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Creamy cheeseburger soup in a white bowl topped with pickles, cheddar, and bun croutons for a cozy weeknight dinner

Cheeseburger Soup With Tender Potatoes and Sharp Cheddar

A creamy, one pot cheeseburger soup with browned beef, tender Yukon Gold potatoes, and sharp cheddar. Smoked paprika, ketchup, mustard, and a splash of pickle juice give it real burger flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chilling Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 About 1 3/4 cups
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 530
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • 1 pound 90% lean ground beef ground turkey works with 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth chicken broth works
  • 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (red potatoes work)
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more to taste (use 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
  • 2 cups whole milk 2 percent works
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar shredded from a block (colby jack works)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dill pickle juice
  • Black pepper to taste
For Serving (Optional)
  • Chopped dill pickles
  • Extra shredded cheddar
  • Bun croutons see below

Equipment

  • 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven
  • slotted spoon
  • Whisk
  • Box grater
  • Instant-read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and break it into pea-size crumbles. Leave it untouched for 2 minutes so it browns, then cook 7 to 8 minutes in total, until no pink remains and a brown crust forms.
  2. Lift the beef into a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat, so the pot bottom looks glossy and brown with no pooled grease.
  3. Add the butter, onion, carrots, celery, and salt. Cook over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the onion turns translucent and a carrot piece squishes easily.
  4. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 90 seconds, until the vegetables look coated in a pale paste that smells toasty.
  5. Pour in the broth 1/2 cup at a time, whisking after each addition, until the liquid turns silky and slightly thick, about 2 minutes.
  6. Add the potatoes, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, and paprika, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partly covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, until a fork slides into a cube easily and the edges stay sharp.
  7. Stir in the beef and milk. Warm over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stopping at steam and tiny edge bubbles, until the soup coats the back of a spoon.
  8. Take the pot off the burner and wait 1 minute. Stir in the cheddar one handful at a time over about 3 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon of pickle juice and pepper, until the soup turns smooth and glossy with no strings of cheese.
  9. Taste and adjust with pickle juice or salt. Let the soup rest 5 minutes, then ladle into bowls and top with pickles and extra cheddar. A spoon dragged through the pot leaves a clear trail.

Notes

Use 1/2 teaspoon table salt in place of 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and add the cheese off the heat so the soup never boils after the cheese goes in.
Bun croutons: toss 2 cubed hamburger buns with 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, then bake at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping once, until deep golden.
Storage: refrigerate 3 to 4 days. Freeze only the base, before the milk and cheese go in, for up to 3 months.