This creamy, “cheesy” bacon cheeseburger soup is cozy filing comfort food that’s insanely delicious and good for you too! Packed with protein, veggies, and flavor, this soup is also dairy-free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant.
My favorite food (ever) in soup form?! Sign me up please! When I’m in the mood for soup, it gets serious. I’m not one to skimp on a soup with not enough “good stuff” in it, you know?
Soup needs to be a full meal of goodies in one big cozy comfy bowl. When I decided to make a dairy free and paleo version of bacon cheeseburger soup, I knew it was go big – or don’t make the soup.
I don’t like to throw around the term “bacon cheeseburger” lightly, and, there is nothing “light” about this delicious, hearty, filling soup!
What You’ll Need to Make Paleo Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
We have a mix of traditional soup ingredients plus, of course, the ones that give us the bacon cheeseburger spin. Here’s everything you’ll need:
Bacon
Ground Beef
Onion + Celery
Garlic
Mushrooms
Sweet Potatoes
Bone Broth
Coconut Milk
Nutritional Yeast
Tapioca or Arrowroot Starch
Mustard
Sea Salt + Black Pepper
Dried Poultry Seasoning
What Gives this Dairy-Free Soup A Cheesy Flavor?
So, if there’s not a drop of dairy in this soup, then where does the “cheese” come from?
To give this soup a cheesy flavor, I used a good amount of nutritional yeast, seasonings, and mustard. These ingredients combined with bone broth and coconut milk mimic the flavor of a creamy, cheesy soup.
Tapioca is used to thicken the soup, so you get a thick creamy base along with a cheesy flavor!
Can I Leave Out the Nutritional Yeast?
If you decide to skip the nutritional yeast, you’ll be missing out on some flavor but you’ll still have a nice creamy soup. If you’re on the fence about trying out the nutritional yeast, I say go for it!
I love adding it to dairy-free cream sauces and faux cheese sauces for added flavor and it never disappoints. This brand on Amazon is great, but many grocery stores carry it as well.
I hope you’re ready for a super tasty, hearty and filling soup that will fulfill those burger AND soup cravings at the same time! Grab your ingredients and a big stock pot – it’s go-time!
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup {Paleo, Whole30}
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup {Paleo, Whole30}
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon cut into pieces
- 2 Tbsp rendered bacon fat
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups sweet potatoes diced
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried poultry seasoning optional
- 2 1/2 cups chicken bone broth divided
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp brown mustard or stone ground mustard
- 3 Tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
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Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add all the bacon and cook, stirring to evenly brown, until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat and discard the rest.
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Lower the heat to medium and add the beef to the pot. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally to evenly brown and break up lumps. Once browned, remove to a plate and set aside. Add the bacon fat back to the pot and add the onions, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes, stir to coat with the fat. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, plus the poultry seasoning, if using. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions, celery, and mushrooms are soft and sweet potatoes are beginning to soften.
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Add 1 cup of the broth to the pot, stir, and cover, lowering the heat to a simmer. Cook another 3 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes have softened. Meanwhile, whisk the tapioca into the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth. Add this to the pot, along with the cooked ground beef, nutritional yeast, and mustard. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
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Once thick and bubbly, lower the heat to a simmer and add in the coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Stir and continue to simmer on medium-low heat for another 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon right before serving, leaving some out to garnish the soup as you serve. To serve, garnish with minced parsley or other fresh herbs, plus the remaining crumbled bacon. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Want More Paleo and Whole30 Soup Recipes? Try One of These!
Creamy Chicken Mushroom and Kale Soup
Chicken “Rice” Soup in the Instant Pot
Stuffed Pepper Soup in the Instant Pot
Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Apples
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Can you taste a coconut flavor in the background or does it get covered with the other seasonings? I have a hard time with the flavor but this looks like everything I want to eat!!!!
It gets covered up, I don’t taste it at all, but if you’re very sensitive you might taste a hint. You can season it even more to your liking though to get rid of any lingering coconut flavor.
This was soooooo good! We will definitely be keeping this in the dinner rotation. I think I will double the recipe next time so I can freeze some as well!
Thrilled you enjoyed it!
O geez, yum! Just made this and it’s keeping warm in my instant pot until my husband gets home…if I can wait that long! I snuck a taste and it’s SO GOOD!
Do you mind sharing your Instant Pot directions? I want to make this, but don’t currently have a working kitchen (renovations!), so need to make it in the Instant Pot. Thanks! It looks delicious.
Had this for lunch today. It was excellent. Made no changes except added a little less bacon and no celery, all for personal preference. Don’t be put off by the initial smell of the nutritional yeast if you use it, it’s worth it and adds a great cheese flavor. We will be making this again
This looks so delicious and perfect for fall! Do you think it would work to substitute heavy cream or regular milk for the coconut milk?
Absolutely delicious! So hearty and comforting. I did golden beets instead of sweet potatoes since I had them in the garden and added some extra veggies for fun 🙂 another excellent recipe!
Hi Michele,
I make many of your recipes as I think your paleo/whole30/keto creations are some of the best on the internet! This soup, however, was beyond 5 stars..my husband and 3 year old son said it was the best soup they’ve ever had! It was incredible…keep the recipes coming!!
Hi!! I’m going to make this recipe tonight but was wondering how much soup is considered a serving? I saw that there are six servings. Is it one cup per serving?
So good! Thanks for the recipe!
Seriously, your hearty soup recipes are the best I have found on the internet. More like these please!
Thank you so much for this recipe. The soup is so good! My whole family loves it.
So so good!!! Do you think you could freeze leftovers?
Can almond milk be subbed for coconut?
This was good, we enjoyed it. I just went ahead and used the whole container of the chicken bone broth to equal 4 cups and that was fine. I also used regular potatoes I had on hand. It actually got plenty thick without the tapioca from the starch from the potatoes. For a family of 4 I would double it next time to have leftovers. Will be going in the dinner rotation!
This is SO SO good and helps to make whole30 bearable! Is it just as good after being frozen? Would like to add this to possible freezer meals!
This was delicious! My husband asked me to make it again!
I have a question though – could you make this in an instant pot?
So delicious. My husband and I loved it. Cant wait to make it again.
Delicious! Wonderful for fall and winter, as it’s thick and hearty – very comforting on a cold day! I did find it a bit labor intensive for a work night, but I think I could have made it easier on myself if I had prepped all the veggies beforehand instead of trying to do it while watching the bacon, etc. Great flavor and my teenager thought it was delicious – she had no idea there wasn’t really cheese in it! Printed it out to add to my recipe binder!
Hey Michele!!! I will try this SOOOO yummy recipe. but I have a question , Do you think you could freeze leftovers? and Can I replace coconut milk with almond milk?
Hi Michele
This recipe was amazing!! I served this the day after Christmas. My grandson says”Oma if I don’t like it do I have to eat it”. No I say, well he came back for three servings. My youngest daughter says “ mom just give me a small bit!!” She then went back for a huge bowl. Then when she went back home she called and asked for the recipe! Needless to say this is a recipe to make many times! Thank you!!
OMG this soup is so delicious and rich it’s hard to believe it’s paleo/whole 30 compliant! Amazing taste – total must try!
Loving all of your recipes 🙂 Can I use anything other than tapioca or arrowroot flower for the bacon cheeseburger soup? Like coconut flour or almond flour? Thanks for all of the AMAZING recipes 🙂
Would you happen to have a recipe for this in an instapot ?
I’ve made this at least two times and love it as is! So happy to have these recipes, thank you!
Absolutely delicious. I made a vegan version with mashed lentils and topped it with soy bacon bits. The blend of flavors makes it feel super hearty and satisfying. Will make again.
Super yummy and easy to make. My husband doesn’t like sweet potatoes or coconut milk and he loved this dish. I thought I would have leftovers for lunch, but nope, he finished it off.
Really tasty. I used butternut squash instead of sweet potato. It was fast and delicious. Even if you’re not a fan of nutritional yeast, use it. It just adds a nice cheesy layered flavor.
This one is a keeper! All 3 generations in my household liked it. The coconut milk added a sweetness that I didn’t care for, but I might just use heavy cream (no sugar, so that’s close to paleo, right?) next time. And there will be a next time.
LOVE this recipe! My fiancé had seconds when I made this the first time & he is not a “paleo” or “gluten-free” guy. It will now be a something I make regularly during the winter months! We love it! Super thick & hearty, and absolutely delicious!
This was very good. I doubled the onions and celery and added more sweet potatoes since I like more veggies than meat. Oh, and I used ground turkey with beef broth. I used my instant pot: added bacon grease then briefly sautéed the veggies. Added the meat and 2 cups of broth then cooked on high pressure for 3 minutes (for soft potatoes). QR or NR, whatever suits your schedule. Stir well and add the remaining ingredients. I forgot the coconut milk and didn’t miss it; the soup was thick and creamy without it. Think I’ll add raw onion, lettuce and chopped pickles on the leftovers to really make it a cheeseburger! Thanks for a really tasty meal!
The calorie count says 533 kcal. What is that in regular calories? I looked up kcal and it said 1 kcal was a1000 calories. If so this soup is prohibited in calories
Seriously doubt this contains 533,000 calories.
1 kcal = 1000 calories = 1 Calorie
One kCal is the same as one calorie.
This is my favorite soup, and I LOVE soup lol. I’m literally making it again as I type lol. So hearty, delicious and easy to make. I love that it cooks all in one pot. I like to add a few dashes of hot sauce. 🙂
This soup was so delicious and flavorful! My husband and I both loved it!
I too, would like to know what a serving size is.
Oh my gosh this was amazing!!! Will definitely be making it again and again and again. We ran out of sweet potatoes so we put it over grain free pasta.
One of my favorite recipes! The whole family loves this one. Even though it’s a soup/stew, we eat it year round.
This was absolutely delicious. I’m not sure how one would get 6 servings out of it. It’s so delicious, you’ll definitely want more. Next time I’ll double the recipe! So, so, so good!
We loved this soup! Now that my kiddos are both gone, my husband has been more willing to try the paleo foods I make and he gave the cheeseburger soup a hearty thumbs up.
I made the bacon cheeseburger soup tonight and it was delicious! I added a bit more broth so it wouldn’t be so coconutty. Sprinkling the bacon on top was the tipping point. Thanks for a great one that I will make again.
Love this recipe. I’ve made it so many times and it turns out great every-time
You’ve done it again! I really enjoyed this recipe and makes great leftovers!
This is one of my favorite paleo soups. I wonder what is a serving, 4 ounces 8 ounces or ??? I am sure I eat more than a “serving “ in one meal!
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