Alphabet Soup
Fun ABC pasta in a tomato-based soup is hearty and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 cup leeks, sliced, rinsed of grit
- 2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- 1 14-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1-2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
- 1 7-ounce package ABC pasta
- 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high in a Dutch oven or an 6-quart stock pot.
- Add the carrots, onion, celery, and leeks. Season with about ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Stir often until the vegetables are softened, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if vegetables are browning.
- Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and stir gently.
- Add the diced tomatoes and one quart of stock. You can add more stock if you want it more “brothy.” Stir and bring it up to a simmer. You can place a lid on the pot to speed this up a little.
- Stir and taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed. It should be well-seasoned so the pasta absorbs the flavorful broth.
- Add the ABC pasta and stir, stir, stir. If you don’t keep stirring at first and scraping the bottom of your pot, the pasta will sink and stick. Maintain a gentle boil and cook according to package directions, generally 9 to 11 minutes, depending on the size of your pasta.
- You can add more stock, salt and pepper here, if desired.
- Add the parsley, stir, taste and adjust any seasonings. Serve warm. This soup is delicious with a side of bread. Check out my Compound Butter to slather on your bread to toast. It is SO good!
Notes
Other veggies you can add are cut green beans, small-diced potato, corn kernels, chopped spinach or kale.
To bulk up, you can also add 1 pound cooked ground beef or ground chicken, or miniature meatballs.
You can add other herbs, too, if you'd like! In addition to the Italian parsley, dried Italian seasoning blend could be added when the tomatoes and stock are added.
Ground white pepper would be good in this soup, too!
Could also add 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
Don’t forget to rinse those leeks! Slice them, then place them in cold water, separating them with your fingers. The dirt and grit will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Lift them out with a spider strainer or a slotted spoon, and they’re ready to add to your soup!
Need to freeze? You can freeze this soup, but pasta generally loses its texture through freezing and thawing. It will most likely become “mushy.”
Nutrition Facts
Alphabet Soup
Amount per Serving
Calories
161
% Daily Value*
Fat
2
g
3
%
Monounsaturated Fat
1
g
Sodium
519
mg
23
%
Potassium
317
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
29
g
10
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
6
g
7
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin C
9
mg
11
%
Calcium
32
mg
3
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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