I reimagined a backyard burger as a low-carb soup in my Keto Cheeseburger recipe, using a few unexpected ingredient swaps that keep the carbs down.
I never expected a soup to hit like a burger until I made this Keto Cheeseburger soup. I wanted something that kept carbs low but didn’t feel like punishment, so I leaned into savory ground beef and heaps of sharp cheddar cheese melting into every spoonful.
It’s creamy yet bold, honestly more like a bowl of burger memories than a diet meal. I bring this to weeknight dinners when I’m craving comfort that still counts as High Protein Meals Keto, and trust me it disappears fast even with picky eaters around.
You might be surprised how filling and satisfying it is.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: high in protein and iron, adds savory fat and beefy flavor
- Bacon: salty crispy, lots of fat, tiny carbs, boosts smoky umami, not super healthy
- Onion: gives sweetness and bite, small fiber and carbs, adds depth of flavor
- Heavy cream: very high fat, almost zero carbs, makes soup rich and silky
- Cream cheese: creamy fat source, thickens, adds tang, low carbs, very filling
- Sharp cheddar: protein and fat, strong cheesy punch, keeps it keto friendly
- Dill pickle relish: tangy salty, adds sour crunch, tiny carbs, gives cheeseburger vibe
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 lb ground beef, 80 to 85 percent lean
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp dill pickle relish or chopped dill pickles, optional but gives that cheeseburger vibe
- 2 green onions, sliced, for topping, optional
- 1/2 cup extra shredded cheddar for garnish, optional
How to Make this
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Add 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil to the bacon fat if needed, then add the diced yellow onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
3. Push onions to the side and add 1 pound ground beef (80 to 85 percent lean). Break it up and brown it, stirring, until no longer pink; drain off excess fat if there’s a lot but leave a little for flavor.
4. Stir in 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; cook 1 minute to wake up the flavors.
5. Add the drained 1
4.5 ounce can diced tomatoes and 4 cups beef broth, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, then bring to a simmer. Let simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes to marry flavors.
6. Lower heat, stir in 1 cup heavy cream and the softened 4 ounces cream cheese in chunks, whisking or stirring until the cream cheese melts and the soup is smooth.
7. Gradually stir in 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar until melted and smooth, keep the heat low so the dairy does not separate, taste and adjust salt and pepper.
8. Fold in the reserved crispy bacon and 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish or chopped dill pickles if using, heat through for a minute or two.
9. Serve topped with sliced green onions and the optional 1/2 cup extra shredded cheddar, and if the soup is too thick thin with a splash more beef broth or cream.
Equipment Needed
1. Large pot or Dutch oven (6 to 8 quart), for cooking the whole soup
2. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife, for chopping bacon, onion and pickles
3. Slotted spoon, to lift out the crispy bacon while leaving the fat behind
4. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula, for browning beef and stirring the soup
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons, for broth, cream, spices and sauces
6. Whisk, to smooth in the cream cheese and heavy cream so you dont get lumps
7. Fine-mesh strainer or colander, to drain the diced tomatoes
8. Box grater (or pre-shredded cheese) and a ladle for serving the finished soup
FAQ
Keto Cheeseburger Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Ground beef → ground pork or ground turkey. Pork gives a similar fatty, rich burger vibe, turkey is leaner so you might add 1 tbsp oil or extra bacon to keep the soup from feeling dry.
- Heavy cream → coconut cream or half and half + butter. Coconut cream keeps it creamy for dairy free but adds a slight coconut taste, half and half plus 2 tbsp melted butter mimics the richness without full heavy cream.
- Cream cheese → mascarpone or full fat Greek yogurt. Mascarpone is closest in texture and mildness, Greek yogurt adds tang and thins the soup a bit so use less or stir in at the end.
- Bacon → pancetta or smoked sausage or turkey bacon. Pancetta is the closest flavor swap, smoked sausage adds lots of smoky meatiness, turkey bacon is leaner so cook with a little oil.
Pro Tips
1) Dont toss the bacon fat. Save a tablespoon or two to brown the beef in, it gives a ton of flavor. If it gets too greasy just spoon most out but leave a little, otherwise the soup tastes flat.
2) Use room temp cream cheese and shred the cheddar from a block. Cold cream cheese clumps, and pre-shredded cheddar has anti clumping stuff so it melts weird. Cut the cream cheese into small chunks and melt slowly over low heat, whisking, then add the cheddar a handful at a time so it goes silky.
3) Add the pickle relish at the very end and taste it. The pickles are strong so a little brightens the whole thing, too much will fight the cheese. If you want more tang try a tiny splash of the pickle brine instead of more relish, it wakes the soup up.
4) If you reheat leftovers do it gently and keep the dairy separate if you can. Reheat over low heat, stir often, and if it thickens up thin with hot broth or a splash of cream. For make ahead cooking you can store the base without the cheese and cream, then finish it when reheating so it stays smooth.
Keto Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
I reimagined a backyard burger as a low-carb soup in my Keto Cheeseburger recipe, using a few unexpected ingredient swaps that keep the carbs down.
6
servings
649
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large pot or Dutch oven (6 to 8 quart), for cooking the whole soup
2. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife, for chopping bacon, onion and pickles
3. Slotted spoon, to lift out the crispy bacon while leaving the fat behind
4. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula, for browning beef and stirring the soup
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons, for broth, cream, spices and sauces
6. Whisk, to smooth in the cream cheese and heavy cream so you dont get lumps
7. Fine-mesh strainer or colander, to drain the diced tomatoes
8. Box grater (or pre-shredded cheese) and a ladle for serving the finished soup
Ingredients
-
1 lb ground beef, 80 to 85 percent lean
-
4 slices bacon, chopped
-
1 small yellow onion, diced
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
-
4 cups beef broth
-
1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained
-
1 cup heavy cream
-
4 oz cream cheese, softened
-
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
-
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-
1 tbsp yellow mustard
-
1 tsp smoked paprika
-
1 tsp salt
-
1/2 tsp black pepper
-
2 tbsp dill pickle relish or chopped dill pickles, optional but gives that cheeseburger vibe
-
2 green onions, sliced, for topping, optional
-
1/2 cup extra shredded cheddar for garnish, optional
Directions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Add 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil to the bacon fat if needed, then add the diced yellow onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Push onions to the side and add 1 pound ground beef (80 to 85 percent lean). Break it up and brown it, stirring, until no longer pink; drain off excess fat if there's a lot but leave a little for flavor.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; cook 1 minute to wake up the flavors.
- Add the drained 1
- 5 ounce can diced tomatoes and 4 cups beef broth, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, then bring to a simmer. Let simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes to marry flavors.
- Lower heat, stir in 1 cup heavy cream and the softened 4 ounces cream cheese in chunks, whisking or stirring until the cream cheese melts and the soup is smooth.
- Gradually stir in 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar until melted and smooth, keep the heat low so the dairy does not separate, taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Fold in the reserved crispy bacon and 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish or chopped dill pickles if using, heat through for a minute or two.
- Serve topped with sliced green onions and the optional 1/2 cup extra shredded cheddar, and if the soup is too thick thin with a splash more beef broth or cream.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 436g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 649kcal
- Fat: 55.7g
- Saturated Fat: 29.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.3g
- Monounsaturated: 15g
- Cholesterol: 262mg
- Sodium: 1083mg
- Potassium: 570mg
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Sugar: 2.3g
- Protein: 33g
- Vitamin A: 1333IU
- Vitamin C: 3.3mg
- Calcium: 283mg
- Iron: 1.2mg