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Browning ground beef with aromatics then coating vegetables in flour creates a roux that thickens this soup without processed cheese products. Adding broth and elbow macaroni directly to the pot means the pasta cooks right in the flavorful liquid, absorbing all those cheeseburger seasonings. Stirring in heavy cream and sharp cheddar at the end creates silky, cheesy texture without any Velveeta, and the whole thing comes together in one pot in 30 minutes. This tastes like the best parts of burgers and mac and cheese combined into spoonable form.
Cheeseburger soup became my weeknight dinner solution after discovering that a simple flour roux creates the same creamy texture as processed cheese without any weird ingredients. The first time I made this, I worried the pasta would get mushy cooking directly in the soup, but timing it properly - just until al dente - means it stays perfectly tender. Learning to add the cheese off heat after stirring in cream prevents that grainy texture that happens when cheese gets too hot. Now I make this constantly because it satisfies comfort food cravings while using ingredients I actually recognize.
Ingredients and Why They Matter
- Ground beef (1 pound, 80/20): Grass-fed if possible; ground turkey, plant-based meat, or black beans substitute
- Yellow onion (1 medium, diced): Part of classic mirepoix aromatic base
- Carrots (2 medium, diced): Sweetness and nutrition
- Celery (2 stalks, diced): Completes mirepoix trio; pre-chopped mirepoix saves time
- Garlic (3 cloves, minced): Essential savory depth; ½ teaspoon garlic powder substitutes
- Dried oregano (1 teaspoon): Herbal notes
- Dried thyme (1 teaspoon): Earthy depth; Italian seasoning substitutes
- All-purpose flour (¼ cup): Creates roux for thickness; don't use cornstarch
- Unsalted butter (2 tablespoons): Carries flour for roux
- Chicken broth (4 cups): Base liquid; vegetable or beef broth works
- Elbow macaroni (2 cups dried): Classic shape; any short pasta substitutes
- Heavy cream (1 cup): Creates rich, silky texture; half-and-half makes thinner soup
- Sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups, freshly shredded): Bold flavor; pre-shredded doesn't melt as well
- White balsamic vinegar (1 teaspoon): Brightness; regular vinegar or lemon juice substitutes
- Salt and black pepper (to taste): Essential seasoning
Optional Hamburger Bun Croutons:
- Sesame seed hamburger buns (2), cubed
- Olive oil, garlic powder, dried oregano
How To Make It
- Make optional croutons first:
- If making hamburger bun croutons, start here since they bake while you cook soup. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut 2 hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes and spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder and dried oregano, and toss to coat evenly. Bake for 10 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside. These provide fun textural contrast and complete the cheeseburger theme. Skip this step if you're pressed for time - the soup is fantastic without them.
- Brown the beef:
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it cooks, crumbling it into small pieces. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the beef is completely browned with no pink remaining. The meat should be crumbly and starting to get slightly crispy on some edges. Transfer the cooked beef to a plate using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot. Set the beef aside - you'll add it back at the end.
- Sauté the vegetables:
- Without wiping out the pot (that beef flavor is gold), add the butter and let it melt over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery along with another generous pinch of salt and pepper. These vegetables are called mirepoix and form the aromatic base for countless soups. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the vegetables soften significantly and the onion turns translucent. The carrots should be starting to get tender. Reduce heat to medium, add the minced garlic, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not burned.
- Create the roux:
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for about 1 minute. The flour should coat all the vegetables - this is your roux, the foundation for creamy texture. Keep stirring so the flour doesn't burn. It should cook just long enough to lose the raw flour taste. The mixture will look dry and slightly clumpy, which is correct. This flour coating will thicken the broth into creamy soup without needing processed cheese or cornstarch slurry.
- Deglaze and add liquid:
- Add a splash - about ½ cup - of the chicken broth to the pot. Use your wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is called deglazing and captures tremendous flavor that would otherwise be wasted. The liquid will help release everything stuck to the pan. Once you've scraped everything up, add the remaining chicken broth and stir everything together. The flour will start dissolving into the liquid, beginning to thicken it.
- Cook the pasta in the soup:
- Add the elbow macaroni directly to the pot along with another pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything together and increase the heat to bring the soup to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to maintain a gentle bubble. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta reaches al dente - tender but still with a slight bite when you test a piece. Don't overcook the pasta or it will get mushy. The flour will continue thickening the broth during this time, and the pasta will release some starch that adds body to the soup.
- Add cream and cheese carefully:
- This step requires attention to temperature. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 1-2 minutes - you want it hot but not boiling when you add dairy. Stir in the heavy cream thoroughly. Then add the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir constantly until it melts completely and incorporates smoothly throughout the soup. The cream helps moderate the temperature and prevents the cheese from becoming grainy or separating. If the soup is too hot when you add cheese, it will turn grainy instead of melting smoothly. The soup should now look rich, creamy, and golden from the melted cheddar.
- Finish and serve:
- Stir in the white balsamic vinegar - this brightens all the rich flavors and adds subtle tang. Add the reserved cooked ground beef back to the pot and stir to distribute throughout. Return the pot to medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the beef heats through. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. The soup should taste balanced - rich and cheesy but not bland, with enough salt to make everything pop. Ladle into bowls and top with hamburger bun croutons if using, extra shredded cheddar, and sliced green onions. Serve immediately while hot. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 2-3 days but will thicken considerably as the pasta absorbs liquid.
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Roux versus cornstarch slurry confused me until understanding they create fundamentally different textures. Roux is flour cooked in fat (butter in this case) that creates silky, velvety thickness when liquid is added. The fat coats flour particles, preventing lumps, and cooking removes the raw flour taste. Cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) creates glossy, almost gelatinous thickness - fine for some soups but not right for this creamy application. Roux provides body and richness that cornstarch can't match.
Why Real Cheese Over Velveeta
Velveeta is "pasteurized prepared cheese product" - not actual cheese but cheese mixed with emulsifiers, milk proteins, and preservatives that keep it smooth when melted. While convenient, it tastes processed and contains ingredients beyond milk, cultures, and salt. Real sharp cheddar provides authentic cheese flavor and melts beautifully when added properly (off heat, with cream to moderate temperature). The key is using freshly shredded cheese rather than pre-shredded bags which contain cellulose (wood pulp) anti-caking coating that prevents proper melting.
Cooking Pasta in Soup
Adding raw pasta directly to soup is efficient but requires timing. The pasta needs enough liquid to cook and shouldn't simmer so long it gets mushy. For al dente texture, start checking at 5 minutes even if the package says 7-8 minutes - pasta continues cooking in hot soup after removal from heat. The released starch from pasta also helps thicken soup naturally. The downside is that stored soup continues absorbing liquid, becoming very thick or even dry. For make-ahead soup, cook pasta separately and combine just before serving.
The Mirepoix Foundation
Mirepoix (meer-pwah) is the French culinary term for diced onion, carrot, and celery in 2:1:1 ratio. This aromatic vegetable combination forms the flavor base for countless soups, stews, and sauces across cuisines. The vegetables release sugars and aromatics that create depth. Cooking them in fat before adding liquid (called sweating) develops sweetness without browning. Many grocery stores sell pre-chopped mirepoix to save prep time - incredibly convenient for weeknight cooking.
Temperature Control for Cheese
Cheese added to boiling liquid becomes grainy and separates because the proteins coagulate and squeeze out fat. The ideal temperature for melting cheese is below 180°F - warm enough to melt but not so hot that proteins tighten. Removing soup from heat and stirring in cream first moderates temperature. Then adding shredded cheese in batches while stirring constantly allows gradual, even melting. This technique prevents the grainy, broken texture that ruins cheese soups.
Deglazing Benefits
Those browned bits stuck to the pot bottom (called fond) contain concentrated flavor from caramelized proteins and sugars. Deglazing means adding liquid to dissolve and incorporate fond into your dish. Use wine, broth, or even water - anything with liquid. The process captures flavor that would otherwise be wasted or burnt. Scrape vigorously with a wooden spoon while the liquid bubbles. This simple step adds tremendous depth to soups, sauces, and braises.
Make-Ahead Considerations
This soup's Achilles heel is the pasta, which continues absorbing liquid during storage. After a day refrigerated, the soup becomes very thick or even dry as pasta soaks up broth. To make ahead successfully, prepare the soup through the cream and cheese step but don't add pasta. Refrigerate the base for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat the base, cook pasta separately in boiling salted water, and combine. This keeps perfect texture rather than mushy, bloated noodles.
Reheating Strategy
Leftover soup will be very thick from pasta absorption. Reheat gently in a pot over medium heat, adding broth or cream ½ cup at a time while stirring until desired consistency returns. Don't add too much liquid at once - it's easier to thin than thicken. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper since diluting with liquid reduces seasoning intensity. Never microwave cheese soup at high power - it can cause cheese to separate. Use 50% power and stir frequently for best results.
Customization Ideas
The base recipe accepts endless variations. Add crispy crumbled bacon for bacon cheeseburger soup. Stir in diced tomatoes for a hint of freshness. Top with diced dill pickles for that classic burger condiment. Use pepper jack instead of cheddar for spicy kick. Add ½ cup sour cream with the heavy cream for tanginess. Replace some broth with beer for deeper flavor. Garnish with fresh parsley. Each addition changes character while maintaining the core cheeseburger-inspired profile.
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This one-pot cheeseburger soup represents the kind of recipe that proves comfort food doesn't require processed ingredients to taste amazing. The combination of real cheese, proper technique, and smart shortcuts creates something that satisfies cravings while using ingredients you can actually pronounce. When you serve steaming bowls of this and watch your family devour it, asking for seconds, you know you've found a keeper. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that take familiar favorites and transform them into something new and exciting, and this soup definitely accomplishes that goal perfectly every single time you make it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?
- Yes, ground turkey works great. You might want to add a tablespoon of oil since turkey is leaner than beef and the soup could end up less rich.
- → What can I use instead of heavy cream?
- Half and half works well, or you can use whole milk. The soup will be a bit thinner but still tasty. Avoid skim milk as it won't give you that creamy texture.
- → Can I make this soup ahead of time?
- Sure. Make it up to 2 days ahead and store it in the fridge. The pasta will soak up liquid as it sits, so add extra broth or cream when reheating.
- → Why does the recipe call for white balsamic vinegar?
- The vinegar adds a slight tang that brightens up all the rich, creamy flavors. You can skip it or use regular white vinegar if that's what you have.
- → Can I freeze leftover cheeseburger soup?
- The soup freezes okay, but cream-based soups can separate when thawed. The pasta also gets softer. If you plan to freeze it, slightly undercook the macaroni.
- → What other pasta shapes work in this soup?
- Small shells, ditalini, or cavatappi all work well. Just keep the cooking time the same and check for doneness around 5-7 minutes.
- → Do I have to make the croutons from scratch?
- No, store-bought croutons work fine. The sesame bun croutons just add that burger vibe, but any croutons or even oyster crackers are good here.