Keto Cheeseburger Soup

Having a bowl of soup is so convenient for busy weeknights, and so satisfying when the cold weather hits.

I’m kind of shocked at how few of my favorite soups I’ve adapted for my keto journey, I should probably get on that. Up til now, it’s been:

Keto Clam Chowder
Keto Italian Wedding Soup
Easy Keto Ramen

Today I’m sharing my easy keto cheeseburger soup recipe.

Low Carb Cheeseburger Soup

Back when I was doing the AIP diet, “Cheeseburger Soup” was one of our favorite meals. It was total comfort food, and the best soup for cold days..

Even though it had all the flavors of a cheeseburger, there wasn’t actually any cheese in it. The nutritional yeast did a shockingly good job of replicating a cheese soup flavour, for the base.

Now that I’m on a keto diet, I thought it would be fun to tweak that hearty soup recipe to suit my current dietary parameters.

... it’s now VERY heavy on dairy, and really doesn’t resemble my original AIP version at all, LOL!

It is, however, fantastic - your whole family will love it, even the most picky eater.

It’s a decadent soup, full of amazing flavors and textures - all the taste of a cheeseburger, in keto-friendly soup recipe form!

This keto bacon cheeseburger soup recipe may even be better the next day - I think it was, but my husband thinks it’s “about the same”.

Either way, the leftovers made fantastic lunches for several days, so it’s a good soup for meal prep. (I recommend making a double batch!)

The Nutitional Info

This keto soup recipe is fantastic for anyone on a low carb diet, and will make the keto journey feel a little easier, if I do say so myself.

As far as carb count goes: This low carb soup recipe has 6 grams of total carbs, with 1 gram of fiber - 5 grams of net carbs per serving.

There’s also 28 grams of protein per serving - not bad at all!

Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Ingredients

This recipe comes together very quickly and with simple ingredients ... and it’s quite customizable.

So, here are a few notes on the basic ingredients - and variations - before getting to the cheese burger soup recipe:

The Meats

I used chicken bacon and ground chicken for this, as we try to avoid beef and pork as much as possible.

Feel free to use real bacon and/or ground beef - just mind the extra fat. I’d use a bit of the bacon grease in place of the olive oil, when cooking the onions.

The Broth

If avoiding beef, use chicken broth. If beef is ok, use beef broth / beef stock.

The Cheese

I like Sharp cheddar cheese / Old Cheddar cheese for this.

You can use a different cheese if you prefer, whether a more mild shredded cheddar cheese, or something else. (Though I’m not a fan of Velveeta cheese, personally!)

All kinds of cheese work on a good cheeseburger, after all!

It’s best to use a block of cheese that you grate yourself - pre shredded cheese can have undesirable fillers, and can affect the final texture of the soup.

I recently treated myself to a new grater - a KitchenAid Gourmet 4-Sided Stainless Steel Box Grater - and I’m OBSESSED with it.

I’d been using a crappy one for over a decade, didn’t think much of it. When it finally bit the big one... I was shocked at how much better this one is - much less effort to grate things!

Highly recommend it, especially if you’re using a decade+ old one that has a handle held together with a DIY epoxy job, LOL!

Xanthan Gum

Xanthan Gum is primarily used in gluten-free baking, to help alternative flours act a little more like wheat flour.

... but it’s also a great way to thicken low-carb sauces and soups!

I like to toss the Xanthan Gum in with the shredded cheese - this is an easy trick to prevent the xanthan gum from forming clumps in the soup.

I know that the initial purchase of xanthan gum can be expensive, but 1 packet will last you forever - you’ll really use like ¼-1/2 teaspoon at a time, for the most part.

Everything Else

Aside from those ingredients, you will need:

Heavy cream/Heavy whipping cream
Cream cheese
Onion
Dill Pickles
Fresh garlic
Dijon mustard (You can use yellow mustard if you prefer)
Olive oil
Smoked Paprika
Salt and pepper
Sesame Seeds

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Toppings

While you don’t NEED toppings when serving this soup, they do make it more fun.

Also, I’ll be honest here - As great as it tastes, the soup isn’t much to look at! Toppings are a tasty way to dress it up.

Here are some ideas to mix and match:

- Shredded Lettuce*
- Extra Cheese
- Crumbled Crispy Bacon
- Chopped Pickles
- Chopped Bell Peppers
- Sliced Green Onions
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Thinly sliced small tomatoes (grape or cherry)

* If using lettuce, add it IMMEDIATELY before serving, so it doesn’t get wilty!

Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Variations

- Skip the onion sauteeing step, and add the onions AFTER the chicken is cooked. This will give you a crunchier onion, closer to hamburger style onions.

- Use regular bacon if you want... or skip it altogether.

- I used Dijon, as I don’t buy yellow mustard. That said, you can use whatever mustard you like!

Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard is my absolute favourite mustard. No relationship to report - I’m just a huge fan! Their Dijon, Grainy Creole, or hot varieties would all be fantastic in this.

- Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce if you like.

- If you’re a tomato purist, you can toss some chopped tomato in at any point - depending on how cooked you want the final tomatoes. Even a bit of tomato paste after browning the meat works well.

I’m someone who asks for no tomatoes on my burgers (they’re always under-ripe and sad!), so I didn’t bother adding them when making this recipe.

- While I like to cook this on the stove top, it would also work in a Dutch oven, slow cooker or Instant Pot.

How to Make Keto Cheeseburger Soup

Full recipe follows in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial overview:

Cook chicken bacon until crispy. Remove from heat, chop, and set aside.

Shred cheese, toss with xanthan gum - if using. Chop onions and pickles, press or mince the garlic.

Add ground meat, cook - breaking it up into small bits - until well browned. Stir mustard and smoked paprika into the browned meat.

Once smooth, add remaining stock and the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Add cheese to the pot a little at a time. Stir well between additions, allowing cheese to melt before adding more.

Once cheese is fully melted and combined, add cooked bacon and pickles, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

More Keto Soups & Stews

Looking for some more keto recipes for low carb soup and stew? I've got you...

Beef Stew
Chicken and Cabbage Soup
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Clam Chowder
Creamy Taco Soup
Doro Wat
Easy Ramen
Fennel Chicken Soup
Italian Wedding Soup
Loaded Pierogi Soup
Steak and Kidney Stew

But wait, there's more! Keep an eye on my Keto Soups and Stews section for new recipes!

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