French Onion Soup

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and salt to taste. Stir to coat the onions well, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until very tender, about 30 minutes. The secret to this soup is to cook the onions slowly so their sugar content can caramelize.

Remove the cover, raise the heat slightly and saute, stirring frequently unitl the onions turn a deep caramel brown. This will take about an hour. Make sure they do not burn.

Add the broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and taste the soup to adjust for additional salt and pepper if needed.

Preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into heavy flameproof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 3 minutes.