Hearty One-Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger soup is a hearty and comforting dish that combines the flavors of a classic cheeseburger in a warm, creamy soup form. This savory soup features seasoned ground beef, tender chunks of potatoes, and a rich, cheesy broth. The addition of pickle juice adds a tangy twist, reminiscent of the pickles you’d find on a cheeseburger, balancing the richness with a hint of acidity.

This soup is perfect for cozy, cold months and it’s a Midwestern classic! Seriously. We Midwest folk love to turn any perfectly fine comfort meal into a soup. I don’t know why we do this, but it’s kinda our thing. This bread goes perfectly with a slice of sourdough bread or these sourdough cheesy garlic bombs.

If you’re looking for other classic soup recipes, check out this creamy tomato soup and a Minnesota Classic–chicken wild rice soup! Or try out these yummy casseroles– tater tot hotdish or these 60 chicken casseroles.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Cheeseburger Soup

• It Tastes Like a Cheeseburger! All the delicious flavor of an actual cheeseburger, but in the form of a comforting soup.
• Pickle Juice – What sets this recipe apart from others is the addition of pickle juice. It adds the perfect amount of acidity and flavor!
• A Unique Soup Recipe – If you’re looking for a new soup recipe to try, this is the one to make! It’s not your typical soup recipe, but it’s bound to be a favorite!

Ingredients

• ground beef – 80/20 grass-fed ground beef is my go-to. Make sure to cook it before adding all the ingredients together.
• onion – diced white or yellow onion works here.
• carrots – all good soups include carrots, right?! Make sure to dice them up nice and small. Carrots generally take longer to cook than other vegetables and you want these nice and soft.
• celery
• dried basil
• dried parsley
• butter – I use salted butter for cooking and baking. Alternatively, you can use unsalted butter and throw in some extra salt.
• chicken broth
• potatoes – russet potatoes or Yukon potatoes are both great options for this cheeseburger soup.
• all-purpose flour – the flour helps thicken the soup up.
• sharp cheddar cheese – I recommend buying block cheese and shredding it yourself!
• Monterey Jack cheese
• milk – whole milk is my favorite for this soup.
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• sour cream – this adds so much creaminess to the soup!
• pickle juice – you can certainly omit this, but I don’t suggest it! It adds yummy flavor. You could also dice up some pickles to garnish the soup with.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step One: In a 6-quart Dutch oven, brown the ground beef; then drain and set aside.

Step Two: Chop the onion, carrots, and celery; then add to the Dutch oven. Add the dried basil, parsley flakes, garlic powder, and half the butter. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables (especially the carrots!) are tender. Dice the potatoes while the veggies are cooking (make sure to stir occasionally).

Step Three: Add the chicken broth and diced potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and allow it to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Helpful hint: test the potatoes by sticking a fork in a couple of them. If the fork pierces the potatoes smoothly, they are fully cooked.

Step Four: Melt the remaining butter in a separate small saucepan and add the flour. Stir and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour the flour and melted butter mixture into the pot of soup. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the American and Monterey jack cheese, milk, salt, and pepper. Cook until the cheese melts. Finally, mix in the sour cream and pickle juice, if adding it, then serve!

Simple Tips to Make This Cheeseburger Soup Amazing

Chop the carrots small! This is because carrots tend to take the longest to cook. If the carrot pieces are too big, you’re going to wait a long time for this soup to be ready. You could also grate the carrots to speed up cooking time.

Add pickle juice and chopped pickles! You can’t have a cheeseburger without pickles, can you?! Okay, yes, maybe you can. Which is why I have [optional] next to the pickle juice in this recipe. But if you’re looking for additional flavor, chop up some dill pickles (about a cup will do) and pour some of that pickle juice into the pot of soup. It is delicious.

Want to save some time? Turn this into a crockpot recipe! Brown the ground beef, throw it and all the ingredients included in steps one through three listed above. When the soup is cooked (about three hours on high, six hours on low), follow step four (adding the dairy products right before you’re ready to serve).

Storage

To store leftover cheeseburger soup, let it cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months; just reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or milk if needed to maintain its creamy texture.