Red Chile Dusted Croutons

These spicy croutons are not only a tasty addition to this soup, they are great on salads too. For a hotter crouton add some ground chile piquin.



Ingredients


  • 3 slices of white bread, crusts trimmed, cut in 1-inch cubes

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon margarine

  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon ground red New Mexico chile

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin



Instructions


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry out at room temperature for a couple of hours.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and margarine. Add the garlic and saute until the garlic just starts to brown, being careful not to let them burn. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the chile and the cumin and toss the crumbs in the mixture until well coated.

Spread the bread cubes on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow the cubes to cool at room temperature.