This delectable, family-friendly Cheeseburger Soup combines all the wonderful savory flavors of cheeseburgers in a creamy, cheesy soup with a perfect blend of Italian seasonings.
Satisfy your cravings with this simple and delicious cheeseburger soup recipe. Made with ground beef, cheese, and savory seasonings, it’s the perfect comfort food for any occasion.
If your family is anything like ours, then soup is on the menu at least once a week all year round. There is just something so comforting about a big pot of creamy, warm soup. It not only warms your old bones but also warms your heart and soul. If you like this soup, try loaded potato soup, beef noodle soup, or lasagna soup.
Ingredients Needed
- Bacon: preferably thick sliced
- Ground beef: with a bit of fat in it
- Butter: salted or unsalted, just enough to leave four tablespoons of fat in the pot
- Vegetables: sweet onion, celery, carrots, and garlic
- Seasonings: onion powder, salt and pepper and dried thyme, basil, oregano, and parsley
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth: low-sodium is best
- Yukon Gold potatoes: you can use red or Russet potatoes, but Russets will break down more.
- Milk: whole or 2%
- Cheese: sharp cheddar is best, but any cheddar will work
How To Make Cheeseburger Soup
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Brown the bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat. About halfway through the browning process, add the ground beef and cook until it is almost browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.
Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions and celery are softened. Add all the spices, including the garlic, and cook for one minute. Turn the heat to medium-low and add enough butter to have three tablespoons of total fat in the pan. Tilting the pan will help you establish how much fat is in the pan.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes while stirring. Slowly stir in the chicken broth. Add the potatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are soft. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the milk. Add the beef and bacon back to the pot. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the shredded cheddar, stirring until melted.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Use ground beef with a bit of fat in it. Fat gives meat flavor.
- Yukon Gold potatoes work best as they hold their shape without breaking down and have nice tender skins, so you don’t have to peel them.
- If you don’t like a super thick, chunky soup, remove a couple of cups of broth and vegetables. Puree them with an immersion or stand blender (remember to remove the heat cap at the top) and stir the pureed contents into the soup pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This soup is best reheated in the microwave on reduced power, ensuring that it warms and does not cook the vegetables much more.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Substitute ground turkey, ground pork, or even ground chicken for the ground beef.
- Make this Cheeseburger Soup recipe low-carb and keto-friendly by eliminating the potatoes, carrots, and flour. Substitute cream for the milk and add about 4 ounces of small cubed cream cheese at the same time as the cheddar, stirring until it melts.
- Substitute elbow macaroni for the potatoes. Add 1 1/4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni to the pot after the chicken broth and milk. Simmer until the pasta is tender, and increase shredded cheddar to 2 1/2 cups.
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: garden salad, rocket salad, tomato salad, or corn salad
- Biscuits: cheddar drop biscuits, butter swim biscuits, or buttermilk biscuits
- Sandwich: grilled cheese, pork tenderloin sandwich, cheese quesadilla
More Soup Recipes
- Beef barley soup
- Sausage tortellini soup
- Chicken and rice soup
- Loaded potato soup
- Ravioli soup
- Creamy vichyssoise
Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices smoked bacon
- 1 lb ground beef with a little fat in it like 85/15
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1-2 tablespoons butter or enough to make 3 tablespoons of fat in the skillet salted or unsalted
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes diced
- 1 cup whole milk warmed
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat. About halfway through the browning process, add the ground beef and cook until it is almost browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.
- Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions and celery are softened. Add the garlic, onion powder, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add enough butter to have three tablespoons of total fat in the pan. Tilting the pan will help you establish how much fat is in the pan.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes while stirring. Slowly stir in the chicken broth. Add the potatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are soft.
- Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the milk. Add the beef and bacon back to the pot.
- Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the shredded cheddar, stirring until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- Use ground beef with a little fat in it, and drain any excess fat from the beef and the pot. Fat gives meat flavor.
- Yukon Gold potatoes work best as they hold their shape without breaking down, and they have nice tender skins, so you don’t have to peel them.
- If you don’t really like a super thick, chunky soup, remove a couple of cups of broth and vegetables. Puree them with an immersion blender or a stand blender (remember to remove the heat cap at the top) and stir the pureed contents into the pot of soup.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This soup is best reheated in the microwave on a reduced power just to make sure that it warms and does not cook the vegetables too much more.
Nutrition
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Ellyn
This was so good 😍 and the recipe was easy to follow as well! Thanks for sharing it.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome. Ellyn
Lavanda Michelle
Ill be trying this recipe later this week, and my expectations are very high. I have no doubts in my mind about how delicious it is going to be. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lavanda Michelle. Enjoy!
Laura Lynn
I had not even thought about trying to make a cheeseburger soup before. This actually turned out great and was a very enjoyable lunch that I will definitely be making again!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Laura Lynn! I am so glad that you liked it.
Tammy Lee
This was so hearty and delicious! A new family favorite.
Sue-Tanya Mchorgh
This cheeseburger soup is the ultimate comfort food! Combining the savory flavors of a cheeseburger with a creamy, cheesy base is pure delight. Thanks for sharing!
Luna S
This looks so good! It isn’t quite cool enough out yet to make soup for dinner, but as soon as the temps drop a bit this will be the first soup of the season that I make!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Luna! Enjoy!
Mel E
Oh wow, this was a different and interesting soup. It was full of flavor and quite filling too.
Janey H
Great soup! Such a fun recipe and idea! Thank you for sharing! Wouldn’t bun croutons be fun.
Beth Pierce
Yes they sure would!
Ally
I’ve been making this a couple times a month and it’s always a hit! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Ally!
Sandra W
This made a good meal last night! So easy to make and very comforting, definitely my new favorite dish!
Erin S
I’m obsessed with this soup, it’s like enjoying cheeseburger in a cozy bowl! The rich and creamy soup made it a satisfying meal! This is my new favorite comfort food, I’ll will surely be making this again and again!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Erin! I am glad that you like it. We love it, too!
Krystle Smith
All the flavors of a cheeseburger in soup form? Genius. So comforting on a chilly night too!
Diane C. Cox
This was delicious! Total comfort food, easy to make and everyone lived it. I see this as a go to soup. Yum❤️
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Diane! So happy that you enjoyed it!
Jeri
Absolutely delicious!! This recipe is a keeper!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jeri! So glad that you liked it!
Laurie Isbister
I made this tonight and added some sweet sausage. It was really good and a great for a cold fall day
Dan S
So delicious! I was very sceptical of this soup, but ended up really enjoying it. It is very heavy, though, so would only want it on a cold winter day.