Are you looking for a quick and nutritious meal? Try this delicious alphabet soup recipe packed with vegetables and protein. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a light lunch option!
Nostalgic Alphabet Soup
This homemade Alphabet Soup combines fresh vegetables, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, and alphabet noodles into a flavor-filled, fun soup. So much better, healthier, and more flavorful than the canned version of this soup. Fix it today for your kids or grandkids and reminisce for a little while. Serve with garlic cheese bread, pigs in a blanket, Italian beef sandwiches, or garlic knots.
Ingredients for Alphabet Soup
- Vegetables – onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, garlic, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes and peas
- Seasoning – Italian seasoning, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh parsley
- Broth – low sodium beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- Pasta – alphabet pasta (order from Amazon or Walmart)
How to make Alphabet Soup
First, heat a little olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven or soup pot. Then, add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook until the onions and celery are soft. Now reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and Italian seasoning, cooking for 1 minute while stirring. Stir in the corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and low-sodium beef broth and bring it to a low boil.
Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the veggies are almost tender, or about 15 minutes. Add the alphabet pasta and frozen peas. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the alphabet pasta is tender.
Helpful tips
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth can be substituted for the beef broth.
- Do not overcook the pasta. If anything slightly undercook it, as the pasta will continue to cook in the warm soup.
- Other vegetables to consider adding are green beans, lima beans, spinach, kale, or zucchini.
- Add browned ground beef, browned ground Italian sausage, cooked chicken, or smoked sausage like Kielbasa for more protein. Rotisserie chicken is an excellent choice because it is always tasty and available at almost any grocery store.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. See notes below about leftover soup.
- This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months in a heavy-duty freezer zipper bag or sturdy freezer container. See the notes below about freezing this soup.
Where Can I Find Alphabet Pasta?
Alphabet pasta can be difficult to find at the grocery store, so plan ahead and order online from Amazon or Walmart. If all else fails, substitute orzo or ditalini pasta.
Storing leftover Alphabet Soup
Almost everyone has leftover soup! After all, it is a big pot. If you know, you will save some of this soup in the refrigerator for a few days from now, or if you know, you will freeze some of it. Pull the amount of soup you will refrigerate or freeze before adding the pasta and the peas. When you go to reheat the soup, bring it to a boil, then quickly reduce it to a simmer. Then add the pasta and the peas. This will keep the pasta and the peas from becoming mushy.
On the other hand, if you forget to remove the soup you will save from the pot before adding the pasta and the peas, then reheat slowly on the stovetop or at a reduced power in the microwave.
How to Freeze Soup
- Cool the soup thoroughly. If a quick cool down is needed (like for soup with pasta), then submerge the pot in a sink filled with ice water.
- Ladle the soup into zipper freezer bags. Please do not fill the bags all the way up because soup expands as it freezes. On the flip side, squeeze as much air out as possible so it does not get freezer-burnt.
- Mark the date and contents and freeze flat on a baking sheet. This flat-freezing method will help with freezer storage organization.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop on low, keeping the soup contents in mind.
More tasty soups to try
Homemade Alphabet Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 large Yukon potato peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups fresh frozen or canned corn (drained)
- 1 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 6 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2/3 cup alphabet pasta
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh Italian Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch Oven. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook until the onions and celery are soft.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and Italian seasoning cooking for 1 minute while stirring.
- Add the corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, and low-sodium beef broth and bring it to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots and potatoes are almost tender, or about 15 minutes. Add the alphabet pasta and frozen peas. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the alphabet pasta is tender. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley.
Notes
- Alphabet pasta can be difficult to find at the grocery store, so plan ahead and order online from Amazon or Walmart.
- Do not overcook the pasta. If anything, slightly undercook it as the pasta will continue to cook in the warm soup.
- Other vegetables to consider adding are green beans, lima beans, spinach, kale, or zucchini.
- For more protein, add browned ground beef, browned ground Italian, cooked chicken, or smoked sausage like Kielbasa. Rotisserie chicken is always a great choice because it is always tasty and available at almost any grocery store.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. See notes below about leftover soup.
- This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months in a heavy-duty freezer zipper bag or sturdy freezer container. See notes below about freezing this soup.
Nutrition
On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Claudia Krusch
Love it! It brings me childhood memories! My mom used to make that all the time!
Tammy
This is such a comforting dish and a perfect winter meal for the whole family. The house smelled so good too while this was cooking! Absolutely hit the spot!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tammy! So glad that you and your family liked it!
Melanie williams
Ooo with the weather being so cold at the mment this looks like the perfect winter warmer for sure. It is good to know that the pasta can be ordered online – makes things much easier x
Yeah Lifestyle
This soup is so tasty and healthy. My kids really enjoyed eating this. I look forward to making it again.
Talya Stone
This is such a cute idea for a soup! I think my daughter is just in the age bracket where she would still love this. Super nutritious too!
Marysa
This was so cozy and yummy, and a great way for my kids to get some veggies in. Such a cute and easy soup!
Joan
The soup is a hit! My husband had five bowls in one sitting. I added a pound of hamburger and used orzo pasta.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Joan! Glad that you both liked it!
Sam
The whole family loved this, definitely making again!
Catalina
This soup is so rich and nutrient! Soup is always my favorite cold weather dish!
Tayler
I made this soup for dinner last night and my whole family loved it! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome! So glad that they liked it!
Mandy Applegate
I spent way too long making silly words out of this soup! It tasted great and I’ll be making it again!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Mandy! Enjoy!!
Aimee Mars
It’s soup season in our house! I can’t wait to make another batch of this delicious recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Aimee! Enjoy!
Dana
I loooove the idea of homemade alphabet soup. This was awesome to make. My kiddo loved it and loved shouting the alphabet as he ate it, lol. Will definitely be making this all throughout soup season! The flavors are really wholesome.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Dana! Sounds like your kiddo has some fun with it!
Sandra
My kids love this soup! Such a fun and flavorful comfort food!
Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert
This was beyond delicious! My whole family really enjoyed it especially the kids!
Erik
Okay this is too fun! Love that you can freeze it, too.