country bread

This soup turns a short list of vegan ingredients into a sublimely silky soup. Infusing olive oil with fresh rosemary is a trick you’ll want to keep up your sleeve: The results are delicious brushed on roast chicken, drizzled over roasted winter vegetables or even just sopped up with a nice piece of bread. The croutons here are optional, but they transform an elegant and delicate first-course soup into a satisfying lunch.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Rosemary Olive Oil

olive oil

(4-inch) rosemary

yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more as needed for reheating

kosher salt,

black pepper,

rustic country bread (3/4-inch pieces)

Make the rosemary oil: In a medium skillet, combine the olive oil and rosemary sprigs. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, lowering the heat if the oil reaches a full simmer. (You want to cook it at a very gentle simmer to avoid frying the rosemary.) Carefully pour the oil and rosemary into a small bowl, leaving a slick of oil in the pan if you plan to make croutons. Allow the rosemary to cool completely in the oil while you make the soup.

Make the soup: In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Be careful not to let the garlic scorch!)

Add the stock, cauliflower, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the optional croutons: Heat the reserved skillet with the residual rosemary oil over medium. Add the bread cubes, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing often, until toasted all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a plate or board to cool.

Strain and discard the rosemary stems from the rosemary oil. Working in batches if necessary, carefully transfer the vegetables, stock and 1/4 cup rosemary oil to a blender and blend on high until creamy. Add more rosemary oil to taste, and blend to combine. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. If the soup seems thin, let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. (Remember: The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot. Garnish each serving with a swirl of rosemary oil, a few croutons, and a sprinkle of lemon zest. The soup will thicken as it sits; add more stock as necessary when reheating. Leftover rosemary oil will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

This is a variation of Amanda Hesser’s <a href="http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017345-croque-monsieur">croque-monsieur</a>, a ham and Gruyere sandwich topped with béchamel. Here, we invite you to pop a fried egg on top. Voila! A croque-madame (reportedly named such because the egg resembles a lady's wide-brimmed hat).

Croque-Madame

butter

flour

milk

Sea salt

nutmeg

French ham

Gruyere cheese

eggs

Preheat a two-sided electric griddle on medium-high to high for about 20 minutes, or preheat the oven to 300 degrees and preheat a cast-iron skillet on top of the stove for about 5 minutes. Prepare a bechamel sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. When bubbles have subsided, add flour and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil, and cook until thick. Remove from heat, and season to taste with salt and nutmeg.

Spread two slices of bread generously with sauce. Lay two slices of ham on top of each, and top each with a slice of cheese; ham and cheese should slightly overlap edges of bread. Top each with a slice of bread.

In a small saucepan, melt remaining the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush the sandwiches on both sides with butter, making sure that the edges are well covered. If you're using a griddle, place cheese side down, close the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted dark and cheese is leaking out and bubbling. If you're using a skillet, place sandwiches cheese side down and cook on stove top until well browned, then turn and brown again. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a skillet with little butter. Slide one fried egg onto each sandwich. Serve hot.

Use whatever variety of beans and chiles you’ve got in your pantry to make this recipe, which is inspired by the silky, lard-fried, pinto bean version available at nearly every Southern Californian taqueria. Eat these however you like, whether alongside rice and greens, smeared onto garlic-rubbed toast or spread onto a warm tortilla and with a perfectly fried egg on top. The overnight soak allows the time for both water and salt to penetrate the beans, cutting down the cooking time and leading to better seasoned, more evenly cooked beans. But if you’re short on time, you can skip the presoak; the beans will just take longer to cook through, and might not cook as evenly, which isn’t the end of the world if you’re mashing them up. You can also skip simmering altogether and use the drained, rinsed beans from two (15-ounce) cans and begin with Step 3.

Olive Oil Refried Beans

beans of any variety

salt

baking soda

bay leaves

garlic cloves,

small dried chile of any variety

country-style bread, grilled

garlic clove,

Calabrian chile paste,

basil leaves, torn (optional)

Parmesan (optional)

The night before cooking, remove any debris from beans. Rinse them, then place them in a 4-quart Dutch oven or pot of similar size. Add 6 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and the baking soda. Cover and set aside in a cool place for 8 to 12 hours.

To cook, add bay leaves, garlic and chile to the beans and bring the pot, uncovered, to a boil. Taste the cooking water and adjust seasoning as needed; it should taste pleasantly salty. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, partly cover with a lid and cook until beans are completely tender and just beginning to fall apart. Depending on the variety and age of your beans, this can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. Throughout the cooking time, monitor the pot to ensure the beans are always submerged, adding more water as needed. When you suspect the beans might be done, taste five of them. If they are not all creamy through to the center, keep on simmering. No one likes an underdone bean!

To fry the beans, remove the bay leaves and chile from the bean pot. Discard the bay leaves, and mince the chile. Set a large cast-iron or similar frying pan over high heat, and add about half the oil. Add the minced chile. Use a slotted spoon or sieve to add beans and garlic — but not their cooking liquid — to the pan. Reduce heat to medium, and, with a potato masher or wooden spoon, stir and mash the beans into a silky paste, constantly stirring and scraping to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add about 1/4 cup bean cooking liquid to loosen the mixture, then gradually add remaining oil. If the bean paste is too thick, continue adding cooking liquid as needed, being mindful that it is seasoned with salt. When the mixture is rich and velvety, taste, and adjust seasoning with salt.

To serve, lightly rub warm toasts with raw garlic, then slather with a generous amount of bean paste. Garnish with chile paste and, if desired, torn basil and a heap of grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

This roast chicken recipe puts all of the juices that normally collect at the bottom of the roasting pan (only to be discarded) to gloriously good use. The bird, which is stuffed with garlic, lemon and herbs, is placed on top of a pile of stale bread (all different kinds of breads work, including baguettes, country loaves and even pita) that's been drizzled with olive oil. As the chicken cooks, the juices are absorbed by the bread, resulting in arguably the most delicious jumbo-sized croutons in the history of the world.

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken With Crispy Drippings Croutons

Country bread, ciabatta

extra virgin olive oil, more as needed

salt,

black pepper, more as needed

chicken,

garlic head, sliced in half horizontally, through the cloves

bay leaf

lemon

thyme

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange oven rack so that it is in center of oven. Lay bread slices in a thick, heavy-duty metal roasting pan in one layer. (Try not to use a thin or dark colored pan, which may cause bread to burn: see note.) Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Rub 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper inside cavity of chicken. Stuff cavity with garlic, bay leaf, lemon and thyme. Rub outside of chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle all over with remaining salt and pepper. Place it breast side up on bread.

Roast chicken until it is deeply browned and juices run clear when thigh is pricked with a knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve chicken with bread from pan.

In this picnic-perfect sandwich, sliced chicken breast is enlivened by muhammara, an earthy Middle Eastern spread of roasted red peppers, walnuts and lemon that includes a little pomegranate molasses for sweetness. Poaching is an ideal technique for keeping chicken tender and juicy for these sandwiches, but you can swap in roasted, grilled or rotisserie chicken as well. Baby arugula, or a similar leafy green, adds a peppery bite. Be sure to use bread that can hold up to the sandwich fillings — one with a firm crumb and crunchy crust.

Muhammara Chicken Sandwiches

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 to 6 ounces each)

black peppercorns

Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

(12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained (1 cup)

walnuts

Aleppo pepper

cumin

lemon juice

pomegranate molasses

baby arugula

Poach the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover by 1 inch and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic, and season with salt. Bring to a boil, skim and discard foam, and reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover and simmer chicken until tender and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the muhammara: In a food processor, combine the roasted red peppers and walnuts. Pulse for about 30 seconds to coarsely chop. Add the Aleppo pepper, cumin, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Keep the processor running and pour in the olive oil in a thin stream. Process until incorporated, and add more salt if necessary. Transfer to a bowl or airtight container and cover. Muhammara will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board and discard the poaching liquid. When cool enough to touch, thinly slice the chicken against the grain at an angle.

To assemble the sandwiches, generously spread the muhammara on each piece of the bread. (Save any leftovers to enjoy as a dip or spread.) Divide the chicken slices among the bread bottoms. Top with the arugula, cover with the bread tops and press down slightly to adhere. Serve immediately, or wrap and chill to serve up to 4 hours after assembly.

Garlic, cheese and basil on bread is a classic to go with pasta, but this recipe is made on the grill. With few ingredients (and things to carry), it can be a great addition to a campout or cookout. And, despite the utility involved in cooking outdoors, it’s also elegant.

Grilled Garlic Bread With Basil and Parmesan

Olive oil,

Parmesan

Basil leaves,

Light a grill or turn heat to high. Drizzle both sides of bread with olive oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes without turning, until one side is crisp and beginning to char.

Remove bread from grill and rub grilled side thoroughly with the cut garlic. Evenly distribute Parmesan on the grilled side and return toast to the grill, cheese side up. Close lid and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Transfer to a cutting board, slice each piece of toast in half and serve garnished with basil leaves.

This garlic soup, which is based on a Provençal recipe, requires a minimal number of the staples that I always have on hand. It calls for garlic; eggs; some sort of pasta; a green vegetable that can be as simple as the limp bunch of broccoli in my crisper or, as I use in this recipe, frozen peas; and Parmesan or Gruyère for the garnish.

Garlic Soup

garlic cloves, minced, plus 1 garlic clove, cut in half

Salt (about 2 teaspoons)

pasta,

peas

bread,

eggs,

pepper

parsley

freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese

Bring 6 1/2 cups water to a boil in a 3- or 4-quart saucepan. Add minced garlic, salt, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Remove bay leaf, and fresh thyme sprigs, if using. (Dried thyme will be difficult to remove.)

Add pasta to pot. Stir, cover and simmer until al dente, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on pasta type. Stir from time to time so that pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Add peas and simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, rub toasted bread slices with cut garlic clove and place 2 pieces in each bowl.

Beat together eggs and olive oil. Temper the egg: Spoon 2 ladlefuls of the hot soup into eggs and stir together.

Turn off heat under soup and slowly stir in tempered egg mixture. Add pepper and parsley. Ladle soup into bowls over bread, sprinkle cheese over the top and serve.

Golden caramelized onions and mushrooms are the building blocks of this vegetarian stuffing inspired by French onion soup. The onions take some time to cook, but the meltingly tender result brings rich sweetness to the dish. Mushrooms are added for their texture, and mushroom broth reinforces the stuffing with more depth. An initial steam helps soften the big mound of raw onions to make caramelizing them easier and faster. The onions can be cooked the day before (through Step 3) and refrigerated, then rewarmed before using.

French Onion Stuffing

(1-pound) country bread loaf,

unsalted butter,

neutral oil, oil

celery (from about 4 ribs)

whole white mushrooms, finely chopped (1¼ cups)

Salt and black pepper

thyme leaves, plus 1 thyme sprig

onions,

dry white wine

mushroom broth

chives,

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until very dry and light golden, about 15 minutes. Remove bread and increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.

Meanwhile, in a large pot with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and mixture is dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme leaves and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

In the same pot, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium. Add onions and thyme sprig, season with salt and pepper, and stir to evenly coat in the oil and butter. Cover and cook, stirring after 5 minutes, until onions soften and reduce in volume, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook uncovered, stirring frequently to scrape up browned bits, until onions are very soft and deep golden, about 25 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the onions in a small bowl.

Add wine to pot and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld; discard the thyme sprig. Remove from the heat.

Add eggs to the mushroom mixture in the large bowl and mix well. Add the bread, then pour over the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and gently toss until well combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with the reserved onions and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Cover tightly with foil and bake until stuffing is hot throughout, 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until crisp in spots, about 15 minutes longer. Garnish with chives and serve warm.

Travel sandwiches require good keeping properties. The ingredients have to hold up for hours at room temperature and can’t be too moist, or the bread will become soggy and fall apart. In deference to fellow travelers, I choose fillings that taste great but aren’t pungent. (Garlic aioli has a place in my life, but it’s not within the confines of an airplane.)

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwich

whole wheat country bread

goat cheese (about 1/3 cup), at room temperature

herbs,

If using whole wheat bread, lightly toast it. This will prevent sandwich from becoming soggy. If using a roll with a hard crust, there is no need to toast.

In a bowl, mash goat cheese with a fork or spoon and stir in chopped herbs.

Spread equal amounts of goat cheese on each slice of bread or on both halves of roll. Top the bottom half with roasted pepper and cover with other slice of bread or half of roll. Cut in half if using bread, or into quarters if using a ciabatta roll. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic if transporting. The sandwich keeps well for 2 days.

These are very easy to make if you have an electric panini grill but, of course, you can always make them the traditional way in a frying pan.

Ina Garten's Grilled Cheese Croutons

bread

(1 oz) unsalted butter (melted)

Gruyère cheese (grated)

Assemble

Heat a panini grill or a skillet over medium heat. Place the bread on a cutting board and lightly brush the top of each slice with melted butter, being sure to butter all the way to the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyère on 2 of the slices. Place the remaining 2 slices of bread on top of the Gruyère, buttered sides up.

Cook

Cook the sandwiches on the panini grill or in the pan for about 5 minutes total, flipping once if using a skillet, until nicely browned on the outside and melty and gooey on the inside. Transfer the sandwiches to the cutting board and let rest for 1 minute.

Cut the grilled cheese sandwiches into approximately 1-inch croutons. Dunk them into soup, being mindful that if you don't care for soggy grilled cheese, you're going to want to add just a couple croutons at a time to your bowl of tomatoey goodness.

While French restaurant and country cooking have been thoroughly examined by American home cooks, somewhere between the two styles lies a branch of cuisine that has been almost entirely missed: France's bar and cafe food. This is the realm of snacks like tartines and rillettes, salads and savory tarts, and one of most delicious of all: the croque-monsieur (literally translated as "crunch sir.") 

Good croque-monsieurs have a few things in common: a single layer of French ham and Gruyere pressed between two thin slices of bread. Some, like this one, are filled and topped with béchamel, which makes the whole thing creamier and better. The bread is brushed with butter, and the sandwich is cooked on a griddle or toasted under a broiler so that the cheese almost liquefies and the bits of ham and cheese hanging out the side fall limp and caramelize. It should be rich, substantial and salty, so you will reach for a glass of wine or beer between bites.

Croque-Monsieur

country bread (not sourdough or whole wheat)

In a small saucepan, melt remaining the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush the sandwiches on both sides with butter, making sure that the edges are well covered. If you're using a griddle, place cheese side down, close the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted dark and cheese is leaking out and bubbling. If you're using a skillet, place sandwiches cheese side down and cook on stove top until well browned, then turn and brown again. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling. Serve hot.

Making the dressing for Caesar salad is an exercise in the art of layering salty ingredients to build flavor; there are anchovies, Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce, in addition to the salt itself. (There is also garlic, which is pounded with a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle to make a smooth paste.) Since a delicious balanced dressing depends on working in the right amounts of each of those ingredients — and the other, unsalted elements — refrain from adding the salt crystals until you’ve added the right amount of everything else. This recipe is adapted from "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" by Samin Nosrat, and it's absolutely worth making the torn croutons — store-bought croutons can’t compete, and you'll have leftovers for another salad.

Caesar Salad

Salt,

egg yolk

neutral oil,

lemon juice, more if needed for mayonnaise

anchovy

garlic clove, finely grated or pounded with a pinch of salt

white wine vinegar

Worcestershire sauce

Romaine lettuce, Little Gem lettuce, chicories, raw

Make the torn croutons: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the crusts from the bread, then cut into inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into inch-wide strips, and tear each strip into inch-size pieces. Toss with olive oil to coat them evenly, then spread pieces out in a single layer on a baking sheet. (Use a second sheet if needed to prevent crowding.) Toast for 18 to 22 minutes, checking them after 8 minutes. Rotate pans, switch their oven positions and use a metal spatula to turn the croutons so they brown evenly. Bake until they’re golden brown and crunchy on the outside, with just a tiny bit of chew on the inside. Season with a light sprinkling of salt if needed. Use immediately; store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Meanwhile, make mayonnaise: Place the egg yolk in a deep, medium metal or ceramic bowl. Dampen a tea towel and roll it up into a long log, then form it into a ring on the counter. Place the bowl inside the ring; this will hold the bowl in place while you whisk. (And if whisking by hand is simply out of the question, use a blender, stand mixer or food processor.)

Use a ladle or bottle with a nozzle to drip in the neutral oil a drop at a time, while whisking the oil into the yolk. Go. Really. Slowly. And don’t stop whisking. Once you’ve added about half the oil, you can start adding a little more oil at once. You want the mayonnaise to be stiff, but if it thickens so much that it’s impossible to whisk, add a teaspoon or so of lemon juice to help thin it out.

Prepare the dressing: Coarsely chop the anchovies and then pound them into a fine paste using a mortar and pestle. The more you break them down, the better the dressing will be.

In a medium bowl, stir together the anchovies, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, Parmesan, Worcestershire and pepper. Taste with a leaf of lettuce, then add salt and adjust the acid (the lemon juice and vinegar) as needed, or add a little of each salty ingredient (Worcestershire, anchovies, Parmesan) to the dressing, bit by bit. Adjust the acid, then taste and adjust the salty ingredients until you reach the ideal balance of salt, fat and acid.

Use your hands to toss the greens and torn croutons with an abundant amount of dressing in a large bowl to coat evenly. Garnish with Parmesan and black pepper and serve immediately. Refrigerate leftover dressing, covered, for up to 3 days.

Top 12 country bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed country bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Rosema...

Croque-Madame

Olive Oil Refried Beans

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken Wi...

Muhammara Chicken Sandwiches

Grilled Garlic Bread With Basil and...

Garlic Soup

French Onion Stuffing

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sand...

Ina Garten's Grilled Cheese Crouton...

Croque-Monsieur

Caesar Salad

Top 12 country bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed country bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Rosema...

Croque-Madame

Olive Oil Refried Beans

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken Wi...

Muhammara Chicken Sandwiches

Grilled Garlic Bread With Basil and...

Garlic Soup

French Onion Stuffing

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sand...

Ina Garten's Grilled Cheese Crouton...

Croque-Monsieur

Caesar Salad

The most viewed country bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine