Alphabet Soup (Sopa de Letras)

This alphabet soup, with a homemade tomato base and loaded with alphabet shaped pasta, is a comforting and delicious soup that reminds me of my childhood. 

It was always a treat when my mom would add alphabet pasta to tomato soup. Of course, the soup was Campbells', which is another nostalgic ingredient. 

This recipe is so simple with a short ingredient list. All you need is canned tomato puree, an onion, a garlic clove, alphabet pasta, and chicken broth. Or... you could just use Campbell's. I won't judge. 

Until I researched this recipe, I had no idea that tomato based alphabet soup has a Mexican heritage! 

In fact, you no longer can typically find alphabet pasta in the the pasta aisle, but you can often find it in the Mexican food section. There are a couple of brands readily available, including La Moderna, which Target carries, and Goya, which I found at Ralph's (Kroger). 

If you have a Mexican grocery store in your area, there are probably other brand available too. 

What distinguishes the Mexican version of alphabet soup is that you fry the pasta in oil before making the soup, turning it slightly golden. It adds a night toasty flavor to the pasta, kind of like the Italian pasta, fregola. 

Your kids will love this soup, especially the youngest ones. They will love spelling out their name in their spoon (I remember doing that!). 

Tips for making Mexican alphabet soup:

The pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid in the soup, especially if you don't serve it immediately. This is great for the little ones who are just learning to use a spoon. The soup becomes less dribbly. 

If you are making this soup to serve later but you want it to stay kind of "soupy," you can increase the tomatoes and broth by 50 percent. If you are serving the soup immediately, you can follow the recipe as is. 

If you can't find the alphabet pasta, you can always substitute stars, orzo, or broken pieces of angel hair pasta (fideo). I can't guarantee that the kids will be nearly as interested though. 

Naturally, if you want to get all nostalgic, serve this alphabet soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. 

I love Mexican-style soups, including Caldo de Pollo and Albóndigas Soup. 

Did you know that today is National Soup Swap Day? To celebrate, we've assembled a huge list of delicious homemade soup recipes. 

Check them all out!

National Soup Swap Day 2021

Happy National Soup Swap Day! Today, I'm linking up with other bloggers for a virtual soup swap hosted by Kate's Recipe Box - and we're all sharing some tasty soup recipes to warm you up!

• Dill Pickle Soup from Kate's Recipe Box
• Dairy Free Cream of Asparagus Soup from Frugal & Fit
• Quick Vegetable Soup from Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Clean the Refrigerator Soup from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roasted Garlic Soup with Potatoes, Kale, & Bacon from Savory Moments
• Cream of Mushroom Soup from Kathryn's Kitchen Blog
• 30 Minute Two Bean Tomato Soup from Blogghetti
• Vichyssoise from That Recipe
• Rotisserie Chicken Alphabet Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Chicken and Black Bean Vegetable Soup from Palatable Pastime
• Potato and Spinach Soup from Magical Ingredients
• Conch Soup from HomeMadeZagat
• Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Slow-Cooker Pasta Fagioli Soup from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Lobster Bisque from The Redhead Baker
• Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder from The Spiffy Cookie
• Hong Kong Style Spam & Egg Macaroni Soup from Making Miracles
• Cauliflower Cheddar Soup from Devour Dinner
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup from Hostess at Heart

I'm also hosting Soup Saturday Swappers, where we are posting favorite childhood soups. Be sure to check out everyone's recipes. There are lots of variations on alphabet soup!!

• Chicken Soup with Danish Flour Dumplings from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Clean the Refrigerator Soup AKA Garbage Soup from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mom's Quick Alphabet Soup from Sneha's Recipe
• Potato and Spinach Soup from Magical Ingredients
• Ramen Afternoons: From Powdered Broth to Simmered Trotters from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Rotisserie Chicken Alphabet Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Tomato Clam Chowder from Making Miracles
• Vegetable Pastina Soup from Palatable Pastime

So many delicious soups!! Kate has also posted how to host a virtual soup swap! 

Alphabet Soup (Sopa de Letras)

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min

This alphabet soup, with a homemade tomato base and loaded with alphabet shaped pasta, is comforting and delicious soup that reminds me of my childhood.

Ingredients

• 1-14 ounce can tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup (6 ounces) alphabet pasta (or other small pasta)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth

Instructions

1. Put the tomato puree, chopped onions, and garlic into a blender or food processor and blend until fully pureed. 
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan until simmering. Add the pasta letters and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. The color should changed to a light golden. 
3. Add the tomato/onion/garlic mixture to the pan. Add the salt and stir. 
4. Cook the ingredients for about 6 minutes, stirring constantly. The sauce should thicken and the color should deepen. 
5. Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Check the seasonings and serve. 
6. You can make this recipe up to 3 days in advance. 

Calories

154.51

Fat (grams)

6.93

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.88

Carbs (grams)

17.69

Fiber (grams)

1.62

Net carbs

16.07

Sugar (grams)

3.31

Protein (grams)

7.54

Sodium (milligrams)

880.80

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2021/01/alphabet-soup-sopa-de-letras.html

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