Cheeseburger Soup

Recipe courtesty of Cuisine at Home

Who’d have imagined that a classic diner blue-plate special could morph so successfully into a bowl of soup?  This basic cheese soup is built on vegetables and ground sirloin. Just be sure to brown the sirloin to add extra flavor. As for the cheese, sharp Cheddar tastes best, but mild Cheddar or American cheese works too. A word of caution — be prepared for this soup to become a regular request.  When it comes to cheese soups, boiling is an enemy because it can cause curdling. Once the cheese is added, just let the soup gently simmer.

See also Comforting Soup and Stew Recipes

Makes 6 servings (8 1/2 cups)
Total time: 35 minutes

MELT:
 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 cup diced onions
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic

STIR IN:
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
1 tsp. dried basil

MELT:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk

 ADD:
 2 cups grated Cheddar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
Salt and black pepper to taste

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add sirloin and cook until brown. Add onions, celery, carrot, and garlic; sweat over medium-low heat, 10 minutes.


Use a wooden spoon to break up the large chunks while browning the meat to avoid clumping.

See also Burgers Star in Cabin Cookout

Stir in broth, potatoes, and basil; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, 10–12 minutes.


To ensure a smooth soup without lumps, make the roux in a sparate pot and stir into soup.

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 1–2 minutes. Whisk in milk until smooth. Add milk mixture to soup; cook until thick, 3–4 minutes. Stir in Cheddar, ketchup, and mustard until cheese melts; season with salt. Garnish soup with pickles and serve with fries


To enhance the soup with more cheeseburger flavor, stir ketchup and mustard in at the end.

See also Summer Cabin Recipes: Grilling Hot Dogs
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