Alphabet soup is an easy and fun recipe to make for the little ones, but the grownups will like it just as much. This soup is made with ground beef, a variety of vegetables, and alphabet shaped pasta. It is hearty, tasty, and simple to make.
This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This soup is made with convenience ingredients, so it comes together quickly but still has a home taste. You can also customize it by substituting ground turkey for the beef, using chicken broth, and switching up the vegetables to your family’s favorites.
There’s a nostalgia factor to this yummy alphabet soup. It’s an old school recipe that works perfectly today. For more retro recipes that deserve to make a comeback try this beef barley soup and a delicious chicken tetrazzini.
Alphabet pasta is a type of pastina. Pastina means “little pasta”, there are several shapes that qualify like, stelline (little stars), ditalini (small tubes), and orzo (rice shape) just to name a few.
For more pastina recipes try this vegetable beef soup, an Italian sausage pastina soup made stelline, and chicken flavored rice that includes orzo.
What’s great about this soup
- It’s a fun, kid-friendly soup with adorable alphabet shape pasta and colorful vegetables.
- This soup is a tasty way to get vegetables in without getting complaints.
- With budget-friendly ingredients, it’s a welcome addition to your dinner rotation.
Ingredients
- Oil – Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point because the ground beef is browned at moderate-high heat. We use canola oil, use your favorite.
- Ground Beef – We use ground chuck in this recipe, but ground round and sirloin will work well too.
- Spices – Salt, dried oregano, and black pepper are used to season the soup.
- Vegetables – The base of the soup is made with onions, celery, and garlic. Then it is finished with frozen mixed vegetables which is an easy way to get variety without a lot of work. We use a combination of carrots, peas, corn, and green beans.
- Pantry – From the pantry you will need tomato paste (adds flavor and color), diced tomatoes, beef broth, and alphabet pasta.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and salt. Stir well and arrange it in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Stir well, arrange again, and cook for 2 more minutes. Then, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes while stirring and breaking up any large pieces until the beef is browned.
Cook’s note: Depending on the fat content of the ground beef used it may be necessary to remove some of the oil rendered. Remove the pot from the heat. Mound the ground beef on one side and gently tip the pot so that the oil pools opposite the meat. Use a ladle to remove some (or all) of it.
- Next, place the pot over medium heat and add the diced onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and black pepper to the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Then, add the diced tomatoes and beef broth, stir well. Raise the heat, bring to a boil. Then, lower heat to medium-low and cover.
- Cook the soup for 10 minutes, stir occasionally and keep the broth at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as needed.
- In the meantime, defrost the frozen vegetables and drain them well.
- Finally, add the alphabet pasta and the mixed vegetables to the pot and stir well.
- Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is tender. Stir the soup occasionally.
- Taste the alphabet soup and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
Frequently asked questions
A soup that contains alphabet shaped pasta combined with other ingredients. The pasta is tiny and shaped like numbers and letters.
In the pasta aisle. Most larger grocery stores will carry it. Look carefully because they typically come in small bags instead of a box. You can also find alphabet pasta online.
This alphabet soup recipe is made with ground beef, broth, vegetables, and alphabet pasta.
Storing instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze the soup, cool it quickly and place in a freezer safe container. Remember to leave an inch or two to allow for expansion. Freeze for 2-3 months.
Gently, reheat it in a covered saucepan over medium-low to low heat until heated through (at least 165°F), stir occasionally. Or reheat it in the microwave.
It may be necessary to add a few tablespoons of broth or water when reheating because the soup may thicken when stored.
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Subscribe to the Newsletter for the latest recipes and more.
Alphabet Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil use a neutral oil with a high smoke point – we use canola oil
- 1 pound Ground Beef we used ground chuck, ground sirloin, and ground round will also work
- ½ teaspoon Salt plus extra if needed at the end
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 1 Celery Rib thinly sliced
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can Diced Tomatoes we used petite dice
- 6 cups Beef Broth
- 10 ounce Frozen Mixed Vegetables defrosted
- ½ cup Alphabet Pasta
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir well and arrange it in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir well, arrange in a single layer again, and cook for 2 more minutes. Then, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes while stirring and breaking up any large pieces until the beef is browned.
- Depending on the fat content of the ground beef used it may be necessary to remove some of the oil rendered (see notes).
- Next, place the pot over medium heat and add the diced onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and black pepper to the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Then, add the diced tomatoes and beef broth, stir well while gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil (it will take about 5-6 minutes). Then, lower heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
- Cook the soup for 10 minutes, stir occasionally and keep the broth at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as needed.
- In the meantime, defrost the frozen vegetables by cooking them 1-2 minutes less than the lowest recommended time on the package. Drain them well and reserve.
- Finally, add the alphabet pasta and the mixed vegetables to the pot and stir well.
- Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil (it will only take about 2 minutes). Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Stir the soup occasionally to prevent any sticking on the bottom of the pot, especially when it is first added.
- Taste the alphabet soup and add salt if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
Notes
- Depending on the fat content of the ground beef used it may be necessary to remove some of the oil rendered. Remove the pot from the heat. Mound the ground beef on one side and gently tip the pot so that the oil pools opposite the meat. Use a ladle to remove some (or all) of it.
- Use low sodium broth if you are sensitive to salt. Most markets carry good quality reduced sodium broths and canned diced tomatoes.
Leave a Reply