A fun way to complete the cheeseburger theme in this soup is to make crispy, crunchy croutons out of sesame seed hamburger buns. You can use my super simple homemade crouton recipe as a guide.*
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place sesame seed bun cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and whatever seasonings you’d like – I love dried oregano and garlic powder – and toss to coat evenly. Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
CHEESEBURGER SOUP
While the sesame bun croutons are baking, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground beef, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Brown the beef, crumbling with a spatula until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Large Dutch oven with browned ground beef
Heat butter in the same large pot over medium heat (no need to wipe out or drain the grease). Saute onion, carrots, celery, along with a large pinch of salt and pepper in the same pot over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and add garlic, oregano, and thyme and cook for another minute.
Large pot filled with sautéed veggies garlic and dried herbs
Then add flour and stir to coat veggies. Cook for one more minute, stirring frequently.
Large pot filled with sautéed veggies and all purpose flour
Add a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom.
Large pot filled with sautéed veggies in a roux
Stir in the remaining chicken broth and macaroni noodles along with another pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Large pot filled with ingredients to make homemade cheeseburger soup
Simmer for 5-7 minutes or pasta is al dente. Stir in heavy cream and shredded cheese.
Large pot filled with ingredients to make homemade cheeseburger soup
Then add the white balsamic vinegar.
Large pot filled with ingredients to make homemade cheeseburger soup
Add cooked ground beef back into the pot.
Large pot filled with ingredients to make homemade cheeseburger soup
Heat the soup over medium heat for a couple of minutes, until beef is heated through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Large pot filled with homemade cheeseburger soup
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