Impossible Cheeseburger Soup with Homemade Dairy Free Cheese Sauce
Another recipe that I probably would never have been exposed to had I not lived up in Ohio’s Amish Country for a decade or so is Cheeseburger Soup! I have re-worked the traditional “meat and potatoes” version into a glorious bowl of plant-based goodness. Part soup, part stew, part casserole, to be honest, this easy dish is a great way to clean out that crisper drawer at the end of the week and will totally become a family favorite, I promise!
Remember last week when we made that dairy and cashew-free cheese sauce for our Wednesday night nachos? And…remember when I told you not to worry about making more that your nachos required because it totally keeps in the fridge and reheats PLUS you’ll use it for EVERYTHING! Well, here is one more yummy recipe to help use up the leftovers (like you need help…)
If you missed the post for the cheese sauce CLICK HERE!
What you are going to need to buy:
Potatoes, cubed or cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1.5 cups)
One large Onion, diced
Carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
Minced Garlic - (we like these jarred options from Spice World!)
Impossible Ground (or your favorite plant based crumbles)
Liquid Smoke
Butter - (We love THIS ONE from Earth Balance)
Veggie Stock or Veggie Bouillon Cubes
Noodles - (Corkscrews work great for this soup but anything small and spoon sized will work)
Onion Powder
Salt & Pepper
Veggie Cheddar Shreds - (the ones pictures here happen to be from Follow Your Heart)
Diced Tomatoes
Fresh Herbs, for garnish (we used chives)
What you are going to need to do:
First things first…if you haven’t made the Cashew Free Vegan Cheese Sauce…pop on over to that recipe and give it a shot. You will not be sorry!
Onto the soup:
The idea behind this soup is that it incorporates all the flavors that you’d find in your favorite cheeseburger!
In a stock pot, on medium/low melt 3 tablespoons of butter and once it’s melted and starts to bubble, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour on top. (Hint: we’re making a roux…) With a whisk, mix the flour and butter for 60-90 seconds, and gently start to add in the veggie stock, (about 4 cups) while continuing to whisk to avoid lumps. Let this soup base come to a boil and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
At this point you’ll want to add two cups of the cheese sauce (if you just made it fresh it will quickly incorporate into the stock, but if you’ve had it in the fridge it will need to re-melt. Not to worry, just dump it in the warm broth. It will slowly melt into the rest of the liquid. Try not to let the mixture boil at this point, just simmer.
Now, we are going to cook up a package of ground from Impossible Foods in a skillet, set to medium. I like to add a splash of Liquid Smoke and some minced garlic, salt and pepper, but feel free to season to your own taste. - We’re looking for nice hearty chunks so be careful not to break it up too much. Little 1” bites are perfect.
When the Impossible Ground is finished remove to a separate bowl or even a square of tin foil. To the pan where you cooked the ground add a tablespoon of butter and saute your onions, potatoes, and carrots until the veggies are soft and the potatoes have picked up a bit of crispy color on the outside. Add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Back to the stock: Once the cheese has melted into the stock you can add your noodles. Check your package for portions but the equivalent of 2 portions worth should be just about right. Remember we’ve got a lot of other stuff going in this soup.
Cook the noodles in the cheese broth until tender.
Add in the veggies and the Impossible ground.
Taste for seasoning. Add Onion powder, salt and pepper, to taste. (it will likely need all 3)
Garnish with diced tomatoes, some veggie cheddar shreds, and fresh herbs!
A note about portions: With using an entire package of Impossible Ground and 3-4 cups of stock plus 2 cups of cheese sauce this will make 4 hearty servings…but this recipe is easy to cut down if you’re only cooking for one of two! (May know a little something about that!) You can always add a bit more broth once all the components are added if necessary! And, if your soup seem a bit too “soupy” - not to worry, dunking some nice, crusty bread in the broth, is maybe the best part!