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Award Winning Cheeseburger Soup
What you Need to Make the Ultimate Cheeseburger Soup:
This soup is insanely delicious! Made with fresh ingredients and topped with shredded cheese, you will make it again and again! Each vegetable is coated in the cheesy goodness and tastes SO good. You will love this cheeseburger soup recipe!
Cheesy, thick chunks of vegetables and delicious buttery soup base. All of this in one bowl is pure joy and happiness! Simple to make and there will even be a little left over with how much soup there is!
- Ground beef: use one pound
- Onion: chopped
- Carrots: shredded
- Celery: diced
- Basil: dried
- Parsley flakes: added seasoning and flavor.
- Butter: used for sautéing and thickening the soup.
- Chicken broth: adds flavor and volume
- Potatoes: peeled and diced
- Flour: thickens the soup up.
- Velveeta: this a processed cheese that will be cubed or use 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Milk: creamy and smooth.
- Salt and pepper: just a pinch!
- Sour cream: thickens and adds flavoring to the soup.
How to Make The Best Cheeseburger Soup:
It is an award winning soup and it is excellent! This cheeseburger soup comes together quickly and easily. There are a few steps with simple ingredients ending in the perfect creamy soup with chunks of vegetables and tender beef.
It all comes together so well and blends perfectly. Cheeseburger soup is ranked one of my top recipes and people cannot get enough of it. My family included! They ask for this recipe often and I can never say no! I love it just as much as they do!!
- Cook the beef: Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
- Add in beef and potatoes then simmer: Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Make a roux: In a small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- Add in remaining ingredients and cook: Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.
Cooking in the Slow Cooker?
The great thing about this cheeseburger soup is I even have a Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup recipe that is just as good as this one! If you are needing to make in the morning and let the slow cooker do the work, then this is the recipe for you! It tastes just the same as over the stovetop and has just as AMAZING flavoring. Either recipe will be just that good!
Tips for The Best Soup:
This simple to make cheeseburger soup is one of the BEST! You can’t go wrong with the ingredients as well as how good it tastes overall. It is delicious from start to finish! Every bite will leave you wanting more of that creamy soup with thick chunks with every spoonful. Here are some tips that will help make this cheeseburger soup easier to make.
- Ground beef: The leaner the ground beef the better. Be sure to drain off any excess of grease before adding it back into the soup.
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes are thick and strong. They usually don’t go mushy in soups. Yellow and red potatoes will work too but try not to over cook them.
- Cheese: Velveeta is a favorite for this soup. It will leave it thick and creamy. If you are not a fan of velveeta try shredded cheeses. The texture and thickness will be altered and have a thinner soup base.
- Thickener: Cream cheese is a great way to substitute the sour cream. It will keep it rich and creamy and still have the thick texture you need.
- Remove from heat: Before you add in your sour cream, remove the soup from heat. This will help prevent the sour cream from curdling when being stirred in.
- Make bun croutons: cube a sesame seeded bun and cook them on a baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes. Watching them so they don’t burn. Using the stove top with a skillet will also work until they are golden brown.
Variations of Warm Cheeseburger Soup:
I love mixing and matching recipes, especially after I have made a recipe a few times it is fun to experiment and try it in different ways.
This cheeseburger soup is one of those recipes. This is definitely a family favorite in our home and made often. I knew I wanted to try somethings a little different. To start with I made this Bacon Cheeseburger Soup recipe. This is a great variation but also kept with the cheeseburger soup recipe I already had, just added some bacon.
Here are a few other ways to enhance, substitute or simply leave out to make this cheeseburger soup recipe your own.
- Meat: switch up your meat by using chicken, ground turkey or even Italian sausage.
- Vegetables: add in more vegetables or substitute the vegetables in the soup. We have tried mushrooms, bell peppers and even canned tomatoes.
- Seasoning: your favorite seasonings can always be added. Simply start with a pinch or 1/4 teaspoon and taste as you go. We have added red pepper flakes or paprika for a more spicy soup or add in season salt for a different taste and blend of soup.
- Cheese: instead of Velveeta try 2 cups of cheddar cheese or Colby jack cheese. For a spicier cheeseburger soup try it with pepper jack cheese.
- Cream: don’t leave out the cream but use heavy cream or yogurt or whole milk to keep it creamy but also thick.
- Broth: beef broth or vegetable broth are great substitutes as well.
Add Your Toppings!
Topping are the fun part to add to this cheeseburger soup recipe! There are already so many great ingredients in this recipe that it all blends together. With every bite you are guaranteed a cheesy spoonful with a vegetable and topping. These toppings are versatile and can be made quickly. I love how simple they are and bring this cheeseburger soup even more flavor!
- Bacon pieces: for a quick way of making bacon, I use the microwaveable bacon and cut into chunks. Left over bacon is great too.
- Sour cream: a dollop of sour cream on top just adds to the taste with onions and chives.
- Onion: chopped and added to the top for a more crunchy texture.
- Pickles: dill is my favorite. This is fun to have chunks of pickles on top. It adds a sweeter taste to the soup.
- Crackers: you can never go wrong with crackers. Oyster crackers are fun and little to throw on top or just saltine crackers with a salty taste.
- Croutons: these will soak up all the cheesy broth and add and extra soft, crunch to your bite.
- Chips: salty chips are fun to use or pita chips. Dip them like salsa or crumble them up.
- Bun croutons: dice up a sesame seed bun and toast it or sauté it over the oven until they are golden brown and add to the top.
Storing cheeseburger soup
This cheeseburger soup is known for being delicious and everything good. I love the simplicity of this cheeseburger recipe and how delicious it is. It is a tried and true recipe that our family will continue to make over and over again. Another great thing about this cheeseburger soup recipe is that it makes a large amount of soup. Perfect for reheating, freezing or even sharing with others. Again, it is just that good!
When freezing this cheeseburger soup there are a few adjusts that need to be made. It is best to leave out potatoes because after being frozen they do become mushy. Also, it does have sour cream, cheese and a milk base. This kind of soup does not freeze well. It is best to enjoy your cheeseburger soup fresh! There are ways to freeze this cheeseburger soup recipe though and I am here to help with that.
- Storing cheeseburger soup: once your cheeseburger soup is completely cooled place your cheeseburger soup in an airtight container or ziplock bag. This will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days long. When ready to reheat you may need to add a little chicken broth if it is too thick.
- Can you freeze your cheeseburger soup? Yes, kind of. It is best fresh and made to serve. If you are needing to freeze this soup and are planning it from the beginning, I recommend leaving out the potatoes until you are warming it back up. Potatoes tend to go mushy when they are frozen in a soup. Once your soup is completely cooled, add your soup to a ziplock bag with excess air removed. Lay flat in your freeze. This will last about 1 month. Freezing too long can separate the soup leaving it hard to reheat and combine back together.
- How to reheat cheeseburger soup: It is best to reheat your soup on the stove top or in a slow cooker. No need to thaw your soup. Simply add the frozen soup to your pot and reheat on low stirring often. They will keep the soup from separating.
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Cheeseburger Soup
Equipment
- Alyssa Also Recommends:
- Want to make this even easier? Here are a few products that I LOVE:
- Calphalon Cookware Set
- Staub Cast Iron Skillet
- The Recipe Critic Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups of Velveeta processed cheese cubed I used 16 ounce or- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
- In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
- Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made this. Only thing I added was a can of diced tomatoes. Ketchup on my cheeseburger.
Really great recipe. Love the basil. Processed cheese product does have a place in our lives. Dont let food police getcha down.
Great soup recipe😃
It did need all the 1 lb of beef👍🏻
but I only used 1/2 cup of milk👍🏻
I didn’t have basil or parsley, so
1tsp.dried Italian seasoning worked great,
oh and a couple of dashes of
Worcester sauce 👍🏻
Yes definitely a winner 👍🏻
Thankx
4 cups of diced potatoes? Is this a misprint? I used 1 1/2 cups and it was more than enough.
Where has this recipe been all my life? I’m 75yo and love to cook, no eating out. I followed this recipe exactly. I chopped, diced & measured all ingredients & lined up on counter and everything came together so I easy. This will definitely be on my soup rotation menu, and be great this winter. Had my 1st bowl, now I know why it’s an award winner. You won’t be disappointed if you try this. Thank you for this recipe.
Made this recipe for the first time after looking for recipes I could use ground beef for. My boyfriend and I loved it! Some recipes I’ve find online I had to adjust the seasoning but not for this one. It was the right amount of everything. I used canned diced potatoes to save time and added a can of corn just because I had it. Didn’t need any toppings. I usually prefer soup once it cools off more here but it was great on a warm Houston day. Thank you!
made this for the office crew at work. It turned out wonderful and we loved it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Truly an excellent cheeseburger soup. I’ve tried several recipes, but not gave me the results I wanted. This has the comforting thickness — it’s almost like a cheeseburger stew — and the ingredients blend so nicely. I’ll be adding this to the regular rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!
This felt like the ultimate comfort food to me – and we made it right before a big monsoon rainstorm here in Nevada. Thank you so much!
This soup is perfect for a rainy day!
Forget the roux. Instead use an immersion blender to break down about half of the potatoes. They will release their starch and naturally thicken the soup. Carrots in big chunks will also release starch and thicken any kind of soup.
Great idea! I will have to try that!
I have a toddler who doesn’t like texture, actually thinking of using instant potatoes as thickener..wish me luck 🤞
This soup is on a regular rotation at our house. One of our all time favorites!!
Love this soup !! Fantastic 🥰
I’ve made this a couple of times and it’s sooo good. I cannot bring myself to use Velveeta but use a nice sharp cheddar…I add the dairy once the heat is off. Often times soups and stews are better the next day. This is delicious immediately after making and is no exception to be even tastier the next day. I’ve shared this recipe.
Me too! On the cheddar!!Cheddar!!! It’s sooook much better
update!! I made a double batch today at my husband’s request to feed the other refs at his work today (the paintball field). I hoped for his sake that they would all like it. my husband has been talking up our food to them for quite some time and they’ve liked our desserts so there was a high expectation from them on this one. as I watched my husband walk with the big pot of soup from our trailer back to the paintball field, he reminded me of a little boy heading off to school with a plate of his mom’s brownies. she made them, but those brownies represent the boy to his classmates, so they’d better be good- so yeah I hoped so much that this first entree shared would wow them, for HIS sake more than mine!! anyway he just walked back here to grab his blowhorn he’d left behind, and he joked that no one liked the soup. that’s our sense of humor,… so apparently everyone LOVED it and is filling up on it. no one dislikes it at all. a real crowd-pleaser. thanks so much for making that first served lunch a raving success. we are planning on selling food here in the future to the paintball customers, so today was a test on that. I’m so happy that it went so well. thanks again for a great recipe it was a special part of our journey moving out here to live, and you played a part in that.
What does this mean? “1/2 pound ground beef use 1 pound”
Is it 1/2 pound ground beef or 1 pound?
I used 1 lb of ground beef!
I’ve tried a few other great chzbrgr soup recipes but this one we decided is the best one. will definitely write this one down and use it as our go-to for this type of soup. we shredded up sharp cheddar for it. it was absolutely amazing.
This is delicious, everyone loved it!! Perfect fill your belly & warn your bones comfort food!!
Try making it with cauliflower instead of potatoes, delicious 😋