Handiwerx

Cheeseburger Soup

I suppose the real name of my version should be Cheeseburger, Fries and Salad Soup—the only thing missing from a burger is the mayo. It’s a delicious way to get hidden veggies into your family.

The original (absolutely decadent) version of this was on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives show. I used the same method, but toned it down so it’s still tasty, not lethal!

I can see lots of possible variations:

• Add extra veggies (green pepper, carrots, corn or green beans.) 
• You can also just stir the hamburger into the soup rather than using it as a topping.
• I added bacon bits to mine. You could also add sautéed mushrooms. To the topping, you could even add sliced or diced pickles!

WARNING: it’s so good, you will have to get out your self-discipline so you won’t eat the whole potful!  You might want to go ahead and double  the recipe.

Ingredients

• 5 cups chicken/beef/vegetable stock (or 5 cups of water and 3 bouillon cubes)
• 1-2 cups cubed potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes, diced)
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 Tbsps. oil
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped onion (medium onion)
• 2 Tbsps. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup light cream cheese (or Neufchâtel cheese)
• 2 wedges light Laughing Cow light cheese
• 1-2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsps. ketchup (or to taste)
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped (think chunks)
• 1 tomato, diced chunky
• Cheddar cheese
• Bacon bits (or bacon crumbles)

Directions

1. Before you begin cooking, chop your veggies and grate the cheese. Set to the side for later use.
2. In a small 2 qt. pot, add stock (or water), potatoes and carrots. Cook about 15 minutes or until tender. Strain 3 cups of liquid into a small bowl. Set broth and veggies aside.
3. In a skillet, brown the ground beef; remove and allow to drain on a paper towel. Keep warm.
4. In the same skillet, add the oil and onion. Sauté over medium heat until onions are lightly browned. Stir in flour to make a roux (add a little more oil or flour if you need to get the consistency to that of an almost dry paste); brown lightly.
5. Gradually, add broth from the cooked veggies; whisk until you have the consistency of smooth gravy. Add more broth as needed. Reduce heat.
6. Stir in and melt cheeses and sour cream. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and mustard.
7. Pour cheesy mixture into pot with remaining veggies, and extra stock if needed (add stock or water to get to a thin gravy consistency.) Keep warm.
8. To serve: in each bowl layer as follows: lots of lettuce, hamburger; then cover with soup. Top with tomatoes, bacon bits, a sprinkling of cheese, and a small dot of mustard.
9. Serve with a hearty slice of bread so you can clean the bowl! Makes 4-6 servings

A downloadable print version of this recipe is available here.