Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

This hearty soup is reminiscent of a bacon cheeseburger.  Don't skip the garnishes--especially the homemade croutons.  They're the best part of the dish!

Filed under Soups
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalepeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 cups beef broth
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the garnish:
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6-8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Chopped green onions (optional)
3-4 sesame seed hamburger buns

Directions
In a large sauce pan, brown the ground beef until no longer pink.  Add in the olive oil, along with the onion, garlic, jalapeno, celery and parsley flakes and cook until vegetables are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the potatoes and beef broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender.  While the potatoes are cooking, cut the sesame seed buns into one-inch chunks.  Toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and bake in a 400 degree oven for 7-10 minutes or until bread is golden brown. 

Add the heavy cream and 2 cups of cheddar cheese to the soup and stir until the cheese is melted and smooth.  Blend the soup slightly with an immersion blender, leaving some chunks of potato (alternately, you can remove a few cups of soup, puree in a blender, and return to the pot).  Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with sesame seed croutons, crumbled bacon, green onions and shredded cheddar cheese.

Let's Dish
This soup was a huge hit with my husband, and surprisingly well received by my kids, who normally don't like hamburger.  And everyone agreed, it really did taste like a cheeseburger.  I admit, the croutons were my favorite part.  Really, it's the garnishes that make the soup with this recipe.  Without them it's just hamburger and potato soup.  But the bacon and cheese--and especially those croutons--are what puts it over the top! 

Who Dished It Up First
This is an original recipe inspired by Closet Cooking and The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife. 

Nutrition informations and Weight Watchers points available at My Recipe Magic.