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This one-pot cheeseburger soup recipe takes everything you love about burgers and uses it to make the most comforting soup. Ready in minutes, every spoonful is mouthwateringly cheesy and savory!
When my family is looking for a comforting and ultra-savory meal to warm them up during fall and winter, I turn to the perfect dinner: cheeseburger soup!
In my cheeseburger soup recipe, you’ll find everything you love about a classic cheeseburger, like seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, bacon, and the best burger toppings. It’s another cozy soup recipe I make on rotation during the cooler months, and it’s always a hit.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- A cheeseburger in a bowl. From the beef to the cheese to the irresistible savory flavors, every spoonful of this soup tastes just like a real cheeseburger!
- Ready in 30 minutes. Not only is everything made in one pot, but it also cooks up in just 30 minutes!
- Customizable. Use the meat of your choice, make it dairy-free, or change the toppings. The options are endless!
- Incredible leftovers. Confession- I often make a double batch every time I make this because the leftovers taste even better the next day or two.
What I love about making this soup is that it’s very balanced. You get protein from the beef and cheese and wholesome carbs from the potatoes.
Ingredients needed
Hearty beef, plenty of cheese, and fresh vegetables fill this comforting soup with crowd-pleasing flavors! Here’s an overview of the ingredients you need:
- Bacon. To me, a bacon cheeseburger is always best. That’s why I like to start this recipe by crisping bacon slices in the pot before making the soup. It’s the best topping!
- Lean ground beef. Just like in my stuffed pepper soup, I like to use lean 80/20 ground beef for this recipe. I find that it has enough fat to infuse the soup with mouthwatering flavors without making it overly greasy.
- Unsalted butter. To cook the vegetables.
- Soup veggies. Onion, celery, carrots, and garlic cloves start the soup with an aromatic and savory baseline of flavor.
- Russet potatoes. Potatoes in cheeseburger soup add an undeniably creamy texture and extra bulk.
- Worcestershire sauce. This is a favorite ingredient of mine, as it complements the beefy flavors perfectly!
- All purpose flour. To thicken the soup. Feel free to use a gluten-free flour blend instead.
- Chicken broth. Or use beef broth or vegetable broth.
- Heavy cream. A splash of heavy cream gives the soup the most luxurious creamy texture. Whole milk can be used as a substitute, but it isn’t as rich or creamy.
- Sharp cheddar cheese. Because it wouldn’t be cheeseburger soup without the cheese!
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
- Toppings. Think of your favorite hamburger toppings for this part. Mine are crispy bacon, dill pickles, red onions, extra cheese, and toasted croutons to mimic the hamburger buns. I’ve included more topping ideas in the Tips and Variations section below.
How to make cheeseburger soup
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon pieces in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until they’re crispy. Transfer the slices to a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the grease in the pot.
Step 2 – Sauté the beef and vegetables. Add the beef to the pot and cook until it’s browned. Drain the excess grease before adding the butter, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook until soft, then stir in the potatoes and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 3 – Simmer. Stir in the flour before pouring the chicken broth into the pot. Bring the soup up to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 4 – Add the cream and cheese. Stir the cream into the soup and let it heat through. Afterward, stir in the shredded cheese until it melts. Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed.
Step 5 – Serve. Ladle the cheeseburger soup into bowls, then add the bacon slices, diced pickles, and your other favorite toppings. Enjoy!
How to make it in a crockpot
The stovetop is my favorite way to make cheeseburger soup because it’s quick and easy. However, pulling out my slow cooker can be handy when I want to get a jump on this recipe
Here’s how to make crockpot cheeseburger soup: start by sauteing the aromatics, vegetables, and beef in a skillet on the stove before adding the mixture to a crockpot. Next, stir in the potatoes, broth, and Worcestershire. Now, cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours. Finally, stir in the remaining ingredients 30 minutes before the soup is done cooking. Enjoy!
Tips to make the best recipe
- Prep in advance. I like to chop and measure all of my ingredients before I start this recipe. It makes the cooking process so much faster and easier!
- Don’t over-salt the soup. Remember that the bacon and cheese will naturally add a salty flavor to the soup, so don’t overdo it with any extra salt.
- Adjust the consistency. If the soup isn’t thick enough, let it simmer a little longer or stir in an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour. If it’s too thick, add splashes of chicken broth at a time until the consistency is as thin as you like.
Recipe variations
The beauty of this soup, (and just like an actual cheeseburger!) is that you can easily adapt it to suit your taste buds, your dietary preferences, or whichever ingredients you have on hand. Here are some ideas:
- Use other ground meat. Feel free to swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or bison.
- Add more vegetables. Like bell peppers, mushrooms, leeks, cauliflower, or zucchini.
- Vegetarian soup. You can make vegetarian cheeseburger soup by omitting the bacon, swapping the ground beef for your favorite plant-based ground beef, and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Dairy free. I prefer to use real cream and cheese because they melt into the soup perfectly. However, if you’re dairy free, you can use coconut milk and vegan shredded cheese instead.
- More topping ideas. Sour cream, fresh or dried basil, parsley or dill, toasted hamburger buns, chopped iceberg lettuce, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, diced tomatoes, or a drizzle of ranch dressing.
- Cut the carbs. For a low carb option, replace the potatoes with cauliflower and the flour with almond flour.
Storage instructions
To store: After it cools, transfer the leftover burger soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat: The easiest way to reheat the soup is in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring in between. You can also reheat it in a pot on the stove.
Frequently asked questions
You can cut down on the prep time by cooking the bacon and beef, shredding the cheese, and chopping the aromatics and vegetables 1 to 2 days before cooking. Store the components in separate airtight containers in the fridge until it’s time to make the soup.
I don’t really recommend freezing this soup because the textures and flavors are best when it’s served hot off the stove. However, if you end up with extra soup, the leftovers can be frozen for about 1 month. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More delicious soup recipes
- Tuscan White Bean Soup– My favorite way to pack in tons of nutrition in a bowl.
- Turkey Noodle Soup– The best use of any kind of leftover turkey meat.
- Oxtail Soup– Hearty, cozy, and the meat falls off the bone.
- Roasted cauliflower soup– Creamy without needing any dairy.
Cheeseburger Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups russet potatoes peeled and cubed, about 2 large
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1` cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup dill pickles chopped, to serve
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove from the pot and place on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
- In the same pot, add the ground beef to the bacon grease. Break it apart and cook for 4-5 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove excess liquid.
- Add the butter to the ground beef. Stir in the chopped onions, celery, carrots, and minced garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften. Add the cubed potatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetable mixture. Stir well to combine
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Allow it to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the heavy cream and stir until combined. Fold through the shredded cheese and let everything simmer until the cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy bacon and chopped pickles.
Hearty and yummy! I made this tonight per recipe. We loved it. My hubby says the bacon makes it. Considering his love of bacon I could fry a pound for the garnish. Thanks for sharing. I’ve tried many of your recipes and always love them!
Love the cheeseburger recipe I didn’t use pickles on the recipe to be and I substituted college flower for the potatoes. I also substituted almond flower for the white flower I really enjoyed it it was rich and tasty and after a set for a day it was unbelievable
I have a lot of soup recipes but I just had to try this one. It was delicious, thank you Arman. Family could smell it from upstairs and came to see what I was cooking.
When is the flour added? It is not listed in the directions.
My guess would be to add it at the end of #3… sprinkle and stir in with the vegetables before direction #4.
Sorry it has been updated 🙂