Alphabet soup is an excellent way to make kids eat more veggies! This kid-friendly soup is packed with nutritious vegetables and has cute alphabet pasta to keep little ones engaged while they enjoy their meal.
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If you've been looking for ways to make your little ones eat more veggies, this alphabet soup is a fun way to go about it!
Made with loads of veggies, beans and cute alphabet-shaped pasta, this soup is delicious, healthy, and appealing to kids who are learning their ABCs.
It's also a very versatile recipe that you can easily make your own by switching up the veggies or adding some extra protein like chicken or turkey.
Why you'll love this alphabet soup recipe
- It's super easy to make in one pot - just perfect for a fuss-free meal.
- It's a comforting soup for chilly nights and those days you feel under the weather.
- You only need simple ingredients to make it, so it's budget-friendly.
What goes into veggie alphabet soup
Olive oil - Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can to set a perfect flavor base for this tomato alphabet soup.
Onion, carrot and celery - This trio of veggies is the base for any good soup. Dice them as large as you want - I prefer to keep them small in this soup so they don't overshadow the small pasta.
Garlic - Freshly minced or chopped garlic is best in this soup.
Herbs - I used a mix of dried oregano, basil, rosemary and marjoram in this soup. You can also use fresh herbs or an Italian seasoning mix.
Chili flakes - Feel free to skip these if you don't want the soup to have a bit of a kick.
Tomato paste + diced tomatoes - I find that a mix of tomato paste and diced tomatoes provide the best flavor for this soup.
If you don't like chunky bits of tomato in the soup, you can use tomato sauce (passata) instead of diced tomatoes.
Cannellini beans - White beans add protein to this soup and make it heartier. You can use other kinds of beans, too, like borlotti beans or pinto beans.
Potatoes - Any boiling potatoes are perfect for this tomato soup. Sweet potatoes are another good option.
Vegetable stock - Use a low-sodium vegetable broth as needed in this soup. If you're not making vegetarian, you can use chicken stock or beef broth.
Pasta - As the name suggests, this soup is made with alphabet-shaped pasta. This can be tricky to find, depending on where you live.
If you can't find alphabet noodles, any other small pasta such as orzo or stelline would also work in this soup.
Baby spinach - This adds brightness and extra vitamins to the soup. You can substitute with kale or other leafy greens.
How to make homemade alphabet soup
Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and saute the onion, carrot and celery for 7-8 minutes over medium heat until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then stir in the herbs and chili flakes. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, potatoes and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the pasta and continue to simmer for another 8-10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
Stir in the baby spinach and simmer for another minute until wilted.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if you like.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb liquid so you'll need to add some extra veggie broth when reheating.
- If you want to freeze this soup, do so without the pasta to avoid it becoming mushy and absorbing too much of the liquid. Add freshly cooked pasta to the soup when reheating on the stovetop.
Recipe notes and tips
- This alphabet soup is hearty enough on its own, but you can also serve it with your favorite crusty bread or garlic bread.
- If you're not making this soup vegetarian, add some Parmesan rind for extra flavor.
- Other veggies that you can add to this soup include zucchini, green beans, and peas.
- You can substitute the fresh vegetables with frozen ones for convenience. A shop bought frozen veggie mix also works well.
If you liked this alphabet soup recipe, you might also like some of my other easy soup recipes:
- Green Chili Chicken Soup
- Leftover Ham and Bean Soup
- Chicken Mulligatawny Soup
- Chunky Zucchini Soup with White Beans
- Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Alphabet Soup Recipe
Alphabet soup is an excellent way to make kids eat more veggies! This kid-friendly soup is packed with nutritious vegetables and has cute alphabet pasta to keep little ones engaged while they enjoy their meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ lb (250 g) potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 6 cups (1.5 litres vegetable stock)
- 1 cup (150 g) alphabet pasta
- 2 cups (75 g) baby spinach
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and sauté the onion, carrot and celery for 7-8 minutes over medium heat until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then stir in the herbs and chili flakes. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, potatoes and vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the pasta and continue to simmer for another 8-10 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the baby spinach and simmer for another minute until wilted. Season to taste and serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if you like.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 937mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 9g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
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