The problem is that store bought croutons have normalized being dry, hard bullets. It's not like that when they're made fresh. They're beautiful little pieces of buttered texture in your salad.
A crouton is actually supposed to be that dry. It's literaly in the name. A crouton is a piece of bread that's so dry and old you can't eat it, so you break it into pieces and put it in your other food
It wasn't entirely serious, obviously there are both tasty and filling salads. Just that I am fairly sure that croutons exist because at some point someone chewed down on a pile of lettuce and thought "this ain't it"
Store bought croutons are shelf stable bread. Go read any travel diary from the 1800's. It's never been good. Real croutons are not shelf stable and do not cut your mouth.
Just drench that shit in salty/vinegary oil, let it sit there for a few mins, enjoy your pre-digested salad and get fat with vegetables in the process.