Hearty & Easy Velveeta Cheeseburger Soup: The Ultimate Comfort Food Recipe

There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of soup to bring comfort on a chilly day, and our Classic Cheeseburger Soup with Velveeta cheese takes comfort food to a whole new level. This incredibly delicious, easy-to-make, and wonderfully hearty soup is perfect for a satisfying supper that the whole family will love. With our practical tips for quick preparation and convenient freezer instructions, you can whip up this stovetop meal in no time or even prepare a batch ahead for busy weeknights.

If you’re a fan of rich, comforting soups featuring potatoes and ground beef, this Velveeta cheeseburger soup will quickly become a staple in your meal rotation. For those who enjoy similar hearty meals, you might also like to explore our Hash Brown Potato Soup or a delectable Cheesy Crockpot Potato Kielbasa Soup. And for an absolute favorite, don’t miss our copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi soup. If you’re looking for another quick ground beef dinner idea, our 30 Minute Taco Macaroni is a fantastic option!

Watch How to Make This Delicious Soup

Essential Ingredients for Your Creamy Cheeseburger Soup

Crafting the perfect cheeseburger soup starts with selecting the right ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in achieving that rich, savory flavor and incredibly creamy texture that makes this soup so irresistible. Here’s what you’ll need and some tips for each:

• Ground Beef: The foundation of our “cheeseburger” flavor. To save both time and money, consider keeping bulk-cooked ground beef in your freezer. When you find ground beef on sale, buy several pounds, cook it all at once, drain the fat, and store it in freezer-safe bags in portions equal to what you typically use for recipes. This makes dinner prep significantly faster! For the best value, opting for 75-80% lean ground beef often provides more flavor and is more economical, even after accounting for fat drainage. You can also substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground venison for a leaner alternative.
• Onion: Adds a foundational aromatic flavor to the soup. Chop finely to ensure it blends seamlessly into the soup’s texture.
• Carrots: Lending a touch of sweetness and vibrant color, carrots are a classic soup vegetable. Save precious prep time by using pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store.
• Celery: Together with onion and carrots, celery forms the traditional mirepoix, a flavorful base for many soups. Dice it to a similar size as your onions for even cooking.
• Vegetable Oil: Used for sautéing your vegetables and browning the beef. You can also use butter or olive oil.
• Chicken Broth or Stock: This liquid base infuses the soup with deep flavor. You can use store-bought canned or boxed chicken broth. For an even richer taste, consider making your own! If you’ve recently roasted a chicken or used a rotisserie chicken, cover the carcass and skin with water in a slow cooker and simmer for several hours. Strain the liquid, and you’ll have a fantastic, rich stock to use in this soup or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Potatoes: Providing a hearty texture, potatoes are essential. For maximum time savings, we recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes, as their thin, light-colored skin means you don’t have to peel them. Simply wash and dice! For an even quicker option, frozen diced hash browns work wonderfully and will shorten your prep time considerably.
• Flour: A small amount of all-purpose flour helps to thicken the soup, creating a creamy consistency. If you need a gluten-free option, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can be substituted.
• Velveeta Cheese: The star of this cheeseburger soup, Velveeta is critical for achieving that signature smooth, incredibly creamy, and perfectly melt-in-your-mouth texture. While shredded cheddar can be substituted, it won’t yield the same velvety consistency that Velveeta provides.
• Milk: Adds to the richness and creaminess of the soup. Whole milk is recommended for the best texture, but 2% milk will also work.
• Dried Basil: Provides an aromatic herb note that complements the savory beef and creamy cheese.
• Sour Cream: Stirred in at the end, sour cream adds a tangy finish and an extra layer of creaminess to the soup.
• Salt and Pepper: Essential seasonings to enhance all the flavors in the soup. Adjust to your personal preference.
• Optional Garnish: Fresh basil, chopped parsley, or sliced green onions for a pop of color and fresh flavor right before serving.

See the recipe card below for exact quantities.

Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Delicious Velveeta Cheeseburger Soup

Making this hearty cheeseburger soup is a straightforward process, perfect for home cooks of all skill levels. Follow these simple steps for a truly satisfying meal:

1. Brown the Ground Beef: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, brown your ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Once cooked, drain any excess grease thoroughly. For an even cleaner soup, you can rinse the beef with hot water and then drain it again. Set the cooked beef aside.
2. Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pan, add a little vegetable oil or butter. Sauté the chopped onion, shredded carrots, diced celery, and dried basil over medium heat. Cook until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, typically 5-7 minutes.

3. Build the Soup Base: Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed vegetables and mix well, stirring for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Then, add the chicken broth, diced potatoes, and the cooked ground beef back into the pot. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are combined and the flour has dissolved into the liquid.
4. Simmer to Tender: Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer gently. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, which usually takes about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your potato dice.

5. Add Cheese and Milk: Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the cubed Velveeta cheese, milk, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, until the Velveeta has completely melted and the soup is smooth and creamy.
6. Finish with Sour Cream: Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream until it is fully blended into the soup. This adds a lovely tang and extra richness.

7. Serve and Garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls immediately. If desired, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh basil, chopped parsley, or sliced green onions for a touch of freshness and visual appeal.

Smart Time-Saving Tips for Quick Soup Prep

We all appreciate shortcuts in the kitchen, especially on busy weeknights. Here are some excellent strategies to make preparing your cheeseburger soup even faster without sacrificing flavor:

• Batch Cook Ground Beef: As mentioned in the ingredients section, this is perhaps the biggest time-saver. Whenever ground beef is on sale, buy a larger quantity than you need for one meal. Cook it all, drain the fat, and portion it into freezer-safe bags. Flat bags save space! Having cooked ground beef ready means you can skip the browning step entirely for future soups, casseroles, and skillet dishes, cutting down significantly on your active cooking time.
• Opt for Frozen Hash Browns: Forget peeling and dicing fresh potatoes! Frozen diced hash browns are an excellent substitute and drastically reduce prep time. Simply thaw them slightly on the counter while you’re preparing other ingredients, then add them directly to the soup when called for. Their texture holds up beautifully in this recipe.
• Use Pre-Chopped Vegetables: Don’t hesitate to buy pre-shredded carrots or even pre-chopped onions and celery from the produce section. While a little more expensive, they can be invaluable on evenings when you’re pressed for time.
• Mise en Place: Before you even turn on the stove, take a few minutes to chop all your vegetables and measure out your ingredients. This practice, known as “mise en place,” ensures a smooth cooking process, reducing stress and the likelihood of forgetting an ingredient.

Exciting Cheeseburger Soup Variations to Try

While the classic Velveeta Cheeseburger Soup is fantastic on its own, it also serves as a wonderful canvas for culinary creativity. Feel free to experiment with these variations to customize the flavor and texture to your liking:

• Spice It Up: For those who love a bit of heat, consider adding a can of drained diced green chilis to the soup while it simmers. Alternatively, you can top individual bowls with crispy jalapeños (a personal favorite for a fantastic textural and flavor kick!) or swap out some of the Velveeta for Pepper Jack cheese to infuse a spicy warmth throughout. A pinch of cayenne pepper also works well.
• Smooth and Velvety: If you prefer a smoother soup without distinct vegetable pieces, this variation is for you. Hold back on adding the ground beef until the very end. Once the potatoes are tender, use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer batches to a regular blender) to blend all the vegetables and broth until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, add the ground beef, and then proceed with melting the cheese. Once heated through, stir in the sour cream as directed.
• Add a Crunch: Enhance the “cheeseburger” experience with some satisfying crunch. Before serving, top each bowl generously with crispy fried onions, crushed potato chips, or homemade croutons. Crumbled bacon bits also make an excellent crunchy and smoky addition.
• Vegetable Boost: Feel free to add other finely diced vegetables like bell peppers, corn, or even a handful of spinach during the last few minutes of simmering for an extra nutritional punch and different textures.
• Smoky Flavor: A dash of liquid smoke or smoked paprika can add a wonderful depth that mimics a grilled burger.

Storage & How to Freeze Cheeseburger Soup

This cheeseburger soup is fantastic fresh, but it’s also a great candidate for meal prepping and freezing. Proper storage ensures you can enjoy its comforting flavors later.

Refrigerator Storage:

Leftover Cheeseburger Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When reheating, the soup may thicken considerably. Simply add a splash of additional chicken broth, milk, or water and stir well until it reaches your desired consistency, then heat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.

Freezing Instructions (Best Results):

While you can technically freeze the fully prepared soup, dairy-based soups can sometimes separate or become grainy when thawed and reheated. For the best texture and quality, we recommend preparing this cheeseburger soup specifically for freezing by adding the dairy components after thawing. This method ensures a perfectly creamy soup every time.

To prepare for the freezer:

1. Use frozen hash browns instead of raw potatoes for this freezer-friendly version. This helps prevent mushiness upon thawing.
2. Prepare the soup up to the point of (and including) adding the flour, chicken broth, potatoes, and cooked ground beef, and simmering until the potatoes are tender. Do NOT add the Velveeta, milk, or sour cream at this stage.
3. Allow the soup base to cool completely.
4. Transfer the cooled cooked ground beef and vegetable mixture (without the dairy) into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Flat bags are excellent for space-saving in the freezer.
5. Label the container clearly with “Cheeseburger Soup Base” and the date. Include the following instructions for finishing the soup:

Frequently Asked Questions About Cheeseburger Soup

Here are answers to some common questions about making and enjoying your Velveeta Cheeseburger Soup:

Recipe: Classic Velveeta Cheeseburger Soup