Why You Should Avoid Swiss Cheese When Making Loaded Burger Soup

Tasting Table's loaded cheeseburger soup is the perfect comfort food for people who love soup and cheeseburgers equally. If you're unfamiliar, it's a creamy potato soup with ground beef and croutons made of hamburger buns. Just like with a burger, you want to make sure that each of the ingredients complement each other to make a cohesive, delicious final product — which is why it's important to know what kind of cheese to incorporate. After all, "cheese" is in the name, so we need to get it right.

One cheese that you do not want to add when making the soup? Swiss. Recipe developer Michelle McGlinn said, "I wouldn't recommend using Swiss, even if you love mushroom Swiss burgers. That funky Swiss flavor will not work well in this soup."

On that note, you probably also want to stay away from cheeses that are similar to Swiss, or that have funky flavors of their own — such as Gruyére, Jarlsberg, Munster, and, despite its apt name, Limburger.

Now that we know what type of cheese to avoid, we're on to the next question: What type of cheese is the best option for loaded cheeseburger soup? Tasting Table's recipe calls for white cheddar and grated Monterey Jack cheese. While these cheeses are not typical of a traditional burger (which usually uses either American cheese or orange cheddar), McGlinn prefers a white cheese and it's also a key part of achieving the creamy-looking white color of the soup.

If you want to pick a cheese that is outside of the box, McGlinn suggests opting for pepper Jack cheese, which will bring a mild kick of spiciness to the soup. You can also play around with the type of white cheddar, going for a mild white cheddar if you want a subtle buttery taste or reaching for sharp cheddar if you want a stronger taste with notes of tanginess. Or, for the boldest flavor possible, choose an extra sharp cheddar.