Cheeseburger Soup (Soy, Fish, Egg and Nut-Free)

This is a slightly modified version of my Aunt Lisa Schraw's recipe. My Granny gave to me when I got married, and it's fantastic! It is also very hardy (In the words of Rachael Ray, this is a "stoup".). It does require a little attention, but it's nothing too complicated. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Please note that this recipe is only soy-free if you use all soy-free ingredients and is fish, egg and nut-free.

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 to 1 lb. hamburger or ground venison, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, if desired

3/4 Cup diced onion

3/4 Cup shredded carrots

3/4 Cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

4 Tablespoons salted, full-fat butter, divided

3 Cups chicken broth/stock (I use Kitchen Basics)

or

3 Cups water plus 3 chicken bullion cubes

(Soy-free bullion is hard to find, so I recommend using the stock instead if you need it to be soy-free.)

4 Cups diced potatoes

(peeled if you are using russet type, unpeeled if you are using red type)

1/4 Cup soy-free flour

 

8 oz (1 Cup) shredded cheese (I use Cheddar)

1 1/2 Cups milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 Cup sour cream (I use Daisy Brand)



1. In medium skillet, brown the beef/venison and drain off the fat.

2. In large skillet, saute onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tablespoon of the butter, just until the veggies are tender (about 10 minutes).

3. In a large soup pot, add broth/stock or water and bullion, potatoes, beef/venison and sauted veggies and bring to a boil, simmering until the potatoes are to desired tenderness.

4. In a small skillet, melt the remaining butter and add the flour, cooking and stirring it for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. (You are making what is called a roux (pronounced "rue") here. You can let it get as dark as you want (the darker it gets, the more nutty the taste), but be careful as to not burn the flour.)

5. Add the roux to the soup and bring it to a boil, then cook and stir it for 2 minutes.

6. Reduce heat to low and add the cheese, milk, salt and pepper, cooking and stirring until the cheese is melted.

7. Remove the soup from the heat and blend in the sour cream.

This recipe yields about 2 1/4 quarts or about eight 1 Cup servings.

Variation: Bacon Cheeseburger Soup: Cut up about 6 strips of bacon into small pieces and fry it, bake it or microwave it until it is crispy. Sprinkly bacon pieces on top of individual portions of soup before serving. 

(Bacon Cheeseburger Soup)

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)