It’s full-on soup season and if you are looking for something different, check out this easy Cheeseburger Soup. I make it in the pressure cooker (Instant Pot) and it is ready in literally just a few minutes. The toppings for this are fun and my favorite one of the toppings is some homemade sesame croutons!
While you might not think that the flavors of a cheeseburger make sense in a soup, trust me! Even my kids and Betsy were pleasantly surprised by how good these flavors are together.
Read on to learn how to make this instant pot cheeseburger soup and even how to do it in the slow cooker if you don’t have a pressure cooker.
Sesame Crouton Recipe
These croutons are a really awesome addition to the cheeseburger soup. I like to use leftover hot dog or hamburger buns for them, but you can use any bread you have.
The key to these croutons is to cube up the bread and toss it in some whipped egg whites before adding the sesame seeds. This will make a really good crust on the croutons and ensure that the sesame seeds stick.
Bake them until they are very crispy, probably 15-20 minutes at 350˚F. They are so good as a topper for this cheeseburger soup.
Cooking the Instant Pot Cheeseburger soup
Start this recipe by using the saute function on your pressure cooker. If you don’t have that as an option, you can saute the ingredients separately and then add them to your pressure cooker.
Saute the ground beef in some olive oil until the meat is browned. Break it up really well as it cooks. Then add onions and garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes until soft and then add the potatoes, celery, and carrots.
Next add the fresh thyme, salt, and pepper along with the beef stock. Seal your cooker and pressure cook the soup on high for 5 minutes. That’s all it takes!
When the soup is done cooking, let it rest for 10 minutes and then release any steam.
To thicken the soup a bit, I recommend making a roux in a separate pan with some butter and flour. Once it has browned slightly, whisk in the milk until it forms a thin gravy. Add that to the soup to help thicken the soup.
Finally, stir in your cheese and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve the instant pot cheeseburger soup immediately while warm!
Making this recipe in a slow cooker
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can absolutely make this recipe in a slow cooker. Saute the ingredients separately and then add everything but the milk and roux to the slow cooker.
Cook the soup on high for 3-4 hours and then add the gravy to thicken the soup just like in the pressure cooker version. Don’t forget the cheddar cheese!
Ingredient Substitutions and ideas
There are loads of ideas and substitutions you could try with this soup. Here are some ideas!
- Bacon Cheeseburger Soup – Crisp some bacon and add it to the soup at the end. You could also use the bacon grease to start the soup.
- Chicken soup – This would work well with ground chicken and chicken broth as a substitute for the beef.
- Cornstarch Slurry – If you don’t want to bother with the roux for thickening, you can stir a tablespoon of water into a tablespoon of cornstarch and use that as a thickener for the soup.
Serving Suggestions
I love the fun toppings for this soup. Obviously you should have the sesame croutons. Those are my favorite toppings.
But, I also like to add some extra shredded cheese, pickles, tomatoes, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top.
Serve up the soup while it’s hot in big bowls so you can pile on the toppings. And yes! Pickles in soup is really good. Trust me!
Can you freeze this cheeseburger soup?
This instant pot cheeseburger soup does freeze pretty well. Make sure the soup cools off completely and then transfer it to freezer safe bags or containers. It will freeze fine for up to three months.
Reheat the soup slowly on the stove top, stirring constantly, so the soup doesn’t separate as it reheats.
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 pound potatoes, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cups beef stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
Sesame croutons
- 3 hot dog buns
- 1 egg white, whisked
- 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
Other toppings
- Pickles
- Tomatoes
- Parsley
- Shredded Cheese
Instructions
For croutons:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cube bread into about 1-inch cubes. Separate egg white and whisk until it is light and frothy. Add in bread cubes and stir to coat bread. Then add sesame seeds.
- Spread bread out on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes or until bread is very crispy.
For soup:
- Using the saute function of your pressure cooker (or in a separate skillet), add olive oil and ground beef and cook until browned, breaking beef as it browns. Then add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until soft.
- Add in potatoes, celery, carrots, beef stock, thyme, salt, and pepper. Seal pressure cooker lid and cook on high for five minutes. Then cancel the cooking and let cooker rest for 10 minutes. Release the steam from the pressure cooker.
- In a separate pot, add butter and flour over low heat. Slowly whisk in milk until thickened. Add this light gravy to your soup to thicken it slightly.
- Keep soup warm in the cooker and add cheese right before serving.
- Serve the soup in big bowls topped with croutons, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, and parsley.
