Sometimes you just need a thick and creamy, indulgent soup that will warm and fill you up. Chicken noodle is great and comforting and all that, but that’s not what today’s soup is about; we’re looking for decadence and tons of flavor. Which is how this ridiculously addictive slow cooker cheeseburger soup came about. Now, we’ve done a slow cooker cheeseburger soup before, but we thought it was time to update it a bit, in regards to one ingredient in particular.
In our original version we used cheddar cheese, which is yummy and delicious, but doesn’t melt all that smoothly. We wanted an incredibly smooth base for our soup this time, so we decided to use (the relatively controversial) velveeta cheese. Using velveeta makes for a broth that is über smooth, without having to break up stringy bits of cheese or deal with milk fats that are in the process of being broken down. If velveeta isn’t for you, feel free to use any cheese you like, but just know that the consistency of the soup is amazing when you do use it.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (16 oz.) package velveeta, cubed
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
4 small potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
bacon bits
cheddar cheese, grated
PREPARATION
Heat a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned. Season generously with salt and pepper and garlic powder.
Drain fat, then wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Melt butter in skillet, then whisk in flour. Cook roux for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown, then whisk in whole milk. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat and refrigerate until ready to use.
Place beef, along with onion, carrot, celery and potatoes in slow cooker and cover with chicken broth. Season with basil and parsley, the cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in refrigerated roux mixture, then add in cubed velveeta. Cover again and cook for another 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and soup is thick and smooth.
Serve hot, topped with cheese and bacon bits. Enjoy!
