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This delicious vegetable beef alphabet soup has a flavorful broth and tons of veggies! Nostalgic alphabet pasta makes it as fun for kids and adults as it is nutritious.
I know alphabet soup is usually toddler food.
Its right up there with bananas smeared with peanut butter and smiley-face-shaped sandwiches. I have a confession though: I might occasionally still like kid favorites.
Especially when they involve lots of veggies and fresh herbs.
Lovingly called “letters soup”, this meal is hearty and comforting, and full of the good stuff that we try so hard to get our kids to eat more of. (It is sort-of like the sister soup to my Spaghetti Ring and Meatball Soup!) And just 1 1/2 cups of alphabet-shaped noodles cooks up to be a lot of pasta, so little ones are as happy to eat it as you are to give it to them.
Give it a try because you might just find that you like kiddo food as much as I do, lol!
Easy Homemade Alphabet Soup Recipe
Alphabet Soup Ingredients
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas. For the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Alphabet pasta – this is exactly what it sounds like; pasta that’s shaped like letters of the alphabet; if you can’t find it, you can use any small shape of pasta you like
- Olive oil – for cooking the ground beef
- Lean ground beef – I like to use 95/5 lean ground beef for this soup
- Onion and garlic – for savory flavor and aroma
- Carrots – for flavor and nutrition
- Canned crushed tomatoes and tomato paste – adds tomato flavor and body to the broth
- Worcestershire sauce – for savory depth of flavor
- Bay leaves – don’t worry if you don’t have this on hand, your soup will still be flavor-packed
- Low-sodium beef stock – you can also use regular beef stock and add less salt
- Salt, dried oregano, and black pepper – seasonings to flavor the soup
- Green beans – fresh or frozen beans will work; if you use frozen green beans, thaw them first and add them at the same time as the cooked pasta
- Frozen sweet green peas and canned sweet corn – these vegetables are classic ingredients in alphabet soup, and bump up the flavor and nutrition
- Fresh herbs – such as a mix of fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano
How to Make ABC Soup
- Cook the pasta to al dente and set aside to add to the soup later.
- Layer flavors in the soup! Brown the meat, and then add the onion and let it sauté, and later add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the beef stock and vegetables and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook until the veggies are fork-tender.
Pro Tip
Cook the pasta separately from the soup and add the al dente pasta once the soup is done cooking. This helps prevent the pasta from overcooking, and also reduces the starchiness.
Storage
You can store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Alphabet Pasta
So, what is alphabet pasta? It is literally just pasta that’s shaped like letters of the alphabet! It’s whimsical and fun for kids and adults.
But if you can’t find alphabet pasta, other fun alternatives are mini wheels pasta and rings pasta.
More Kid Food with a Grown-Up Twist
- Spaghetti Ring and Meatball Soup
- Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Milkshake
- Healthy Cherry Garcia Ice Cream Recipe (No Ice Cream Maker)
- Grown Up Sloppy Joes
- 20-Minute Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Crumble Topped Peanut Butter Strawberry Jam Bars
Let’s Connect
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Vegetable Beef Alphabet Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups alphabet pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds 95% lean ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 large carrots peeled if not organic and chopped
- 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes with juices
- 10 ounces tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 pound green beans trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 5 ounces frozen sweet green peas thawed
- 15 ounce can sweet corn rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions; drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil over high heat in a large soup pot. Once hot, add the beef and cook until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the carrot, crushed tomato, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, stock, salt, dried oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down to simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the green beans, then simmer (covered) until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the cooked pasta, peas, corn, rosemary, thyme, and fresh oregano.
- Serve.
Notes
- Pasta Cooking Tip: Cook the pasta separately from the soup and add the al dente pasta once the soup is done cooking. This helps prevent the pasta from overcooking, and also reduces the starchiness.
- Fresh Herbs: Don’t skip the fresh herbs here because they add a ton of flavor and brighten up the soup. I like to use rosemary, thyme, and oregano, but you can play around with them and add what you like.
- Storage: You can store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on April 11, 2014. It was updated with more information on February 21, 2020.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
Made this for dinner lastnight. It was amazing i felt like a little girl while eating it lol. I used sirloin tips instead of ground beef and added some chopped spinach. Also used a few spoons of tomato based sofrito since i only had half the amount of tomato paste. This ones a winner!
Absolutely love. Either it’s nostalgic with the alphabet pasta or just good, healthy soup without the pasta. Thanks so much!
There’s nothing wrong with toddler food! Especially when it’s remade into a fantastic homemade soup like this. (Also, we may have just eaten grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. I’m just saying.)
That soup looks ever so comforting! A wonderfully regressive dish.
Cheers,
Rosa
Totally making this for Kay! But mostly for me….yayy for kiddo foods :)