Quick & Easy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup with Gouda | Keto-Friendly, Low-Carb

This fast and easy bacon cheeseburger soup comes together in under an hour and is jam-packed with flavor. It’s beefy, cheesy, and topped with favorites – bacon, onion, cheese, jalapeño, tomato, and buttery, garlicky, low-carb/keto-friendly croutons.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Pinterest

This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.

Hungry for more? Give these recipes a try:

• Shrimp Étouffée
• Jamaican Brown Stew Turkey Neck
• Chicken Poblano Soup
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Peace family,

It may still be 100 degrees in Texas, but fall is here! I’m ready for all of the comforts of the season and that includes soup!

Enter this bacon cheeseburger soup. It’s an absolute dream. It incorporates all of my favorite flavors, but in a low-carb and keto-friendly way, which I always appreciate. To be honest, I had kind of forgotten about this soup. I grew up eating a very close version of it, but hadn’t incorporated it much into my current menus and meal plans. It wasn’t until I recently picked up a store-bought version from a local San Antonio grocer that it made its way back onto my radar. While it tasted fine, it left a bit to be desired. It was a little salty, high in carbs, and didn’t pack as much of a punch as I would like.

I started thinking about what flavors were essential to ME in a hamburger. Obviously the first step is a delicious, great quality beef. For me, less is more when it comes to seasoning a hamburger. Salt, pepper, and garlic go a long way flavor-wise without overpowering the beef. But for this soup, I take things up a notch by adding smoked paprika, chili powder, ground mustard, and Italian seasoning.

Other essential flavors – again, for me- are onion, tomato, bacon, and jalapeño. There’s a certain huge Texas-based burger chain (that tastes a lot better than a certain huge California-based chain) that incorporates all these flavors and do it perfectly every time. So addictive!

Keto-Friendly Croutons

Yes, you read that correctly. I’ve been making my croutons with Sola brand keto bread, and it has not disappointed! Luckily, many stores and brans carry low-carb breads and they are easily accessible. While optional, the croutons are super easy to make and add a bit of texture and crunch as a topping.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

To make this soup, you’ll need the following:

• Ground Beef – you could even take thing a step further by grinding your own beef.
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Smoked Paprika 
• Chili Powder
• Ground Mustard
• Italian Seasoning
• Garlic – minced
• Jalapeño – finely chopped, seeds removed
• Red Onion – finely chopped
• Bacon – chopped; can be subbed with beef bacon
• Rotel Tomatoes – no salt added
• Beef Broth – can be subbed with chicken broth.
• Heavy Cream – you can also use plant cream if you want to dial the dairy back a little.
• Smoked Gouda – I prefer to shred my own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains additives that affect the flavor and how well it melts.
• Sharp Cheddar

How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

I start by browning one pound of ground beef, seasoned with:

• kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• smoked paprika
• chili powder
• ground mustard
• Italian seasoning

Note: While that’s going, I also cook my bacon. In an oven preheated to 400 degrees F, I place the bacon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and cook for 15 minutes, or until crispy. It’s my favorite, no-fuss way to cook bacon. After it’s done, I give it all a rough chop and set it aside. You can cook your bacon using your favorite method, prior to beginning the soup. You can even use leftover bacon.

I also use this time to make my keto-friendly croutons. They’re super easy. I cut the bread into fourths length-wise and width-wise so that each slice produces 16 croutons.

I then toss the croutons in

• melted butter
• fresh garlic
• a dried Italian herb seasoning blend containing oregano, sage, basil, rosemary, and thyme

I place them in the oven at 400 degrees F for 8 or 9 minutes, until nice and crusty.

• Back to the beef: Stir in the garlic, jalapeño, red onion, and bacon, cooking for additional 2-3 minutes. Add the Rotel tomatoes, beef broth, and heavy cream. All the ingredients to come to a gentle boil.
• Stir in the shredded gouda and shredded cheddar. 
• Reduce the heat to medium low and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. 
• Taste for seasoning, and add additional salt, as desired. 
• Serve topped with green onion, diced red onion, extra bacon, croutons, or extra cheese, as desired.

Storing the Soup

This soup will stay fresh, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The soup can also be frozen (minus the topping) for up to 3 months.

Customize Your Soup

What I love most about soup is how versatile it is.

• You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
• I’ve seen recipes where folks add diced potatoes for thickness (this one is for my non keto folks).
• You can play with adding different type of veggies and aromatics such as carrots or celery.
• Try beef bacon instead of turkey bacon if you don’t eat pork.
• You can also test out different types of cheese flavors in your soup.

Try it out and let me know what you think! When you make it, be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram or Facebook!

Peace,

Adri

Can’t make this right now? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board for later! Connect with me via Pinterest while you’re there!