Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (1)

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Table Of Contents hide

  • Why You’ll Love This Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
  • How To Make Cheeseburger Soup
  • Tips For The Best Cheeseburger Soup
  • Recipe Variations
  • Storage Instructions
  • What To Serve With Cheeseburger Soup
  • More Creamy Soup Recipes
  • Tools For This Recipe
  • Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!)

When you crave cozy comfort food, this cheeseburger soup recipe is the perfect choice! With a rich, cheesy broth and big burger flavor, this soup is far better than anything from the drive-through on a cold day. It’s a lot like my traditional hamburger soup, but with an added creamy, cheesy element, crispy bacon, and extra comfort food factor.

Why You’ll Love This Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

  • Rich bacon, burger, and cheese flavor
  • Creamy, cheesy texture
  • Simple, common ingredients
  • Only 20 minutes cook time
  • No slow cooker needed
  • Includes hidden veggies
  • Satisfies cheeseburger cravings fast!
Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (2)

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for cheeseburger soup, what each one does in the recipe, and some substitution options (with more in the Variations section below). For measurements, see the recipe card below.

  • Ground Beef – Any ground meat will work here, but I typically use 85/15 ground beef, which has just the right amount of flavor without being too greasy.
  • Bacon – I love a good bacon cheeseburger soup, but you could omit this to make one without bacon if you prefer. Using pre-cooked bacon bits saves a lot of time with this recipe, so that’s what I often do. If you do have extra time, you can prepare bacon in the oven or a skillet and crumble it yourself.
  • Cauliflower – Many cheeseburger soup recipes use potatoes for the bulk of the soup, but this lightened up (but still hearty) version uses cauliflower instead. Chop it into bite-sized florets or use leftover steamed cauliflower towards the end of cooking. If you prefer a more carb-y soup, you can substitute russet potatoes (or really any potato you like), but they will take longer to cook than cauliflower does.
  • Chicken Broth – I used a reduced-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken broth because of the added salt from the bacon and cheese. You can also use reduced-sodium beef broth or make homemade bone broth instead.
  • Milk – I used unsweetened almond milk, but if your lifestyle allows, you can also use conventional milk.
  • Dried Parsley – You can also use a tablespoon of fresh parsley instead of a teaspoon of dried, or use other dried herbs, such as basil or Italian seasoning.
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Use pre-shredded or shred it yourself. Freshly shredded cheese melts more easily, but also clumps more easily. You can also toss the cheese with cornstarch (or a cornstarch substitute, like arrowroot powder) to help it thicken the broth.
  • Heavy Cream – Helps to thicken the broth and provide richness, along with the cheese.
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How To Make Cheeseburger Soup

This section shows how to make bacon cheeseburger soup, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

  1. Crisp up the bacon. In a large pot, large saucepan, or large Dutch oven, cook the bacon bits over medium heat, until crisp.
  2. Brown the beef. Raise stove to medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until browned.
Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (4)
Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (5)
  1. Simmer the soup. Add in all remaining ingredients, except the cream and cheese. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the cauliflower is tender.
  2. Melt and thicken. Lower heat. Stir in heavy cream and cheese, until the cheeseburger soup is smooth and the cheese is melted.
Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (6)
Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (7)

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (8)

Tips For The Best Cheeseburger Soup

  • No need to drain the bacon grease. Pre-cooked bacon bits do not render a lot of fat, but the small amount of fat they leave behind adds so much flavor. Leave it all in the pot! If you cook raw bacon instead, though, you may want to drain.
  • Add the cheese slowly and stir constantly. To avoid clumping, add a small amount of cheese at a time and don’t stop stirring until fully melted before adding more.
  • Or melt the cheese separately instead. Alternatively, ladle 2 cups of broth from the soup into a separate bowl and fully whisk in the cheese before returning to the pot.

Recipe Variations

  • Swap the meats – Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground pork instead of beef.
  • Change cheeses – Try other hard melting cheeses such as Swiss for a whole new taste, or swap in pepper jack for a slightly spicy cheeseburger soup.
  • Add more toppings – Garnish with chopped dill pickles, caramelized onions, sour cream, jalapeno slices, or even croutons if you miss the bun.
  • Add other vegetables – As with any soup, almost any veggie you like can be added, but carrots are a particularly good pairing with the other flavors here. You can also saute onion and garlic in the bacon grease after cooking the bacon, or if you skip the bacon, saute them in butter or olive oil instead.
  • Use potatoes – If this works for your needs and you want a more filling soup, swap the cauliflower for diced potatoes. The soup will take a little longer, so just simmer until the potatoes are soft.
  • Make thicker, more creamy cheeseburger soup – Remove some of the liquid together with the cauliflower, puree in a blender, and return to the soup. You can also thicken it by adding cream cheese and letting it melt. (That’s one of the tricks I use in myeasy broccoli cheddar soup without requiring a thickener.)

Storage Instructions

  • Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
  • Meal prep: Brown the bacon and beef, then cool and store until ready to cook. You can also chop the cauliflower ahead of time and store separately.
  • Reheat: Warm on the stove, stirring frequently to avoid separation.
  • Freeze: After cooling completely, you can freeze cheeseburger soup in a zip lock bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
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What To Serve With Cheeseburger Soup

This is easily my favorite cheeseburger soup recipe because it satisfies all on its own, but you can include these sides to make it a big meal:

  • SaladsSpinach bacon salad, cucumber tomato avocado salad, or 7 layer salad would all pair nicely with this recipe for cheeseburger soup.
  • Chips Or Crackers – Add crunch with 3-ingredient almond flour crackers, light and crispy zucchini chips in the air fryer, or homemade flax seed crackers. Of course, feel free to use any store-bought crackers or chips you like, too.
  • Fries – For a burger and fries experience with a healthy spin, serve this soup with rutabaga fries, jicama fries, or baked zucchini fries. It also goes well with regular potato garlic parmesan fries.

More Creamy Soup Recipes

If you liked this dish, try these delicious soup recipes next — full of rich, creamy taste and hearty meats:

  • Large Soup Pot– This 4 qt soup pot has extra tall sides, so no soup splashes on the stove!
  • Cooking Utensils– From stirring to browning, this set does it all.
  • Storage Containers– Make a double batch ofsoup and freeze in these glass containers.

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Recipe Card

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!) - Wholesome Yum (15)

4.98 from 69 votes☝️ Click stars to rate or click here to leave a review!

Cheeseburger Soup Recipe (20 Minutes!)

This easy cheeseburger soup recipe is comfort in a bowl. It's cheesy, filling, surprisingly healthy, and ready in just 20 minutes!

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 10 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

  1. In a large pot, cook bacon bits for a couple of minutes over medium heat, until crispy.

  2. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking apart with a spoon or spatula, until browned.

  3. Add the cauliflower, chicken broth, almond milk, dried parsley, sea salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.

  4. Remove pot from heat. Stir in the cheddar cheese and heavy cream, until the soup is smooth and the cheese is melted.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size:1 cup

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories295

Fat22.3g

Protein18.4g

Total Carbs4.8g

Net Carbs3.5g

Fiber1.3g

Sugar0.8g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course:Main Course, Soup

Cuisine:American

Keywords:bacon cheeseburger soup, bacon cheeseburger soup recipe

Calories: 295 kcal

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Recipe

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FAQs

What is cheeseburger soup made of? ›

In a large pot, brown ground beef and onion. Add broth, celery, carrots, parsley and potatoes. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

Do you drain hamburger meat for soup? ›

And now it's time to make the soup! Throw the hamburger, onion, celery, and garlic in a large pot…. Then brown it over medium-high heat until the meat is totally cooked! Now, this step is important: Remove the pot from the heat and drain off as much fat as humanly possible.

Which potatoes are best for soup? ›

Russets or all-purpose baking potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture. In soups, they will soak up the liquid and lose their shape. This makes them the ideal choice for making creamy soups or thickening a runny soup. Try using Russet potatoes to create the perfect Loaded Potato Soup.

Can I use cream cheese to thicken soup? ›

It might be tempting to add sour cream or softened cream cheese to help thicken the soup, but these dairy products only work in certain circumstances. You must blend cream cheese or sour cream, either with an immersion blender or a full-size blender, for it to thicken a soup.

Does homemade soup have a lot of calories? ›

Vegetable soup calories depend on the ingredients, but homemade veggie soup can have as few as 60 calories per cup. Homemade veggie soup tends to have fewer calories and less sodium than store-bought or restaurant vegetable soup.

How many calories are in 2 cups of hamburger soup? ›

There are 330 calories in 2 cups of Hamburger Soup. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet.

What is cheddar cheese soup made of? ›

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat; add onions, celery and garlic and saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes; mix in flour, paprika and cayenne, and stir 3 minutes; gradually stir in broth; bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes.

What's minestrone soup made of? ›

This favorite Italian soup is made with fresh seasonal vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes. There is no set recipe for minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season.

What is Knorr soup made of? ›

Maize Starch, Sugar, #Dehydrated Vegetables (Carrot flakes (4.6%), Cabbage Flakes (2.3%), Onion Bits (2.3%), Garlic Bits (1.1%), Leeks (1%)), Iodised salt, Noodles (9.3%) (Refined Wheat Flour (Maida), Palm Oil/ Palmolein, Iodised salt, Wheat Gluten, Acidity Regulator - 500(ii), Texturizer - 451(i), Thickener - 415, ...

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