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Creamy cheeseburger soup recipe in a rustic bowl topped with shredded cheddar cheese and diced dill pickles

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

Creamy, cheesy soup that tastes like a cheeseburger in a bowl. Browned ground beef, tender potatoes, and silky melted cheddar, ready in 45 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef 80/20
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 2 carrots peeled and diced small
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole milk at room temperature
  • 8 ounces Velveeta cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Diced dill pickles for serving
  • Extra shredded cheddar for serving
  • Sliced green onions for serving

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • wooden spoon
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • ladle
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

  1. Brown the beef: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, break into small crumbles, and let sit undisturbed a couple of minutes so it browns instead of steams. Cook 7 to 8 minutes until deeply browned (ground beef is safe at 160°F / 71°C). Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
  2. Sweat the vegetables: Lower heat to medium. Add onion, celery, and carrots to the drippings with a pinch of salt. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Add flour: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 full minute to coat everything and cook out the raw taste.
  4. Add broth and potatoes: Pour in the chicken broth slowly, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add potatoes, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 12 to 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
  5. Stir in milk: Pour in the room temperature milk and warm through for 2 minutes. Do not boil hard from this point on.
  6. Melt the cheese off the heat: Take the pot OFF the burner. Stir in the Velveeta cubes until melted, then add the shredded cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until silky. Return the browned beef to the pot and stir in.
  7. Serve: Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with diced pickles, extra cheddar, and green onions.

Notes

Melt the cheese off the heat so it stays silky.
 
Shred your own cheddar, bagged cheese turns grainy.
Do not boil after adding the milk and cheese.
Reheat gently and do not boil, or the cheese can separate.