This cheeseburger soup is your favorite cheeseburger deconstructed into a warm hearty meal. This soup is a family favorite and can be thrown together with ingredients you typically have on hand.
Soups are a staple in our weekly dinner line up. Especially in the fall and winter. Soups are a great way to use up leftover meat and vegetables from the week to make a nourishing and substantial meal.
Cheeseburger soup is made from ingredients that we typically have on hand: bacon ground beef, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, potatoes, broth, milk and cheese. These simple ingredients come together to create a flavorful and satisfying meal!
A few helpful notes:
- You can easily use leftover hamburger patties for this soup if you have them. Just crumble and add as directed.
- Cooking the bacon in the same pot before assembling the soup adds extra depth from all those browned bits. If you prefer, you can also cook the bacon earlier in the day on a sheet pan at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until crisp. In that case, adding a spoonful of the bacon drippings when cooking the vegetables brings back that savory flavor.
- This soup works well with a flexible schedule. It can be made earlier in the day and left to gently simmer on the stove for a few hours if that’s helpful.
- I typically use whole milk, but I’ve also used a mix of milk, half-and-half, and heavy cream with great results.
- For serving, try topping bowls with chopped dill pickles and/or a dash of hot sauce for a little extra bite.
- This soup pairs especially well with my Rustic Dutch Oven Bread for an easy, comforting meal.
Yield: 8
Cheeseburger Soup
This creamy and delicious soup is a family favorite all year long!
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Additional Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef (80/20)
- 5-6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced (or a handful of shredded carrots)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 t. garlic powder)
- 4-5 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 32 oz. chicken broth or stock
- 1 t. kosher salt
- 1 t. ground black pepper
- 2 T. cornstarch
- 2 c. whole milk (half and half works too)
- 2-3 c. freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (shred by hand, not pre-shredded)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium heat. (Alternatively, crumble 4 previously cooked burgers.) Remove the beef to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, cook the bacon until crisp. (If your bacon is already cooked, you can skip this step.) Remove bacon to a paper towel and reserve for topping just before serving.
- Add the 2 T. butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Add the chopped celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the chopped potatoes, broth, salt, and pepper. (I like to use 1 tablespoon chicken Better Than Bouillon with 32 oz. water.)
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Stir the slurry into the soup and boil gently for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the milk (or cream/half-and-half) and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced.
- Slowly add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Add the cooked ground beef back to the pot and heat through, being careful not to boil.
- Serve warm, topped with crumbled bacon and extra cheese if desired.
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