Spicy Cheeseburger Soup
This is a great Potato-Hamburger soup and a nice alternative to plain potato soup. It is spicy with the addition of a can of Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with chili peppers added) - if you don't want it to be spicy, just add a can of plain diced tomatoes. This soup freezes well. I freeze it in Hefty disposable containers and warm it in the microwave for a quick meal.
This is a great Potato-Hamburger soup and a nice alternative to plain potato soup. It is spicy with the addition of a can of Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with chili peppers added) - if you don't want it to be spicy, just add a can of plain diced tomatoes. This soup freezes well. I freeze it in Hefty disposable containers and warm it in the microwave for a quick meal.
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- salt & pepper
- 3/4 cup celery diced
- 3/4 cup onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 lb ground beef (up to 3/4)
- 3/4 cup carrot shredded
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine divided
- 4 cups potatoes (1 3/4 pounds), diced peeled
- 8 ounces processed american cheese cubed (2 cups)
- 1 10-ounces can rotel tomatoes (10 ounce) can
- Carbohydrate 28.7910474999265 g
- Cholesterol 117.541879583333 mg
- Fat 40.6265352777715 g
- Fiber 3.9825639658436 g
- Protein 25.0781347241903 g
- Saturated Fat 20.5611884471721 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (460g)
- Sodium 923.986592427135 mg
- Sugar 24.8084835340829 g
- Trans Fat 6.41910759205468 g
- Calories 578 calories
Step-by-step
- In a 3 quart saucepan, brown beef.
- In the same saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over all, then continue to cook about 2 minutes.
- Add broth, tomatoes, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.
- Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream.
- (makes 2 1/4 quarts).
Allowing flour to cook with fat and vegetables for precisely two minutes eliminates the raw starch taste before any liquids are introduced to the saucepan. When building the base, sprinkling all-purpose flour directly over the sautéed onions, carrots, celery, basil, and parsley creates a blonde roux that will properly thicken the chicken broth and milk later. Stirring constantly during this brief window prevents scorching on the bottom of the pot while coating the aromatics evenly.
Swapping canned tomatoes with green chilis for standard diced tomatoes alters the spice level significantly without requiring adjustments to the remaining measurements. Processed American cheese melts smoothly into the simmering liquid due to its emulsifying salts, whereas aged cheeses like cheddar will separate and turn grainy under high heat. Cube the cheese into uniform half-inch pieces to ensure complete incorporation into the dairy and broth mixture within minutes of reduction.
Maintaining a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil once the potatoes and beef are added keeps the starch grains intact so the vegetables soften evenly within ten to twelve minutes. Piercing a potato cube with the tip of a paring knife provides the definitive textural cue for doneness before lowering the temperature completely for dairy integration. Incorporating the sour cream off the heat prevents curdling, preserving the silkiness of the finished texture.
Cooling leftovers rapidly in shallow containers allows safe storage in the refrigerator for up to four days or freezing for longer preservation. Reheating frozen portions requires gentle microwave power levels or low stovetop heat to prevent the dairy solids from breaking down and separating from the broth.
