This easy Alphabet Soup is loaded with vegetables and alphabet noodles in a rich and flavorful tomato broth! It’s perfect for easy lunches for a busy week. Easily made vegetarian and dairy-free.
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There is something so undeniably nostalgic about Alphabet Soup.
Sometimes it surprises me how easy it is to put a smile on the kids’ faces at dinner time — and how much some fun alphabet noodles really make their day!
It’s almost enough to make them overlook all the veggies I cram into this hearty soup.
With a rich and flavorful tomato broth, onions, celery, loads of frozen vegetables (use the ones you love!) and plenty of pasta, this easy Alphabet soup is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
I love that I can pack in all kinds of nutritious things in a meal that I know the kids will enjoy — almost as much as I love that I can pack up the leftovers in their lunches through the week!
This homemade soup is easy enough that you can leave that canned soup on the grocery store shelf 😉 (it’s healthier, too!).
Ingredients Needed:
- Oil: any cooking oil will work just fine here — I usually choose olive oil or canola oil.
- Onion and celery: sautéing the onion and celery give our soup a rich flavor base.
- Tomato paste: tomato paste adds a rich tomato flavor to our broth and thickens it slightly.
- Garlic and seasonings: a combination of fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and bay leaf gives our soup loads of flavor. Feel free to customize these seasonings to your tastes.
- Diced tomatoes: diced tomatoes add texture and a bit of sweetness. If you prefer not to have any chunks, you can use crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce instead.
- Frozen vegetables: use any combination you enjoy! I used peas, carrots, corn and green beans.
- Vegetable broth: vegetable broth makes these soup vegetarian, but you can use chicken broth as well. If you are using low sodium broth, you may want to increase the added salt before serving.
- Alphabet pasta: the star of this show! Alphabet noodles are a must if you ask me but can easily be replaced with any small pasta.
How to make easy Alphabet Soup:
Here’s a quick overview so you can see what it looks like at different stages! See the full step-by-step recipe down in the pink recipe card.
- Saute onion and celery until softened and beginning to brown slightly.
- Add in tomato paste and seasonings — adding them before the wet ingredients toasts them to bring out their flavor!
- Add tomatoes, broth, vegetables and pasta and cook just until the pasta is al dente.
- Taste and serve! Feel free to adjust any seasonings to your tastes.
Alphabet Soup FAQs:
All you need to know about making this simple alphabet soup recipe!
It’s believed that Alphabet Soup started with the Campbell’s can, but I think this homemade version is much tastier (and more economical!)
Absolutely! There are parts of this recipe that can be prepped ahead to make life easier.
You can saute the onion and celery and toast the spices, then remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, vegetables and broth. Refrigerate until ready to continue with the recipe. Then simply bring to a simmer, stir in the pasta and cook until pasta is ready.
You can also cook the soup without the pasta, cook the pasta separately, and simply stir the cooked pasta into each bowl throughout the week. This will keep the alphabet noodles from getting mushy.
If you know you’re going to be storing this recipe for some time, I recommend cooking the pasta separately as mentioned above.
This way you can add pasta to each serving as you eat it — which is great if you prefer al dente pasta. If you don’t mind softer pasta, you can cook this soup and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Definitely! You can cool this soup to room temperature, then store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the pasta will be softer after freezing. If this bothers you, cook the soup without the pasta and add cooked pasta just before serving.
Variations on this soup recipe:
This homemade Alphabet Soup recipe is easy to make your own! Here are a few ideas to get you starteed:
- Swap the veggies: use your favorites instead of the ones listed here. If you don’t want to use frozen vegetables, you can add 1.5-2 cups of fresh, chopped veggies and saute them with the onion and celery. Keep in mind they will take a little longer to cook.
- Add protein: add a can of beans for a vegan protein, or add in some leftover Crockpot Shredded Chicken, Homemade Meatballs, cooked ground beef, or some leftover rotisserie chicken.
- Add some spice: add a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes to the soup while it simmers.
- Make it creamy: stir in some cream before serving (my kids love doing this because it helps cool off their soup!) or stir in a bit of cream cheese during the cooking process for thickness and a creamy flavor.
More family-friendly soup recipes you’ll love!
- This Lasagna Soup is one of those soups that doesn’t really feel like soup — it’s thick and hearty, like a big bowl of extra saucy lasagna.
- This Ham and Potato Soup is rich and creamy and always a hit with the family!
- Tomato Tortellini Soup is loaded with cheese tortellini and perfect for dunking a grilled cheese sandwich!
Easy Alphabet Soup recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablepsoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes (398 ml)
- 1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans) about 10 ounces or 280 grams
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup alphabet pasta (dry)
- 1 bay leaf
- Fresh parsley for serving
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown.
- Add in garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the tomatoes, frozen vegetables, vegetable broth, pasta and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until pasta is al dente.
- Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve hot with parsley and grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
This way you can add pasta to each serving as you eat it — which is great if you prefer al dente pasta. If you don’t mind softer pasta, you can cook this soup and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freezer: You can cool this soup to room temperature, then store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the pasta will be softer after freezing. If this bothers you, cook the soup without the pasta and add cooked pasta just before serving.
Nutrition Information
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Carrie says
Can you share where you find the alphabet pasta, and/or what brand you use?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! Ronzi, La Moderna, and Goya make them. You can find them online or try Walmart.
Fred says
Can you make this in a crock pot?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Fred! I don’t think it would work with such small noodles.