I love a hearty soup, and this easy Cheeseburger Soup recipe is one the whole family will enjoy! Inspired by the flavors of a classic cheeseburger, it’s thick, creamy, and packed with savory ground beef, tender potatoes, flavorful veggies, and loads of melty cheddar cheese. I garnish mine with crispy bacon and green onions, but you can get a little crazy and top it with pickles or a drizzle of burger sauce, too! At just $1.65 per serving, that’s a pretty good deal for a big bowl of beefy, cheesy comfort food.
All the Cheeseburger Flavor, None of the Bun!
Apparently, I really like turning my favorite dinners into soups! I did it with my stuffed pepper soup, and this time I took inspiration from a cheesy burger. I layer in the flavors to give each spoonful the rich, savory taste you’d expect from a loaded cheeseburger, starting with crispy bacon and browned ground beef. Once cooked, set both aside, but leave those flavorful drippings in the pot. I cook the veggies in those drippings, too, so none of that delicious bacon and beef flavor goes to waste. Plus, the fat comes in handy for thickening the soup!
Instead of making a separate roux with butter, I stir the flour directly into the veggies and drippings already in the pot. The flour thickens the broth as it simmers, and with just a little milk and plenty of real cheddar cheese, it turns into a creamy soup (with no Velveeta, heavy cream, or extra butter!). The potatoes and veggies also help stretch just one pound of ground beef into eight generous servings, so you still get a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal without needing loads of meat.
Recipe Success Tips
- Don’t drain that grease! I know it looks like a lot of fat after cooking the bacon and ground beef, but don’t pour it away. You’ll use those flavorful drippings as the base for the roux, which is a mixture of fat and flour that thickens the soup. This also means there’s no need to add extra butter.
- Give the flour a good stir. Once the veggies have cooked for 10 minutes, sprinkle in the flour and stir for another minute, making sure everything is evenly coated. This gives the flour a chance to cook in the fat before the liquid goes in, which helps prevent a raw, floury taste. Stir thoroughly as you add the broth and milk to help prevent lumps.
- Keep those potatoes small! I use red potatoes and cut them into relatively small, evenly sized pieces so they cook through in the time given and still hold their shape in the soup. Big chunks will take longer to soften, so don’t rush the simmer! After about 15 minutes, check a piece with a fork. It should slide through easily without the potato falling apart. If it’s still firm, give it a few more minutes.
- Use freshly shredded cheese. I recommend shredding the cheddar yourself if possible, since pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking ingredients that can affect how smoothly it melts.
- Load up those toppings! I always set the cooked bacon aside until serving so it stays crispy, then sprinkle it over each bowl with sliced green onions. But this is cheeseburger soup, so have some fun with it! Chopped dill pickles, diced tomatoes, extra shredded cheese, or a drizzle of burger or comeback sauce would all be delicious additions. You can even let everyone build their own bowl. And if you love that combination of crispy bacon, cheddar, and green onions, you should also try our loaded potato soup recipe next.
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Cheeseburger Soup
Equipment
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Large Pot
Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon chopped, $1.21
- 1 lb. ground beef I use 73/27 fat beef, $5.74*
- 1 tsp salt divided, $0.04
- 1 tsp black pepper divided (freshly cracked) $0.16
- 1 small onion small dice (heaping 1 cup) $0.78
- 2 ribs celery small dice (1 cup) $0.38
- 1 medium carrot small dice (1 cup) $0.28
- 1 lb. red potatoes peeled & medium dice, $1.25**
- 1 tsp garlic powder $0.03
- 1 tsp dried oregano $0.06
- ½ cup all-purpose flour $0.09
- 4 cups chicken broth $0.52***
- ½ cup milk $0.10****
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese shredded, $2.24*****
- 2 green onions sliced, $0.28
Instructions
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Gather and prepare all ingredients.
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In a large pot over medium heat, add the bacon. Cook the bacon for 10 minutes, or until it’s crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the grease in the pan. Set the bacon aside.
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Add the ground beef, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Brown the meat for 5 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove the beef from the pot, leaving as much grease in the pot, and set it aside. (see notes)
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Add the onions, celery, carrot, potatoes, remaining salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer. Once the soup is at a simmer, continue cooking for 15 minutes, until the soup has thickened and the potatoes are tender.
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Add the cheese and beef back in, and stir for 2 minutes until melted.
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Garnish with sliced green onions and cooked bacon.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
**Red potatoes hold their shape well in soups which I why I use them here. Yukon Gold potatoes also tend to hold their shape, so they should work fine in place of the red potatoes if that’s what you’ve got. Russets are starchier, so while they can work here, they’ll likely break down more in the soup and won’t hold their shape as well.
***I like to use Better Than Bouillon to make broths to keep costs low.
****I added milk for extra creaminess. You can use heavy cream, too! Other additions that I think would be nice are sour cream and cream cheese. Both will add some creaminess, but also a subtle flavor and tang.
*****A mild cheddar gives this soup the perfect amount of cheesiness to add to the overall cheeseburger flavor. Feel free to try different melty cheeses, like sharp cheddar, American cheese, Monterey Jack and Colby. Shred your own cheese for the best melt as pre-shredded cheeses often contain anti-caking agents. Don’t boil the soup, or it will separate the cheese and become grainy.
Seasoning note: I seasoned the soup with garlic powder and dried oregano. You could also add paprika, cayenne, or other spices and herbs to your taste! You can even try hot sauce.
Nutrition
how to make Cheeseburger Soup step-by-step photos
Gather and prepare all of your ingredients: Chop 4 strips of bacon, finely dice 1 small onion, 2 celery ribs, and 1 medium carrot, then peel and dice 1 lb. of red potatoes into small, even pieces. Slice 2 green onions for garnish and have your shredded cheddar cheese ready.
Cook the bacon: Add 4 strips of chopped bacon to a large pot over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the bacon is browned and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and set it aside, leaving the rendered grease in the pot.
Brown the ground beef: Add 1 lb. ground beef (I use 73/27% fat), ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper to the same pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, breaking the beef into small crumbles as it browns, until fully cooked (160°F). Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside, leaving as much of the grease behind as possible. This will form the base for thickening the soup.
Cook the vegetables: Add 1 diced onion, 2 ribs diced celery, 1 diced carrot, and 1 lb. diced potatoes to the pot, along with the remaining ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp dried oregano. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. The potatoes will finish cooking in the broth, so they don’t need to be completely tender just yet.
Add the flour: Sprinkle ½ cup all-purpose flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat everything evenly. The flour combines with the fat left in the pot to create a thickening base for the soup, so make sure there are no dry bits of flour left in the pot.
Add the broth and milk: Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and ½ cup milk, stirring to incorporate the flour. Bring the soup to a simmer (don’t boil to avoid the dairy from splitting), then cook for 15 minutes, or until the broth thickens and the potatoes are fork-tender. A fork should slide easily into a potato without it falling apart. Keep simmering if they’re still a little firm.
Stir in the cheese and beef: Add 8 oz. cheddar cheese and the cooked ground beef back to the pot. Stir for about 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the beef is evenly distributed throughout the thick, creamy soup. Again, avoid letting the soup boil as the cheese melts, as too much heat can cause it to separate and become grainy.
Garnish and serve: Ladle the cheeseburger soup into bowls and top with the crispy bacon and sliced green onions. Adding the bacon just before serving keeps it nice and crunchy against the creamy, cheesy soup. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Cheeseburger Soup
I consider 1½ cups of this cheeseburger soup a serving, and with all that beef, cheese, and potatoes, it’s pretty filling on its own! I usually top mine with the crispy bacon and green onions, but I also love adding homemade croutons for some extra crunch. Warm Hawaiian rolls are another delicious option if you want to play into those classic burger-and-bun flavors, though any crusty bread works well for dipping. For a proper burger-and-fries dinner, try serving it with air fryer French fries and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Or, if you’d prefer something fresh alongside all that cheesy goodness, our cucumber tomato salad has a light, tangy vinaigrette that helps balance the richness of the soup.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover cheeseburger soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking to keep everything food-safe. I recommend keeping the bacon and green onion toppings separate so the bacon stays nice and crispy.
Reheating
Reheat the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through to 165°F. The soup will thicken as it cools, so I usually add a splash of chicken broth to loosen it up. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave. Stir between intervals to help everything heat evenly. Avoid boiling the soup for longer than necessary, as too much heat can cause the cheese to separate and become grainy.
Freezing
You can freeze this soup for up to 1 month, but keep in mind that the texture may change once thawed. The potatoes can become soft or grainy, and the cheesy broth may separate slightly. If you’re making a batch specifically for the freezer, I recommend leaving out the potatoes to help avoid some of those texture issues. Let the soup cool, transfer it to freezer-safe containers, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or use the thaw setting on your microwave before reheating.
Other Cheeseburger-Inspired Recipes
- Our Cheeseburger Meatloaf is packed with melty chunks of cheddar and topped with a sweet and tangy ketchup-mustard glaze. It’s comfort food at its finest!
- For something a little fresher, try this Cheeseburger Salad with juicy mini beef patties, crisp lettuce, cheddar, and a homemade burger-style dressing.
- This Cheeseburger Pasta has all the cheesy, beefy goodness of a homemade Hamburger Helper, with a little relish added for that classic burger flavor (and I love how it’s made all in one pot!).
More Creamy Cheesy Soup Recipes
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