Remember your childhood’s packaged Alphabet Soup? This nostalgic dish is easy to make at home and utterly delicious! This homemade Alphabet Soup recipe, Sopa de Letrinha as we say in Portuguese, is a comforting classic that the whole familia will love! Plus, it’s ready in 30 minutes.
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WHY I LOVE THIS SOUP RECIPE:
There’s nothing more nostalgic than a good Alphabet Soup. I grew up eating the Maggi packaged Sopa de Letrinha, which was my mom’s strategy after a busy day. It was easy for her, and she knew my brothers and I would be happy to have it. I have the best memories of trying to spell things at dinner time and taking way to long to finish my meal because of it!
As an adult, though, that’s all alphabet soup has become: memories. With loads of salt, preservatives and questionable ingredients, I have begun avoiding pre-made, shelf-stable soups for the most part. I’m not demonizing them – I totally still eat those from time to time.
I never thought I’d ever make alphabet soup from scratch, let alone have it on the blog’s schedule. In fact, I didn’t even have the slightest clue you could buy alphabet pasta until I walked past it randomly at CVS and just had to buy it and make a homemade version.
I have to say, I love this version just as much as my childhood’s—it really hits the spot! And it helps sneak in some real veggies into your kids’ (and your!) meal, too. It’s fun, easy to make and super comforting.
And the best part? This sopa de letrinha recipe is ready in 30 minutes!
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS
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HOW TO MAKE ALPHABET VEGETABLE SOUP
Add the carrots, the celery, the onion, the Brazilian sofrito, and the scallions to a food processor, and pulse to mince them real fine.
When they are finely minced, like the consistency of the mixture in the photo above on the right, set them aside.
Then, saute the veggies in some olive oil until very soft and almost mushy—about 8-10 minutes. Stir it occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
After that, add in the alphabet pasta, and the chicken stock. (And remember, if you want to make this vegetarian or vegan, simply swap this for the same amount of vegetable stock.)
Then cook until the pasta is tender.
Since the alphabet noodles are so small, it will take very little time. Keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook and turn into a zero fun mush!
Serve immediately, and enjoy immensely.
HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE HOMEMADE ALPHABET SOUP
To store leftovers, transfer your sopa de letrinha to a food storage container and let it cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To freeze leftovers, transfer the soup to a freezer-safe storage container, and let it cool completely. Be sure to leave about 1″ of distance between the soup and the top of the container so the soup can expand as it freezes, otherwise your container may break. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
Homemade Alphabet Soup
Remember your childhood’s package Alphabet Soup? This nostalgic dish is easy to make at home and utterly delicious! This homemade Alphabet Soup recipe, Sopa de Letrinha as we say in Portuguese, is a comforting classic that the whole familia will love! Plus, it’s ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
7 ounce package of alphabet pasta
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks about a cup
1/2 small onion, cut into chunks about a 1/2 cup
1 bunch of scallions (both white and green parts, cut into chunks) about 2 cups
1 celery stalk, cut into chunks about a 1/2 cup
2 teaspoons of Brazilian sofrito or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
7 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- the carrots, the celery, the onion, the Brazilian sofrito, and the scallions to a food processor, and pulse to mince. Set aside.
2.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, then add the minced vegetable mixture.
3.Saute until soft, approximately 8-10 minutes.
4.Add in the pasta and cover with the chicken stock.
5.Bring to a simmer, and simmer until the noodles are cooked. This will take less than 10 minutes because the pasta is so small, so keep an eye on it!
Notes
How to store: Let cool completely, and transfer to a food storage container. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week, reheating in the microwave.
How to freeze: Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe storage container. Be sure to leave about 1″ of distance between the soup and the top of the container so the soup can expand as it freezes. Freeze for up to 3 months, then let defrost in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop.