Alphabet Soup is a simple vegetable soup with a flavorful tomato broth, tender vegetables, and fun alphabet-shaped pasta. It's warm, filling, and familiar enough for kids while still being a meal the whole family can enjoy.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Alphabet Soup
🕒 Ready In: ~40 minutes
👪 Serves: 6 servings
🍽 Calories: ~220 per serving estimated
🥣 Main Ingredients: Alphabet pasta, crushed tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, vegetable broth
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian; dairy-free; gluten-free option
👌 Difficulty: Easy - sauté, simmer, serve
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This homemade version has more texture and substance than canned alphabet soup, with plenty of vegetables and soft pasta in every spoonful. It's a great way to make a comforting lunch or dinner that feels wholesome without being complicated.
It's easy to make, works well for leftovers, and is especially good for chilly days, school lunches, or nights when you want something simple. If you love easy soup recipes, try our Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup, Lentil Vegetable Soup, or Turkey Noodle Soup next.
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Why You'll Love this Alphabet Soup:
Kid-Friendly and Fun: Alphabet pasta makes this vegetable soup more exciting for kids without changing the wholesome ingredients.
Packed With Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, celery, and green beans make each bowl filling and satisfying.
Easy One-Pot Meal: Everything cooks together in one pot, which keeps prep and cleanup simple.
Great for Leftovers: The flavors get even better as the soup sits, making it perfect for lunches or meal prep.
Key Ingredients:
- alphabet pasta. This makes the soup fun and kid-friendly while adding enough texture to make each bowl more filling. Use gluten-free alphabet pasta if needed.
- crushed tomatoes. These create a rich tomato broth and give the soup its classic flavor.
- potatoes. Add heartiness and help make the soup feel like a complete meal.
- carrots, celery, and onion. These create the flavorful vegetable base and add texture throughout the soup.
- green beans. Add another vegetable and a little extra color and texture.
- vegetable broth. Forms the base of the soup and keeps the recipe vegetarian.
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations:
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free alphabet pasta and check that your vegetable broth is labeled gluten-free.
- Use a different pasta: Small shells, ditalini, or another small pasta shape can be used if alphabet pasta is unavailable.
- Add more vegetables: Peas, corn, zucchini, spinach, or diced bell peppers can be added for extra variety.
- Add protein: Stir in cooked ground beef, shredded chicken, white beans, or chickpeas for a more filling soup.
- Use chicken broth: Chicken broth can be used instead of vegetable broth if the soup does not need to stay vegetarian.
How to Make Alphabet Soup:
- Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Step 2: Pour in the vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes, then stir in the potatoes, green beans, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the alphabet pasta and cook until tender.
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Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Cut the vegetables evenly: Keeping the potatoes, carrots, celery, and green beans close in size helps them cook at the same rate.
- Add the pasta near the end: Alphabet pasta cooks quickly and can become too soft if it simmers for too long.
- Stir the pasta occasionally: Small pasta shapes can settle on the bottom of the pot, so stir while they cook to prevent sticking.
- Add more broth as needed: The pasta will continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits. Stir in extra vegetable broth when reheating if the soup becomes too thick.
- Cook the pasta separately for meal prep: If you plan to store the soup for several days, cook and store the alphabet pasta separately so it does not become mushy.
How to Store:
Refrigerator: Store Alphabet Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. Add a splash of vegetable broth if the pasta has absorbed too much liquid.
Freezer: For the best texture, freeze the soup without the alphabet pasta for up to 3 months. Add freshly cooked pasta after thawing and reheating.
Alphabet Soup FAQs:
Add the alphabet pasta near the end of cooking and simmer it only until tender. For leftovers or meal prep, cook and store the pasta separately so it does not continue absorbing broth.
Yes, use gluten-free alphabet pasta and make sure the vegetable broth is labeled gluten-free. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, since gluten-free varieties may soften faster.
Peas, corn, zucchini, spinach, bell peppers, or white beans all work well. Cut firmer vegetables into small, even pieces so they cook at the same rate.
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Alphabet Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup green beans, sliced
- 1 cup alphabet pasta
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes, then stir in the potatoes, green beans, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the alphabet pasta and cook according to the package directions, stirring occasionally, until tender.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning if needed before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Cut the vegetables evenly: Keeping the potatoes, carrots, celery, and green beans close in size helps them cook at the same rate.
- Add the pasta near the end: Alphabet pasta cooks quickly and can become too soft if it simmers for too long.
- Stir the pasta occasionally: Small pasta shapes can settle on the bottom of the pot, so stir while they cook to prevent sticking.
- Add more broth as needed: The pasta will continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits. Stir in extra vegetable broth when reheating if the soup becomes too thick.
- Cook the pasta separately for meal prep: If you plan to store the soup for several days, cook and store the alphabet pasta separately so it does not become mushy.
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