Super Simple Tortellini Salad with Homemade Croutons
This fast, easy and delicious salad is a cinch to whip up. Making homemade croutons adds an extra layer of delicious. Once you learn how to make croutons, you’ll never ever go back to buying store bought croutons! Homemade croutons are unbelievably easy to make and taste so much better than the dry kind you buy from the store. Easier on your dental work too!
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 9 oz packages refrigerated or frozen cheese filled tortellini
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halves
- 6 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup mozzarella or provolone cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup hard salami, cubed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn in pieces
- 1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Homemade Croutons
- 4 heaping cups cubed bread, (croutons is a great way to use up left-over bread)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or something similar
- 1/4 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Place in a large serving bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Chill several hours.
- Make croutons. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the bread, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle olive oil over bread while stirring. Stir well until bread is coated by all ingredients and olive oil is absorbed.
- Spread the bread cubes into an even layer on a sheet pan. Don’t crowd the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. If you’re using super fresh bread, they’ll take a little longer to become golden brown. If the bread is stale and dry, it may brown faster, so keep an eye on it!