Outback's cheese soup relies on Velveeta, not cheddar, because it melts smoother—a Creole seasoning twist nods to the chain's 1988 Florida origins.
Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup Recipe
A copycat recipe of Outback Steakhouse's discontinued Walkabout Soup, known for its creamy and cheesy flavor.
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This so-called Australian Outback soup has never set foot near Alice Springs—it's pure American steakhouse theater, cooked up in Florida in 1988 when Outback Steakhouse founders borrowed New Orleans' Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning and smashed it into a Wisconsin-style cheese soup, creating a bizarre Bayou-meets-Dairy-Belt fusion that's about as Australian as a kangaroo eating gumbo in Milwaukee.
Regional Twist
Down in Louisiana's Cajun country, cooks double the Tony's Creole seasoning and swap half the Velveeta for smoked gouda, adding diced andouille sausage to the sweet onions for a bayou-heavy punch that turns this steakhouse soup properly fiery.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 12🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 4 cubes of chicken bouillon
- 6 cups of chicken broth low sodium
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 12 tbsp. of butter divided
- 2 cup of freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 3 cups cups of milk room temperature
- 16 oz. of Velveeta cheese cubed up
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 8 tbsp. of flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- plenty of cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp of Tony's Creole seasoning
📦Other(1)
- 4 large sweet onions sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
385
Protein
14g
Carbs
18g
Fat
28g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat up a soup pot over medium-low heat and add 3 tbsp of butter. Toss in the sliced onions and sprinkle over the creole seasoning. Saute the onions and seasoning in the butter at medium-low heat.
- 2
Add 3 more tbsp of butter to the pot and slowly whisk in the flour. Keep whisking continuously until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
- 3
Gradually pour in the milk while whisking continuously to avoid any lumps. Once the milk is fully incorporated, add the chicken broth and stir the mixture with a spoon.
- 4
Lower the heat to low before adding the cheeses. Start with the freshly shredded cheddar, stirring until it melts and becomes a creamy delight.
- 5
Add the Velveeta cheese. Continue stirring until the Velveeta cheese is fully melted and the soup reaches a velvety consistency.
- 6
Season the soup with plenty of cracked black pepper to suit your taste buds. Add more Tony's Creole seasoning if you want an extra punch.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Caramelize onions for 12-15 minutes at medium-low heat (stirring every 2-3 minutes) before making the roux; this develops natural sweetness through the Maillard reaction and adds depth that balances the cheese's richness.timing12-15 minutes, stir every 2-3 minutes
- ✓Use a 1:1 butter-to-flour roux ratio (3 tbsp each) and cook it for 2-3 minutes before adding milk to eliminate raw flour taste; this allows starches to gelatinize and creates a stable emulsion for the cheese.technique1:1 ratio, 2-3 minutes cook time
- ✓Temper the milk by whisking it in slowly over 1-2 minutes while keeping heat at medium; cold milk hitting hot roux causes lumps because starch granules seize before fully hydrating.technique1-2 minutes, gradual incorporation
- ✓Add cheeses only after reducing heat to low (below 180°F) because Velveeta's emulsifying salts break down above 180°F, causing greasiness instead of creaminess; the lower temperature maintains the colloidal suspension.timingBelow 180°F
- ✓Use room-temperature milk (68-72°F) mixed with broth at a 1:2 ratio to prevent dairy-based sauces from curdling; warm milk integrates into the roux without thermal shock that denatures proteins.ingredient68-72°F, 1:2 milk-to-broth ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
20
min
Serves
12
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Outback's cheese soup relies on Velveeta, not cheddar, because it melts smoother—a Creole seasoning twist nods to the chain's 1988 Florida origins.
Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup Recipe
A copycat recipe of Outback Steakhouse's discontinued Walkabout Soup, known for its creamy and cheesy flavor.
The Story
This so-called Australian Outback soup has never set foot near Alice Springs—it's pure American steakhouse theater, cooked up in Florida in 1988 when Outback Steakhouse founders borrowed New Orleans' Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning and smashed it into a Wisconsin-style cheese soup, creating a bizarre Bayou-meets-Dairy-Belt fusion that's about as Australian as a kangaroo eating gumbo in Milwaukee.
Regional Twist
Down in Louisiana's Cajun country, cooks double the Tony's Creole seasoning and swap half the Velveeta for smoked gouda, adding diced andouille sausage to the sweet onions for a bayou-heavy punch that turns this steakhouse soup properly fiery.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 12🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 4 cubes of chicken bouillon
- 6 cups of chicken broth low sodium
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 12 tbsp. of butter divided
- 2 cup of freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 3 cups cups of milk room temperature
- 16 oz. of Velveeta cheese cubed up
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 8 tbsp. of flour
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- plenty of cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp of Tony's Creole seasoning
📦Other(1)
- 4 large sweet onions sliced
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
385
Protein
14g
Carbs
18g
Fat
28g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat up a soup pot over medium-low heat and add 3 tbsp of butter. Toss in the sliced onions and sprinkle over the creole seasoning. Saute the onions and seasoning in the butter at medium-low heat.
- 2
Add 3 more tbsp of butter to the pot and slowly whisk in the flour. Keep whisking continuously until the mixture forms a smooth paste.
- 3
Gradually pour in the milk while whisking continuously to avoid any lumps. Once the milk is fully incorporated, add the chicken broth and stir the mixture with a spoon.
- 4
Lower the heat to low before adding the cheeses. Start with the freshly shredded cheddar, stirring until it melts and becomes a creamy delight.
- 5
Add the Velveeta cheese. Continue stirring until the Velveeta cheese is fully melted and the soup reaches a velvety consistency.
- 6
Season the soup with plenty of cracked black pepper to suit your taste buds. Add more Tony's Creole seasoning if you want an extra punch.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Caramelize onions for 12-15 minutes at medium-low heat (stirring every 2-3 minutes) before making the roux; this develops natural sweetness through the Maillard reaction and adds depth that balances the cheese's richness.timing12-15 minutes, stir every 2-3 minutes
- ✓Use a 1:1 butter-to-flour roux ratio (3 tbsp each) and cook it for 2-3 minutes before adding milk to eliminate raw flour taste; this allows starches to gelatinize and creates a stable emulsion for the cheese.technique1:1 ratio, 2-3 minutes cook time
- ✓Temper the milk by whisking it in slowly over 1-2 minutes while keeping heat at medium; cold milk hitting hot roux causes lumps because starch granules seize before fully hydrating.technique1-2 minutes, gradual incorporation
- ✓Add cheeses only after reducing heat to low (below 180°F) because Velveeta's emulsifying salts break down above 180°F, causing greasiness instead of creaminess; the lower temperature maintains the colloidal suspension.timingBelow 180°F
- ✓Use room-temperature milk (68-72°F) mixed with broth at a 1:2 ratio to prevent dairy-based sauces from curdling; warm milk integrates into the roux without thermal shock that denatures proteins.ingredient68-72°F, 1:2 milk-to-broth ratio