Sweet Onion And Baked Crouton Soup

4 pieces hearty bread (like French bread) cut into small cubes
1 tsp olive oil or good cooking oil spray
2 Tbsps cooking oil
3 large sweet onions (like Vidalia or Walla Walla)
6 cups rich chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (or aged Gouda, etc.)
fresh chives, chopped, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil or spray with cooking oil and stir around with your hands. Put in oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until golden brown; remove and set aside.

Put the 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring often, until transparent and starting to get golden in color and lightly browned around the edges.
Add to the pot the chicken stock, salt and pepper; and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls, add the baked bread cubes on top of each serving, the sprinkle the cheese on top, and add a few chives.

Serve hot.

Will make 4 servings.