During cold winter months, it’s not uncommon for me to make a big pot of soup on Monday afternoons… and then enjoy leftovers for lunch throughout the week.
Since I’m almost always home on Mondays — cleaning, doing laundry, and getting things back in order after the weekend — it’s a great day for soup to simmer and bread to rise. I suppose it has become somewhat of a weekly routine.
One of our family’s favorite soups is “Cheeseburger Soup”.
It doesn’t actually taste like a cheeseburger, but it has many of the same ingredients — hamburger, cheese, onions, tomatoes, ketchup… all served with a tasty roll (and maybe some dill pickles) on the side!
We originally got our cheeseburger soup recipe from Dave’s mom 15 years ago, and I’ve tweaked it a bit over the years to accommodate our growing family’s tastebuds.
Of course, you should also feel free to tweak the recipe as well. You could even leave out the cheese if you want to be dairy-free… “hamburger soup”!
This recipe is quick, easy, tasty, the kids eat it without much complaining (even when I sneak in extra veggies), and it gives me another opportunity to use my favorite Dutch Oven!
Yup, it’s a winner in my book!
Cheeseburger Soup
Cheeseburger soup is a wintertime favorite around our house. I always make a big batch and enjoy leftovers for lunch (or I freeze some for later). Use the ingredients you already have in your home to recreate this easy and delicious weeknight meal for your family!
Ingredients
- 2 large onions; diced
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef
- 1 c. mushrooms; diced (optional)
- 1 Tbl. garlic; minced
- 3-4 carrots; peeled and sliced
- 3 c. cabbage; shredded
- 4 c. broth (I use homemade which doesn't have any added salt in it)
- 2 cans (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
- 1/4 c. ketchup
- 2 tsp. salt (less if using saltier broth)
- Pepper; to taste
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 c. orzo noodles (or white rice)
- 1-2 c. water (as needed for your desired consistency)
- 2 c. cheddar cheese; shredded
Instructions
- In a very large pot (I used a 7 qt. pot) sauteé onions in a bit of butter or oil.
- Add in ground beef once onions start to soften. Stir regularly until meat is cooked through.
- Add garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
- Drain grease from meat mixture and return to pan.
- While meat drains, chop carrots and cabbage. Return the meat back to pot and add chopped veggies along with broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, and basil.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in orzo (or rice) and simmer for 45 minutes (stirring occasionally and adding more water or broth if necessary)
- Taste and add more salt, seasonings, broth, or water, if desired.
- Continue to simmer soup until you're ready to eat -- it can simmer all day!
- Serve with a generous helping of shredded cheddar cheese (and a few slices of dill pickle if that's your thing!)
Notes
As with all soups, feel free to mix up the ingredients based on your taste preferences or what you have in the house.
I've tried substituting small chunks of potatoes for the rice for a different taste and texture.
Add more or less broth, water, and seasonings based on how you prefer your soup to taste... or try different cheeses and garnishes.
This recipe is difficult to mess up!
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Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 310Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 72mgSodium 588mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 2gSugar 6gProtein 23g
Nutritional information is approximate and does not account for additional ingredients or added toppings.
My favorite thing about making cheeseburger soup is that I get to eat it for lunch the rest of the week — yup, it’s one of those soups that reheats quite well.
It also freezes well, so don’t shy away from making a really big batch.
And, as I mentioned in the recipe card above, feel free to substitute ingredients based on what you have in the house (or simply what your family prefers). I’ve tried many variations of this soup and they are always delicious!
Soup Sidedishes:
Wondering what to serve alongside your cheeseburger soup?
Here are a few of our family’s favorite sides.
More easy soup recipes!
Janine Dekker says
Hey Friend! I am adding this one to the menu next week! Can’t wait to try it!
Andrea says
yay — hope you and the kids enjoy this soup! feel free to leave out the cabbage and add extra noodles if you think that would be a better way to ease them in. That said, my kids don’t even notice the cabbage if I chop it up small.
A says
Looks fantastic! Is the orzo measurement 1/2 cup?
Thank you!
Andrea says
ah — yes! 1/2 CUP orzo. I just changed it on the recipe card 🙂
Thanks!