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Baked French Onion Soup

Don't even try to find this one on the menu at Applebee's, because it isn't there; though it's the most popular soup served each day at this huge restaurant chain. This is the first of several big-time soup clones we'll unveil here in the next few weeks to help get you through the cold winter months. And they're all a cinch to make. Just be sure you have some oven-safe soup bowls for this one, since we'll have to broil it a bit before serving. Under the gooey melted provolone of the original version you get from Applebee's is a unique round crouton that's made from bread similar to a hamburger bun. So that's exactly what we'll use in our clone.
Portions:10
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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 medium white onions sliced
  • 8 cups beef broth Swanson is best
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 5 plain hamburger buns
  • 10 slices provolone cheese
  • 10 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan over medium/high heat.
  • Add the sliced onions and sauté for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start to become translucent.
  • You don’t want them to brown.
  • Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the pan and bring mixture to a boil.
  • When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
  • To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top of the hamburger bun so that the bread is the same thickness
  • as the bottom half of each bun.
  • Throw the tops away.
  • Now you should have 10 round pieces of bread — 5 bottom buns, and 5 top buns with the tops cut off.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Place the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown
  • and crispy.
  • Set these croutons aside until you need them.
  • When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup 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 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the provolone.
  • Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil.
  • Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until 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 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve.
  • Repeat process to prepare remaining servings.
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Course Soup