Applebee's French Onion Soup

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large soup pot or possibly saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the sliced onions and saute/fry for 20 min till the onions begin to soften and start to become translucent/soft. Add in the beef broth, water, salt, garlic pwdr and black pepper to the pan and bring the mix to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 min.
2. To make the croutons, separate the bottoms from tops of the hamburger buns. Set aside the bottoms, and cut the crown of the tops to make them the same size and shape as the bottoms. This gives you 10 BIG croutons.
3. Preheat oven to 325F. Place the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 min or possibly till each piece is golden and crispy. Set aside.
4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 c. into an oven-safe bowl. Float a crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of shredded parmesan cheese over the provolone. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil.
5. Broil the soup for 5 to 6 min or possibly till the cheese is melted and starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are making more than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional 1/2 tsp. of shredded parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve. Repeat for the remaining bowls.
6. Applebee's French Onion Soup 3