1. In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat; add vegetables and sauté until onion is golden brown (5-7 minutes).
2. Pour in the stock; bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Partially cover pan, and lower heat.
4. Simmer until vegetables are tender crisp (20 minutes or until veggies are soft).
5. In a heavy skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until brown and crisp around the edges, and most of the fat has cooked off.
6. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
7. Fry the bread in the bacon grease so that it is crisp and brown on both sides.
8. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
9. Preheat-broiler to its highest setting.
10. Crumble the bacon on top of the soup, and top each slice with a piece of the fried bread.
11. Sprinkle cheese over the top, covering bread and surface of soup completely.
12. Slide dutch oven into broiler so top is about 3 inches from heat source and broil until cheese melts and turns a light golden brown (2-3 minutes). Or go to step 10 and transfer the soup into individual serving oven proof bows and continue to follow directions.