Classic Cheeseburger Soup is sure to become a regular for your family or for any get-together. Ready in 30 minutes, it tastes just like a classic drive-in cheeseburger.
Here’s a delicious 30-minute recipe that lives up to its name. Classic Cheeseburger Soup tastes just like a gooey-cheesey, drive-in cheeseburger. JUST.LIKE… seriously.
The base infuses beef broth, tomato paste, and creamy melted cheese. Then just the right amount of mustard, ketchup and diced tomatoes add the perfect complexity to mimic the All-American Cheeseburger. Chunky potatoes and ground beef make this hearty and filling.
For this soup, toppings are key to finish off the experience. You can really go crazy and “have it your way”, just like when you order a specialty custom burger. Pickles are a must trust me as well as croutons or crostinis. Because every great burger needs some crunchy pickles. The croutons (why not make your own?) stand in for a burger’s golden bun. But why stop there? How about some crunchy bacon, black olives, diced onions or even a touch of bleu cheese crumbles?
The soup needed a few changes from my first run-through so I’ve made sure the soup is creamy but with enough juice for every bite. I added some dried basil to give the soup that perfectly seasoned burger flavor, and if you have fresh basil on hand, add that as a topping at the end as well.
Of course, let’s talk about the cheese, the key element in this soup. You can use a few options here as well. Regular medium cheddar works, but to REALLY get that diner, drive-in or dive 😉 flavor… use Velveeta or American Cheese slices. If you want to ramp up the vegetables in the soup, you could add some mushrooms into the soup or toss a handful that you freshly saute’ for yet another topping. Add cauliflower when you cook the potatoes and beef. Or even a handful of kale during the last minutes of heating.
As I mentioned, croutons are a must, but why not quickly make your own while the soup is simmering? Here I’ve sliced a small baguette; broiled one side until golden. Then flip them over, brush with a nice olive oil, some dried basil and shredded Parmesan before popping back in the oven to brown the other side. Serve the slices for dunking or rough-cut them into large croutons to float on top of the soup.
Classic Cheeseburger Soup is sure to become a regular for your family or for any get-together. Did I mention it’s ready in 30 minutes? And did I also say enough that it tastes just like a classic drive-in cheeseburger? Try it for yourself and let me know what clever toppings you come up with.
Classic Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon light oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- ½ cup celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, may substitute corn starch for gluten-free option
- 5 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
- 2 medium potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, do not drain
- 10 oz Cheese - select one of these 3 options: Velveeta, cut into 6 pieces, or 14 slices American cheese slices, or 10 ounces medium cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon-style mustard, may substitute for regular mustard
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
Assorted Condiments:
- pickles, diced fresh onions or scallions, black or green olives, crispy-cooked bacon crumbles, more shredded cheese (try bleu cheese), fresh tomatoes
- Croutons or homemade crostinis, to simulate a classic bun
Instructions
- Add 1 teaspoon of oil to bottom of a large pot. Heat to medium and add 1 onions, ½ cup celery and 2 cloves garlic. Cook about 2 minutes to release flavors. Add 1 pound ground beef and continue to cook until meat is browned. Drain fat.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon dried basil over beef mixture and then sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour over as well; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in 5 cups broth and 2 potatoes. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Stir in 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 10 ounces cheese, 6 ounces tomato paste, ⅓ cup ketchup and 3 Tablespoons mustard. Cook and stir until cheese melts and soup comes to a gentle boil. Stir in milk and heat through.
- Serve with desired condiments.
Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens special publications.
I don’t see how the celery plays a part in this dish but still cant wait to try it! 🙂
Hi Kay, celery is a classic addition to most soups and adds a nice texture variation in the ingredients. If you don’t like celery, you can certainly leave it out.
How about making in crock pot what would do differently
Hi Amanda, I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving instructions for making this soup in the crockpot since I haven’t tested it and with the milk and cheese it could easily curdle if heated to high or for too long.
Wow! This recipe is perfect! I had been wanting to make cheeseburger soup for awhile, yet, none of the recipes seemed right. I’m so glad I found yours! My family enjoyed it too. Thank you.
Thanks Marie! I’m so glad you all liked it and I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Have a great rest of your weekend.
I cannot agree more with you about croutons, they are the perfect match for this soup! Yummy!
– Natalie Ellis
Hi Natalie, Your Cheeseburger Soup looks fantastic too. Thanks for stopping by!
Could i freeze this soup ?
Hi Nicole, I think it would freeze fine. The one issue with freezing milk or cream based soups is that the milk could separate a little but when you reheat it, it will smooth out fine. Just make sure not to heat it to boiling.
Wonderful soup that my whole family (4 boys under 10 and a super picky husband) absolutely loved! I cooked a butternut squash into the beef broth just to sneak in some more nutrition for the growing boys and no one was the wiser. This is now a regular recipe of ours. Thank you!
Danyell, I love that idea, good job! It is a great soup for the young and even the picky ;). Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Hey Sally, do you think this would freeze well?
I made this because I used to work for a restaurant that made cheeseburger soup every Thursday. When I left I knew just a few of the ingredients they used to make it and so I searched for a recipe that had those same ingredients. I came across this and it’s almost spot on. I’ll never know their secret recipe but it’s okay because this is just as good and very easy to make. My family were a bit bewildered by it but once they tried it, they all loved it. I didn’t have any leftovers!
This soup is Addictive, try it you won’t regret it!! I didn’t even use the toppings but, go for it!!!!!
Kathy, I agree! So glad you liked it and thanks for taking the time to comment.
I kid you not Sally I made this last night… SEN-sational. I saw the photo on FB and was inspired! Delicious and so tasty, fantastic idea. At first Dave was “Cheeseburger Soup?” The diced pickles made it! 🙂
I love you, Kevin. And, my Dave reacted the same way when I told him I was making Cheeseburger Soup, lol…but he ate it twice in one week. Who would think the pickles were such a critical piece in this recipe, right? I’m so glad you made it and liked it. 😀
This soup is delicious! I never thought it would really taste like a cheeseburger, but it does! Love this soup!
Thanks for your input and review, Kim. I agree with you, especially with the pickles added! 🙂