(Yields about 6 bowls of soup – you will need oven safe soup bowls for this)

 

• 3 lbs sliced onions
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups water
• 8 beef bouillon cubes or () teaspoons of beef bouillon base
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups of croutons 
• 6 slices of provolone cheese

You can start this the night before, finish it in the morning and refrigerate it for up to 3 days until you’re ready to serve it.  Just re-heat it on top of the stove.

Caramelizing the onions:
Put the onions and salt in a crock pot, pour the melted butter over it, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  (I set these to cook overnight and then finish the soup in the morning and refrigerate it until I’m ready to serve it.) 
Finishing the soup:

Dissolve the 8 bouillon cubes/tsp base in a couple of cups of the 6 cups of water required.  Using hot tap water for this helps with dissolving.  Add the 6 cups of bouillon water, pepper and bay leaf to the crock pot, cover and cook 2 more hours on low.  Serve immediately or allow to cool one hour and refrigerate.   

To serve:
Set your oven on broil.  Place the desired number of oven safe soup bowls on a cookie sheet.  Fill the bowls with hot soup to about one inch from the top.  Spread a layer of croutons on top of the soup and then top with a slice of provolone.  Put the cookie sheet in the oven under the broiler and cook until the cheese just starts to brown, about 2-3 minutes.