Cheeseburger Soup

If you've lost your appetite today, don't worry! I think I have it!

THE ORIGINAL CHEESEBURGER SOUP

Ingredients:

• 2 pound ground beef
• 2-4 cups potatoes, diced
• 1 medium size onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots (I’ve also used chopped and julienne)
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 tsp garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups chicken stock (Reserve ¼ cup for Step 6)
• 1 cup milk
• ½-1 cup shredded cheese
• 1 Tbsp tapioca or arrowroot powder (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Optional: 1 tsp of Basil and/or 1 tsp Parsley

Stovetop Instructions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a pot. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot 2T olive oil, onion and garlic. Saute until tender.
3. Add broth, diced potatoes, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. Add browned hamburger into the pot.
5. Using a fork and a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp of starch or flour to 1 cup of milk and dissolve the starch into the milk. Pour the mixture into the pot and slowly heat the soup on medium heat for 5 minutes.
6. Sprinkle shredded cheese and continuously stir to melt the cheese into the soup.