Brown the ground beef: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion together until the beef is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Drain off the excess fat before transferring to the slow cooker.

Add potatoes and broth: Add the diced potatoes, minced garlic, and beef broth to the slow cooker with the browned beef. Stir everything together so the potatoes are mostly submerged in the broth.

Season the base: Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and black pepper. These add the deep savory flavor usually provided by Worcestershire sauce.

Cook on low or high: Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The potatoes are done when a fork slides in with almost no resistance.

Stir in cream cheese: During the last 20-30 minutes of cooking, add the cubed cream cheese to the pot. Stir occasionally until it fully melts into the broth.

Add the shredded cheddar: Sprinkle in the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until the soup turns smooth and creamy. Keep the heat on low so the dairy doesn't separate.

Mash some potatoes: If the soup seems thin, mash a few potato cubes against the side of the slow cooker insert. This releases starch and thickens the broth slightly.

Taste and adjust: Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper as needed. Stir in the chopped dill pickles now if you want that classic cheeseburger tang.

Serve warm: Ladle the soup into bowls while it's steaming hot. Top each bowl with extra shredded cheddar before serving.