An easy Cheeseburger Soup Recipe you’ll love! Keto, paleo and Whole30 friendly. Healthy & made in the crockpot, instant pot or on the stove! Naturally gluten free and no velveeta needed for this delicious soup! This post is sponsored by our friends at ButcherBox.
If you’re anything like me – you probably love sinking your teeth into a big juicy burger. Probably with some fries on the side. I’m a bit of a burger purist so when someone mentioned making a Cheeseburger Soup.. I was a little confused.
I know it sounds strange.. but stay with me here friends. Imagine if you could have everything you love about a burger (juicy ground beef, potatoes, all the toppings.. especially the CHEESE!) in a cozy bowl.
It might seem weird but I swear it is DELICIOUS!
Why you will love Cheese Burger Soup
We love this Cheeseburger Soup for so many reasons!
- Delicious –It really does taste so good! This soup is rich and creamy while still being lighter!
- Whole30/Paleo/Keto Friendly– This soup is easily made paleo/whole30/keto – so those of you following a specific diet won’t miss out!
- The best quality meat. Good quality meat is without a doubt the foundation of any great meal, especially a burger. We used our favorite grass fed, grass finished ground beef from ButcherBox – everything is humanely raised, has no added antibiotics, and just tastes delicious!
Cheeseburger Soup Recipe ingredients
To make this soup you’ll need:
- olive oil
- ButcherBox Ground Beef
- carrot, celery, onion, potatoes
- garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- Worcestershire sauce
- petite diced tomatoes
- salt, pepper
- cauliflower rice
- parsley
- beef broth
- milk
- tapioca flour
- shredded cheese
I know that seems like a lot of ingredients, but I promise they come together in the best way!
There are lots of substitutions included below – look for the shaded green box. This can easily be made keto/Whole30 friendly!
Ingredients really do make the difference, which is why we used ButcherBox’s ground beef in this recipe. We love ButcherBox because they ship affordable, amazing quality meat right to your door! Check out our full Butcher Box Reviews!
Cheesy Hamburger Soup Substitutions
This soup is pretty versatile. Here are a few ways you can customize it!
Oil: You can sub avocado oil, ghee, or butter for olive oil.
Ground Beef: You can substitute ground turkey in place for ground beef.
Broth: Chicken broth, vegetable, beef broth, or bone broth will work for the liquid in this recipe!
Worcestershire Sauce: Can be subbed with coconut aminos or soy sauce.
Milk: You can use any milk you like in this recipe. We like it with whole milk, but non-dairy (almond, oat, soy) will also work.
Meat: You can sub ground turkey for ground beef. If you love this soup recipe, you should try our Homemade Hamburger Helper
Tapioca Flour: Can be subbed with regular white flour. Do not substitute with coconut or almond flour: it will not work.
Low Sodium: If you’re watching your salt intake – omit the salt from the recipe or add it at the end to taste.. Also make sure to check your canned tomatoes/broth. Look for low or no salt added beans/broth.
Dairy Free/Whole30: Omit the shredded cheese and sub half and half with NutPods or full fat coconut milk for a lovely take on a creamy cheeseburger without the cheese. The Worcestershire should be replaced with coconut aminos.
Keto/Low Carb- The potatoes can be replaced with cauliflower florets. I would leave the cauliflower rice in as well for texture. The soup should only be simmered on low for 10-15 minutes if the cauliflower is used because it just doesn’t need as long to cook as potatoes do. I would also recommend increasing the meat by ¼ lb.
Vegetable Addition: Pump up the veggies by adding corn, peas, or frozen/fresh green beans to the soup!
How to make Cheeseburger Soup on the Stovetop
Making Cheeseburger soup is easy in your slow cooker, instant pot or on the stove. I’m showing you how to make this on the stove in the photos below.
- Place a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Heat olive oil in the pan
- When the pot is hot add in the ground beef, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder. Allow the meat to start browning (about 3 minutes) then add in the celery, onion, carrot, cauliflower rice, and potatoes. Sauté another 5 minutes until onions and celery appear translucent.
- Add in salt and pepper, tomatoes, and beef broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer for 30 minutes.
- Check potatoes to be sure they are fork tender, taste for salt and pepper (add more to your liking)
- In a separate small bowl, stir together milk and tapioca flour. Stream it into the soup while stirring. The soup should start to thicken almost immediately. If it doesn’t turn the heat up slightly. Stir in the parsley, but reserve some for garnish.
- Remove soup from heat and add 1 cup of shredded cheese. I recommend freshly grated here because the pre-grated has stabilizers in it that can cause texture issues. If the soup is too thick for you feel free to add more beef broth.
Top with your favorite burger toppings (dill pickles, tomatoes, onions, crumbled bacon, etc), and enjoy!
Making Cheeseburger Soup in the Crockpot
Making slow cooker cheeseburger soup is very easy!
- Brown your ground beef and spices in a pan over the stove. Then add in the celery, onion, carrot, cauliflower rice, and potatoes. Saute another 5 minutes until onions and celery appear translucent.
- Add to slow cooker base and stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together milk and tapioca flour. Stream it into the crock pot while stirring before eating. The soup should start to thicken almost immediately.
- If it doesn’t you may need to remove the soup from the slow cooker and put it on the stove so you can turn the heat up slightly. Stir in the parsley and shredded cheese.
Making Cheeseburger Soup in the Instant Pot
It’s easy to make instant pot cheeseburger soup.
- Set your instant pot to sauté, for 10 minutes. When the pot is hot add in the ground beef and spices. Allow the meat to start browning then add in the vegetables. Sauté another 5 minutes until onions and celery appear translucent.
- Make sure to scrape all browned bits from the bottom of the pot to avoid a burn notice!
- Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Cover instant pot and set to sealing, high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When finished cooking, quick release the pressure from the pot. In a separate small bowl, stir together milk and tapioca flour. Stream it into the soup while stirring.
- The soup should start to thicken almost immediately. If it doesn’t you may need to turn the instant pot back to sauté to bring the heat back up. Stir in the parsley and cheddar cheese.
How to serve Cheesy Hamburger Soup
Cheeseburger soup is best served with a big piece of crusty bread and lots of toppings.
We like to serve it with dill pickles, onions and extra cheddar cheese for the full burger feel!
What goes with soup besides bread? Bread is our favorite thing to serve with soup, but you can also serve it with a side salad or roasted veggies. A grilled cheese or half sandwich also makes a great side dish to the soup!
Cheese Burger Soup FAQs
Cheeseburger soup will last 3-4 days in the fridge. We don’t recommend freezing this soup.
This cheeseburger soup has under 400 calories per 1.5 cup serving, which is less than half the calories than other Cheeseburger Soup recipes. It also has less fat and salt!
You can thicken soup by adding flour or tapioca flour. In a small bowl add some hot broth and 1-2 tablespoons flour. Whisk together and stream into the soup while stirring. Turn your soup on low heat and it should start to thicken.
We really love the potatoes in this, but the potatoes can be replaced with cauliflower florets.
I would leave the cauliflower rice in as well for texture. The soup should only be simmered on low for 10-15 minutes if the cauliflower is used. It just doesn’t need as long to cook as potatoes do. I would also recommend increasing the meat by ¼ lb. for this. While we aren’t huge cauliflower fans – it’s not bad with cheese and it works in this recipe!
You should add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and parsley to cheeseburger soup.
There are 13g of carbs 1.5 cups of cheeseburger soup.
Storing this Recipe for Cheeseburger Soup
Refrigerating: This soup will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheating: You can reheat it in the slow cooker, microwave, or on the stove.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this soup. Freezing milk/cheese can result in a gritty odd texture.
Love ground beef? Check out this list of 25+ Healthy Ground Beef Recipes!
Other healthy soup recipes:
We love soup recipes and have rounded up 35 Healthy Soup Recipes. We also have a free Healthy Soup Ebook you can download here!
Looking for other healthy slow cooker recipes? Check out these Healthy Crock Pot Recipes!
Want free ground beef? Right Now when you join ButcherBox you can get free ground beef for a year and $10 off! That’s up to 24 pounds of ground beef for free!
Cheese Burger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ButcherBox Ground Beef
- ½ cup carrot finely chopped
- ½ cup celery finely chopped
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes 1 regular can
- 1.5 cups potatoes diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced
- 4 cups beef broth no/low salt added
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 cup cheddar cheese more for garnish
- optional: diced Pickle, onion, parsley for garnish Onion, Parsley for garnish
Instructions
Stovetop
- Place a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Heat olive oil in the pan
- When the pot is hot add in the ground beef, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Allow the meat to start browning (about 3 minutes) then add in the celery, onion, carrot, cauliflower rice and potatoes. Saute another 5 minutes until onions and celery appear translucent.
- Add in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer for 30 minutes.
- Check potatoes to be sure they are fork tender, taste for salt and pepper (add more to your liking)
- In a separate small bowl, stir together milk and tapioca flour. Stream it into the soup while stirring. The soup should start to thicken almost immediately. If it doesn’t turn the heat up slightly. Stir in the parsley, but reserve some for garnish.
- Remove soup from heat and add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I recommend freshly grated here because the pre-grated has stabilizers in it that can cause texture issues. If the soup is too thick for you feel free to add more beef broth.
- Top with your favorite burger toppings (pickles, tomatoes, onions, etc) and enjoy!
Crock Pot
- Place a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Heat olive oil in the pan.
- When the pot is hot add in the ground beef, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt & pepper. Allow the meat to start browning (about 3 minutes) then add in the celery, onion, carrot, cauliflower rice and potatoes. Saute another 5 minutes until onions and celery appear translucent.
- Add to slow cooker base and stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
- Check potatoes to be sure they are fork tender, taste for salt and pepper (add more to your liking)
- In a separate small bowl, stir together milk and tapioca flour. Stream it into the soup while stirring. The soup should start to thicken almost immediately. If it doesn't you may need to remove the soup from the slow cooker and put it on the stove so you can turn the heat up slightly. Stir in the parsley, but reserve some for garnish.
- Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I recommend freshly grated here because the pre-grated has stabilizers in it that can cause texture issues. If the soup is too thick for you feel free to add more beef broth.
- Top with your favorite burger toppings (pickles, tomatoes, onions, etc) and enjoy!
Instant pot
- Set your instant pot to saute, 10 minutes. Heat olive oil in the pan.
- When the pot is hot add in the ground beef, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Allow the meat to start browning (about 3 minutes) then add in the celery, onion, carrot, cauliflower rice and potatoes. Saute another 5 minutes until onions and celery appear translucent.
- Make sure to scrap all browned bits from the bottom of the pot to avoid a burn notice!
- Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Cover instant pot and set to seedling, high pressure for 10 minutes.
- It will take the instant pot about 10 minutes to come to pressure. Tip: Heat your broth in the microwave before adding to the pot to speed up the time it takes to come to pressure.
- When finished cooking, quick release the pressure from the pot.
- Check potatoes to be sure they are fork tender, taste for salt and pepper (add more to your liking)
- In a separate small bowl, stir together milk and tapioca flour. Stream it into the soup while stirring. The soup should start to thicken almost immediately. If it doesn’t you may need to turn the instant pot back to saute to bring the heat back up. Stir in the parsley, but reserve some for garnish.
- Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I recommend freshly grated here because the pre-grated has stabilizers in it that can cause texture issues. If the soup is too thick for you feel free to add more beef broth.
- Top with your favorite burger toppings (pickles, tomatoes, onions, etc) and enjoy!
JennaLee says
This is recipe is definitely in our family’s monthly rotation! When you get the craving for a favorite burger & fries type of meal, this one will leave you satisfied without the fast food guilt.
nancy says
hello. confused how this is whole 30. I was trying to find some different soups to make and this sounded delicious..and then I saw it has cheese and milk. Whole 30 is non dairy… obviously I can change out the milk…but the cheese? I will try this after my whole 30 is complete..
The Clean Eating Couple says
On all of our posts we have a green substitutions box. Here’s what it says about Whole30: Omit the shredded cheese and sub half and half with NutPods or full fat coconut milk for a lovely take on a creamy cheeseburger without the cheese. The Worcestershire should be replaced with coconut aminos.
Roxanne says
I made this soup a few times last year and it was seriously delicious! I just looked up the recipe again to make it this week. I don’t remember it having milk in it when I made it last time. Is this a new addition?
The Clean Eating Couple says
yes, there has always been milk in this recipe – nothing has changed! You can use almond milk or other non dairy milk if you can’t do regular milk, but the milk is what makes the soup creamy. If you want to skip it it will be delicious, just not creamy!
Tina says
This was so delicious. I added some celeriac and when the soup was done served it with avocado, pickled jalapeños, shredded iceberg and cotija cheese. It was very filling. Thank you for the recipe.
Brittni Scinto says
One of my favorite soups now! Have made it multiple times and probably will many more. So easy and so tasty, and definitely do not skip garnishing with pickles and onions! The best!
Vicky O says
Awesome soup! Incredibly flavorful even though I reduced the cheese to only a 1/3 cup. I didn’t have cauliflower rice either so I skipped that too. I will definitely make this again!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Vicky! Glad you liked it!
Ashley says
This soup is so damn good. I added some chopped spinach. My husband loved it.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Ashley!!
Kim says
Couldn’t wait to try this recipe after getting our first butcher box. It did not disappoint, delicious!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Kim! This makes me so happy to hear!! BB is the best!
Elizabeth Taylor says
This soup was so good! I was a little sceptical, but also really intrigued and I’m so glad I tried it! I definitely think the pickles on the soup are a must even though it sounds a little weird. This soup is so incredibly hearty and a small bowl quickly filled me up. Also, I used all frozen veggies (because it was what I had) and it turned out great in case someone else was wanting to try that 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked it!! Agreed that pickles are necessary☺️
Jordan says
Love this soup! It is so creamy and tastes just like a cheeseburger! I was amazed! So easy to make and so delicious.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Yay! Love to hear that!
Jessica says
I was so impressed. The flavor , the texture is awesome. I was planning on having it for lunch too however my husband ate it all he loved it too.
Jordan Graham says
Loooove this recipe! It was soooo creamy and tasted exactly like a cheeseburger. It blew my mind. Definitely one of my favorite soups.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Jordan!
Mikenna says
Delish!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Thanks Mikenna!
Amy M Nowery says
Can you substitute a non dairy milk in this?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Amy – Yes you can. There’s a note on this in the substitutions section, I’ve pasted it here. You can use any milk you like in this recipe. We like it with whole milk, but non-dairy (almond, oat, soy) will also work.
Hannah Valenzuela says
This soup was AMAZING!! It was very filling and the pickles on top were my favorite part! Even got my husband’s stamp of approval and he’s usually not a fan of soup. Win! As always, thanks for the substitutions for this recipe!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Hannah! So happy you both liked it!
Akaley says
Made this tonight & it was delicious! It was light but still very filling. I used a little habanero cheese to garnish on top and it was mouth watering. DO NOT skip the pickles!!! Also, thank you so much for always adding info about substitutes- it’s helpful for someone like me who feels that they have to follow a recipe exactly but don’t always have everything on hand!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m so glad you liked it, Akaley! Thank you so much!
Leanna says
If I could give this a million stars, I would! This lives up to every expectation of what you would think cheeseburger soup would taste like. It’s full of flavor and pairs nicely with a good bread. Great job with this recipe!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m so happy you liked it, Leaenna! Thank you so much!
Kimberly Ziem says
So easy and SO delicious! May even have to add bacon next time 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple says
Love that idea, Kimberly! Glad you liked it!
Angel says
Enjoyed this recipe after seeing it on Instagram! So delicious and really easy to make!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked it, Angel! Thank you so much!