Cook up this cozy Alphabet Soup recipe the next time you want an easy meal that’s also fun! ABC pasta is a perfect addition to this kid-friendly soup—and you can tailor the veggies to the likes (or dislikes!) of your own kiddos. It’s so versatile!
My kids are huge fans of buttered pasta and while we do have that regularly (comfort food for the win!), I do also like to make sure I’m offering them veggies too. (At least some of the time!)
This kid-friendly soup is easy, straight forward in flavor, and is a fun way to change up their plain pasta.
It reminds me of the pastina soup that my mom made for me as a kid (with tiny star pasta!) and so it makes me happy to serve it to my kids.
I kept the veggies simple in this recipe so that the kids can clearly see what’s in it and also so it’s easier for you to swap them out for other veggies if you prefer.
(You may also like my Chicken Noodle Soup, Turkey Noodle Soup, Macaroni Soup and Chicken and Stars Soup recipes.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this Alphabet Soup recipe, you’ll need the following simple ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Butter: I like unsalted so I can season to taste with salt as needed.
- Diced carrots: Dicing them fairly smalls helps ensure that they cook quickly.
- Reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth: Either one works here.
- ABC pasta: This is such a fun shape and it cooks really fast.
- Frozen peas: If you want to save a step, you can start with a frozen pea and carrots mixture.
- Salt, marinara sauce, and Parmesan: These are optional to add more flavor.
TIP: We like to add the marinara and Parmesan for a little extra flavor, but it’s also good without them!
Ingredient Swaps
- Use olive oil in place of the butter to make this dairy-free.
- You can use another small pasta shape if you like.
- If your kids don’t like peas, you can skip adding them.
- The marinara and Parmesan add really nice extra flavor, but they are optional if you want this simpler.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this Alphabet Soup recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Heat a pot over medium heat. Add the butter or oil to melt and warm.
Step 2. Add the carrots and stir to coat. Cook until just softening. (You can skip these two first steps if using all frozen veggies.)
Step 3. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
Step 4. Add the pasta to cook.
Step 5. Stir in the peas and marinara sauce, if using.
Step 6. Season to taste with salt and serve with Parmesan, if desired.
TIP: The soup thickens as it sits and absorbs the broth, which we don’t mind (and it’s easier to serve to little kids when there’s less broth). You may want to add a little more broth if you’re reheating leftovers to return it to a more soup-like consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can’t find ABC pasta, orzo, pastina, or ditalini (or any other very small pasta shape) work. Smaller shapes cook quickly and are easier to eat with a spoon than larger pieces of pasta.
I can find it at one of my regular small town grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, you can order it from La Moderna. Target also sells little star pasta from their store brand in a blue package that it’s a good option too!
You can make this with just carrots (just double the amount) or frozen veggie medley to save some time on chopping. You could add some corn, diced zucchini, diced green beans or diced tomatoes if desired, too.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover alphabet soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Warm to serve for 1-2 minutes in the microwave.
If the pasta has absorbed all of the broth, add a little more (or use water) when reheating to return it to a more soup-like consistency. (My kids like it without much broth, so they don’t mind it though!)
Best Tips for Success
- If using any other pasta shape, check the cooking time on the package.
- Use just carrots and double the amount.
- You could add some corn, diced zucchini, diced green beans or diced tomatoes if desired, too.
- Use frozen veggie medley with carrots and peas and skip Steps 1 and 2.
- The marinara sauce adds nice extra flavor, but you can skip it if you don’t have it.
- The pasta continues to absorb the liquid as it sits, so the soup will continue to thicken. You can add more broth if desired, though the thicker soup does make it easier for the kids to eat.
- Find Alphabet Pasta on Amazon, or look in the pasta aisle in your store or in the “ethnic” foods aisle—one of the larger brands who makes it is Mexican, La Moderna, so sometimes it is shelved with other Mexican-made products.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so please comment below to share.
Favorite Alphabet Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add the butter or oil to melt and warm.
- Add the carrots and stir to coat. Cook for 4 minutes.
- (To make this with frozen carrots and peas, skip Steps 1 and 2 and start with Step 3.)
- Add the broth and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat back to medium so it’s a simmer with regular small bubbles.
- Add the pasta and cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in the peas and marinara sauce, if using.
- Season to taste with salt and serve with Parmesan, if desired.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm to serve, adding more broth or water as you like (the pasta will likely absorb all of the broth in the storage container).
- If using any other pasta shape, check the cooking time on the package and adjust accordingly.
- Use just carrots and double the amount.
- Use frozen carrots and peas and skip Steps 1 and 2.
- The marinara sauce adds nice extra flavor, but you can skip it if you don’t have it.
- The pasta continues to absorb the liquid as it sits, so the soup will continue to thicken. You can add more broth if desired, though the thicker soup does make it easier for the kids to eat.
- Find Alphabet Pasta here or look in the pasta aisle in your supermarket.
Nutrition
This post was first published November 2020.
Awesome recipe! Has become my go-to last-minute dinner. My family is vegetarian so I use vegetable broth (Better Than Bouillon)and a little bit of Yondu to add some umami flavor. The whole family loves it (The kids are 4 and 2)! Thanks for another great recipe Amy!
Made this for my one year old and my almost 4 year old ended up loving it even more. This tiny pasta is great for little ones, but to my surprise, the 4 year old thought it was so funny eating letters. Win, win!!
My husband liked this even more than my toddler. It came out super thick but it was easy to just add more broth. I don’t know how or why this was so delicious but it’s now on our dinner rotation!
This was a winner! I thought I had chicken broth but didn’t so I cooked chicken and heavily seasoned the water. I also added more butter and a little cornstarch at the end to thicken the broth a bit. My kids ate it, but the real surprise was that my husband had seconds! He didn’t even realize it was alphabet soup until his second bowl 😂
I love that!
Excellent soup, had my granddaughter help to make it (she’s 4) We did carrots and added parsley along with the alphabet noodles It came out on the thick side but all you have to do is add more broth to thin it out My granddaughter ate the whole bowl This recipe is definitely going into our comfy food rotation Thank you for this quick, easy keeper that’s fun for kids to make
I used beef broth, added meatballs (my toddlers safe food), pasta and veggies and came out perfect!!
I just made this for my four kids for lunch- they all loved it, and so did I! I will be making this again.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Made this last night for a quick easy dinner. Delicious as usual! 🙂 I used ditalini (super short tube pasta) because I couldn’t find ABCs at my regular grocery store. Added pizza sauce because that’s what we had on hand. Thanks for this recipe- it’s a staple in our house.
This could be stage 3 baby food for my 9 month old just as described?
Yes, as long as the veggies are cooked until soft it’s a great option
I made this for my 15m old son since he’s been sick. I topped it off with cheddar and mozzarella cheese. He loved it! He’s been having them for lunch and dinner. Perfect for a sick kid!
Good introduction to soup for little one. I unfortunately failed my child and have not given him soup. So now my going on 3-year-old won’t touch soup. This was a good introduction and easy enough for him to help me make it. Switched out carrots for parsnips because he’s not a carrot kid. Also, was not easy to find alphabet pasta shapes. For me it needs some more spices or flavors, as the soup is kind of bland but overall tasted good.
So easy to make and enjoyed a lot!
Can you freeze leftovers?
Yes, though the pasta may be very soft when it’s thawed and reheated but otherwise should be fine!
Have you tried in an instant pot?
I want to.
Thank you
I haven’t because the cooking time is fairly short and I think if you cooked the pasta with the lid sealed it would disintegrate.
Amazing easy soup! I used frozen peas and carrots and to add more flavor I added a teaspoon of chicken bouillon and a dash of pepper. Better than buying a canned soup.