Cheeseburger Soup
Cheeseburger soup is what happens when you take everything you love about a diner cheeseburger — the savory sear on the beef, the smoky snap of bacon, the sharp bite of cheddar, a tang of mustard, and those crunchy little dill pickles — and turn it into a spoonable, potato-thickened bowl of comfort. The order of operations does the heavy lifting: render the bacon first so its drippings season the whole pot, then brown the ground beef hard in that same fat, breaking it into craggy bits that catch all over the bottom of the pan (those browned bits are where the flavor lives). A quick roux whisked in before the broth and dairy is the insurance policy against a grainy, curdled soup, and it's what lets the cheddar melt into the broth like sauce instead of seizing up. On the food-safety front, ground beef needs to hit 160°F all the way through, so cook it until no pink remains before you build the soup — and always stir the milk, cream, and cheese in off the heat or over the lowest possible flame, because dairy that boils will split. Finish each bowl the way you'd dress a burger: a shower of sharp cheddar, the reserved crispy bacon, a handful of chopped dill pickles, and a few scallions. Serve it with a wedge of our Skillet Cornbread for dunking, and if this is your kind of comfort food, our Loaded Baked Potato Soup and Chicken Bacon Ranch Soup are the natural next bowls.
Dinner · American, Comfort Food, Fall, Soup, One-Pot, High-Protein • 50 min
Nutrition (per serving)450Calories·28gFat·26gCarbs·27gProtein
Per serving. Values are approximate and calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
- For the soup:
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound lean ground beef (90/10)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tablespoons yellow mustard (or Dijon)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups)
- For serving:
- ½ cup chopped dill pickles
- 2 sliced scallions, for garnish
- extra shredded sharp cheddar and reserved crispy bacon, for topping
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Steps
- Render the bacon: Set a large Dutch oven or 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and the fat has rendered, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Brown the beef: Season the ground beef with ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Add it to the pot over medium-high heat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until deeply browned with no pink remaining, 6 to 8 minutes — ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F, so keep cooking until any trace of pink is gone. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to the plate with the bacon, leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot (pour off and discard any extra).
- Build the base: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to toast it.
- Add the liquid and potatoes: Slowly whisk in the beef broth, a cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the dairy: Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream, then gradually stir in the shredded cheddar a handful at a time until melted and smooth. Return the browned beef and most of the crisp bacon (reserve a little for garnish) to the pot. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, just until heated through — do not let the soup boil, or the dairy can curdle.
- Serve: Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon, extra cheddar, the chopped dill pickles, and the scallions.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
The soup can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Cool it completely before refrigerating; the potatoes will soak up broth as it sits, so thin it with a splash of beef broth when you reheat. Hold the pickles, scallions, and extra cheddar until serving so they stay bright and crunchy.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until warmed through; add a splash of broth or milk if it has thickened. Cream-based soups can separate slightly when frozen, so freezing is not recommended — if you do freeze it, thaw overnight and reheat slowly over low heat, whisking to bring it back together.
Substitutions
Ground turkey or ground chicken works in place of the beef — just make sure it still reaches 165°F, and add a teaspoon of Worcestershire to keep the savory depth. Turkey bacon, or starting with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and skipping the bacon, makes it more weeknight-friendly. Use half-and-half in place of the heavy cream for a lighter pot, and sharp white cheddar, smoked gouda, or a melty American-style cheese all stand in for the cheddar. Yukon Gold potatoes break down beautifully, but russets work too — mash a few against the side of the pot if you want an even thicker soup. Gluten-free: swap the flour for 2 tablespoons of cornstarch whisked into the cold milk, and verify your broth is certified GF.
Nutrition
Per serving: ⅙ of the recipe (about 1⅔ cups)
Reviews
Reviews coming soon! In the meantime, let us know what you think of this recipe.
