If you have been reading my blog for a while, you probably have gotten the message that I love soup. Soup is warm and comforting, and most of the time, all the food groups are covered in one bowl. I could–and do–eat soup happily all year long, but when it is cold and snowing, there is something even more special about it.
With Colorado’s recent round of snow and wind, you could probably guess that I made a big pot of soup. Of course!
I hereby certify that this soup is LOVED by all three of my kids (and Terry and me too). It has made it past the unfortunate but somewhat frequent we-loved-it-the-first-time-you-made-it-but-why-would-you-feed-us-this-poison-today?-stage that many recipes fall into. I first made it this past January when I was searching for a soup to make with hamburger instead of chicken. I love chicken and many of my favorite recipes include chicken, but one of my kids is a chicken despiser, so I was trying to find something she might like.
The initial reviews from the family back in January?
“Amazing!”
“Pretty Good.”
“Delicious!”
I have since made it about three more times, and the reviews have remained the same. I think the “Pretty good” has even bumped up to a “delicious” now, especially when it is served with some buttered French bread.
What’s with the name of the soup?
The source of the recipe titled it “Cheeseburger Soup,” and that is what my kids and I refer to it as at home, but the name seems kind of misleading to me. This soup contains carrots, celery, potatoes, and sour cream……. These are not things I have ever put on a cheeseburger. Have you?
My kids are perfectly happy calling it Cheeseburger Soup, and the name may actually be part of the appeal for them, but I wanted you to be aware of what you are actually getting, cheese and hamburger yes, but also several vegetables. Definitely tell your kids it’s Cheeseburger Soup–sounds much better than vegetable soup. They will probably love it too.
Cheesy Hamburger and Vegetable Soup {AKA Cheeseburger Soup}
Servings: approximately 8-10
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef (I use 93%)
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup shredded or chopped carrots
- 3/4 cup finely diced celery
- 2-3 cloves (or 1 teaspoon) minced fresh or jarred garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes (Shortcut: I use frozen cubed hash browns)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Directions:
- Brown the hamburger in a large soup pot along with the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, and parsley. Drain fat if needed.
- Add the broth and potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- While vegetables are cooking, melt butter in a separate small saucepan over low to medium heat. Add the flour. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is bubbly. Slowly add the milk to the butter and flour mixture, whisking continuously. Turn the heat to medium and continue stirring the milk mixture until it is smooth and thickens.
- Add the flour and milk mixture to the soup pot and mix to combine.
- Stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the cheese melts and everything is well combined. Remove from heat and add sour cream, mixing thoroughly.
- Serve immediately, (preferably with bread according to my kids).
Source: The Recipe Critic
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