I love bacon and guacamole together, especially on bun-less burgers. This is my favorite burger in soup form—complete with “fries” in the form of tender potatoes and a tart, salty punch from the pickle juice.
Prep time 25 minutes
Serves 6
6 to 8 slices thick-cut bacon
1 pound (455 g) ground beef
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
1 cup (160 g) diced onion
1 large stalk celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart (946 ml) Homemade Beef Stock
1 pound (455 g) red potatoes, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (or 1 large sweet potato)
1 14.5-ounce (411 g) can diced tomatoes
1 6-ounce (170-gram) can tomato paste
1/4 cup (60 ml) pickle juice
2 tablespoons (22 g) Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (20 g) honey
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 batch Simple Guacamole (see below)
1 Cut the bacon slices in half and cook them in a large skillet over medium heat until they reach the desired crispness. Remove them from the pan and set them aside. When cool, chop or break up the bacon into small bits.
2 Remove all of the bacon drippings except for 2 to 3 tablespoons (26 to 39 g). Maintain medium-high heat and add the ground beef to the skillet. Add the steak seasoning to the meat. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the meat is browned, breaking it into little bits.
3 Add onions, celery, and garlic to the pan. Cook the mixture for another 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer it to a 4-quart (3.8 liter) slow cooker along with the beef stock, potatoes, tomatoes, tomato paste, pickle juice, mustard, honey, and sea salt.
4 Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours (or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours).
5 Serve the soup with a scoop of guacamole and a sprinkle of bacon bits.
