This easy and delicious alphabet soup will satisfy kids and grownups alike. Packed with vegetables, you can make this healthy soup with your favorite protein and veggies.
I love this soup for an easy family dinner, especially as the weather turns cooler, especially because it is an easy way to get in extra veggies. And it makes a complete meal perfect for dinner or lunch!
Alphabet soup ingredients
For this soup, you will need a few simple ingredients, many you may already have on hand.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Broth
- Vegetables (frozen, canned or fresh)
- Tomato paste
- Tomato sauce
- Herbs (Italian seasoning, bay leaf, dried thyme)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Alphabet or other small pasta
- Protein (your choice – for this recipe you can use beans, lentils, or chickpeas for a vegetarian soup, or include ground beef, or shredded chicken)
What vegetables can I use in alphabet soup?
This alphabet soup goes well with most vegetables. I often use little odds and ends that are in the freezer, in addition to a bag of frozen mixed veggies such as carrots, green beans, corn, and peas.
Consider adding whatever veggies you have on hand in the fridge or freezer, or even canned veggies.
What pasta can I use in alphabet soup?
Small pasta works well in this alphabet soup. If you can’t find small alphabet pasta and need to make a substitution, many other small pasta shapes will work such as:
- Stelline
- Orzo
- Ditalini
- Pastina
What is pastina?
Pastina is any shape of small pasta, and you may see pasta boxes labeled pastina in your grocery store that have either stelline, or other small shapes on the shelf. Any of these small pasta shapes will work for this soup.
We typically keep stelline in our pantry, and this is our favorite substitute for alphabet pasta when making alphabet soup.
How to make alphabet soup
To save time, you can use pre chopped onion, celery and carrot mixes, as well as any other pre-cut vegetable mix often found in the produce section or the frozen aisle of your grocery store.
Equipment needed
Large pot
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Can opener
Long handled spoon
Ladle
Steps to make alphabet soup
- Begin by dicing onion and chopping garlic into small pieces
- Heat a large pot over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil
- Add onion and garlic to pot, and cook until onion begins to turn translucent, about 3-5 minutes
- If you are using uncooked protein such as ground beef, add this to the pot, and cook until browned
- Add broth, vegetables, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and herbs to the pot. Heat until broth begins to boil.
- Turn heat down to medium low and add pasta. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve.
We love serving this soup with crusty bread, and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Can I freeze alphabet soup?
Alphabet soup freezes wonderfully and is a great dish to keep in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal.
Allow soup to cool and freeze in individual portions, or in freezer-safe bags.
Print
Alphabet Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy and delicious alphabet soup will satisfy kids and grownups alike. Packed with vegetables, you can make this healthy soup with your favorite protein and veggies.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
3–4 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken or beef broth)
2–3 cups chopped vegetables (can use 12–16 ounce bag of frozen veggies, canned, or fresh)
1/2 pound ground beef, cooked shredded chicken, or can of beans/chickpeas/lentils
6 ounce can tomato paste
15 ounce can tomato sauce (can substitute diced tomatoes)
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup alphabet pasta (or substitute other small pasta shape)
1 bay leaf
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
Instructions
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add Add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
If using uncooked ground beef, add this to the pot and cook until browned through. If using precooked protein or beans, skip ahead to the next step.
Add broth, chopped (or frozen or canned) vegetables, your protein choice (cooked ground beef, shredded chicken, or beans), tomato paste, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, dried thyme, and bay leaf.
Bring soup to a boil, then add uncooked pasta. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and serve.
Notes
Serve soup topped with shredded cheese, crusty bread, or garlic knots.
Can freeze leftovers in individual portions or a large freezer bag. Heat on the stovetop or microwave for a quick weeknight meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 1 cup
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 424 mg
- Fat: 4.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
Keywords: soup, alphabet soup, vegetable soup
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