shio Kombu Crouton
- Sourdough - Sourdough is not the most common bread for croutons, but I really recommend using sourdough not just for flavor, but also for the slight chewy texture. It will taste much better than the airy croutons you get from supermarket.
- Shio Kombu - You can find them in the Japanese grocery store. If not, Amazon actually have many options for shio kombu.
- Oil - Any vegetable oil. I used avocado oil.
- Nuts - Adding nut is optional. I use pistachio cause I paired my croutons with a pistachio-milk-based soup.
- Onion Powder - I use onion powder cause my soup does not have onion, but you can also add some herb or nothing. The shio kombu itself will be really flavorful.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Shio Kombu Crouton?
Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut the sourdough into small cubes. The smaller they are, the faster they dry.
Combine sourdough cubes, oil, shio kombu, buts and onion powder in the mixing bowl. Toss to coat the seasoning. Spread onto a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven, stirring occasionally. Turn the baking sheet half way. Bake until lightly browned. About 30 minutes in total. Let the croutons cool down on the baking sheet completely.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If they soften, retoast briefly to crisp them back up.
Recipe Tips
Let them cool completely! This matters more than people think. Any leftover heat = steam = soggy croutons later.
Don’t overcrowd the pan! Give the croutons space. If they’re piled up, they’ll steam instead of crisp.
Go by texture, not the clock! The baking time here is just a guideline. Keep an eye on them. The total asking time can differ for their size, the type of oven (fan on or off), or the batch size.
Recipe FAQ
I don’t like to use butter for croutons. The long roasting process keeps cooking the butter solids. Kind of like making brown butter, but going past that sweet spot, so it can turn bitter before the croutons are fully crisp.
The croutons are done when they’re evenly golden and fully dry. If you break one open, there shouldn’t be any soft center, but they’ll crisp up a little more as they cool, so don’t wait until they’re super hard in the oven.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Card
Shio Kombu Crouton
Ingredients
- 170 g sourdough (4 slices)
- 4 g shio kombu (1 tbsp)
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon raw or lightly toasted pistachio (crushed)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut the sourdough into small cubes. The smaller they are, the faster they dry.
- Mix: Combine sourdough cubes, oil, shio kombu, nuts and onion powder in the mixing bowl. Toss to coat the seasoning.
- Bake: Spread onto a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven, stirring occasionally. Turn the baking sheet half way. Bake until lightly browned. About 30 minutes in total.
- Cool: Let the croutons cool down on the baking sheet completely.
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