Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

What Makes It Taste Like a Cheeseburger

A plain cheesy potato soup with beef in it is nice, but it doesn't taste like a burger. Three things get it there. Bacon fat becomes the cooking fat for the vegetables. A tablespoon of Worcestershire and a teaspoon of yellow mustard bring that savory, tangy backbone without tasting like either one. And the pickles on top add the sharp, bright bite that cuts through all that cheese.

Ingredients

• Bacon. Six slices, cooked crisp. Half goes into the soup and half goes on top.
• Ground beef. 85/15, browned hard and drained.
• Onion, carrots, and celery. Diced small so they soften in the time the potatoes cook.
• Butter and flour. They thicken the broth into a creamy base.
• Low-sodium chicken broth. Lighter than beef broth, so the cheddar stands out. Bacon and cheese add plenty of salt.
• Yukon gold potatoes. Creamy and they hold their shape. Russets break down more and make a thicker, rustic soup.
• Whole milk, sharp cheddar, and sour cream. Shred the cheese from a block.
• Toppings. Diced dill pickles, extra cheddar, green onions, and the reserved bacon.

How to Make It

Cook the chopped bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6–8 minutes. Lift it out and pour off all but a tablespoon of fat. Brown the beef in the same pot until no pink remains (160°F), 6–8 minutes, then drain it and set it aside with the bacon.

Melt the butter in the pot and cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, then add the garlic. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for a minute, then pour in the broth slowly while you scrape up the browned bits. Add the potatoes, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, and pepper, bring it to a boil, and simmer 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Stir in the milk, beef, and half the bacon and heat until steaming, without letting it boil. Take the pot off the burner and add the cheddar one handful at a time, letting each melt before the next. Finish with the sour cream, taste for salt, and ladle into bowls with all the toppings.

Keeping the Cheese Smooth

• Shred it yourself. Bagged shreds are coated in anti-caking starch that turns the soup gritty.
• No boiling after the milk goes in. High heat curdles milk and makes cheese separate into oily strings.
• Take it off the heat. The soup is plenty hot to melt cheddar on its own.
• Temper the sour cream. Whisk a ladle of hot soup into it before stirring it into the pot so it blends in smoothly instead of curdling.

Variations

• Slow cooker. Cook the bacon, beef, and vegetables (with the flour) on the stove, then move them to a slow cooker with the broth, potatoes, and seasonings. Cook on LOW 6 hours. Stir in the milk for the last 30 minutes, then switch off and stir in the cheese and sour cream.
• Lighter. Use 2% milk and turkey bacon, and cut the cheddar to 6 ounces.
• Spicy. Swap in pepper jack and add a diced jalapeño with the onion.
• Mushroom Swiss. Use Swiss cheese and add 8 ounces of browned mushrooms.
• Ground turkey. Brown it the same way (to 165°F), and add an extra ½ teaspoon salt and a splash more Worcestershire.

Soups That Pair or Compare

This is the rich, cheesy one. For a tomato-based bowl with ground beef and vegetables, crockpot hamburger soup is lighter. Crockpot taco soup is the dump-and-go option for game day, and unstuffed cabbage roll soup is the sweet-and-sour one. For a double-potato dinner, serve this with air fryer smashed potatoes. If you like bacon and ranch together, chicken bacon ranch tater tot casserole is a good next make.

Storing and Freezing

Cool the soup and refrigerate it within 2 hours. It keeps 3–4 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it's steaming (165°F), and add a splash of milk if it's thick. Don't let it boil.

Cheese soups turn grainy in the freezer, and potatoes can go mealy. For the best result, freeze the soup base after the potatoes are cooked but before the milk, cheese, and sour cream. Use freezer-safe containers with an inch of headspace and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, warm it, and add the dairy then.

Cook's Tips

• Brown the beef hard. Let it sit in the pan without stirring for a couple of minutes so it gets a real crust. That's the burger flavor.
• Dice the potatoes evenly. ½-inch cubes cook in 15 minutes. Bigger chunks leave you with hard centers.
• Mash a few potatoes. For a thicker soup, press some against the side of the pot before adding the milk.
• Season at the end. Bacon, broth, and cheese all carry salt, so taste after the cheese melts.