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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.
Other kid favorites: Hot Dog Pasta / Cachorro Quente – Brazilian Hot Dogs / Brazilian Stew Chicken Recipe
Why I love this soup recipe:
Oi Gente!!
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.
Turns out, alphabet pasta is available everywhere, even online!
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!
Hope you like it as much as I do!
Beijinhos xx
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In addition to these tools, you’re going to need the following ingredients to make this Homemade Alphabet Soup:
- Alphabet pasta—I have found this at grocery stores, Latin markets, and even at CVS, which is where I first spotted it. Turns out, they also sell it online!
- Olive oil—or another neutral-tasting oil.
- Carrot, onion, and celery—this is mirepoix, which serves as the aromatic base of this soup recipe.
- 1bunchof scallions—you’re going to use both white and green parts
- Chicken stock—I like to use unsalted or lightly salted chicken broth or stock so I can season and add more salt as I taste my recipe. Otherwise, things could get too salty. You can also use homemade stock like this Instant Pot Turkey Stock if you have it on hand!
- Brazilian sofritoor garlic
How to make variations on this recipe:
- Mexican Alphabet Soup is a simple twist! Just add a can of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.
- Make it Vegan Alphabet Soup by swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
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.
How to reheat leftovers
Pour your leftovers into a microwave-safe bowl. Reheat in 30-second bursts in the microwave until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is alphabet soup made of?
This Alphabet Soup recipe is incredibly simple and satisfying. It calls for a package of alphabet pasta noodles, as well as celery, onion, carrots and garlic. The recipe uses chicken stock, but you can swap it for vegetable stock if you want to make it a Vegan Alphabet Soup.
When was alphabet pasta invented?
I’ve read it was invented in the late 1800s!
Can I make substitutions in this recipe?
Yes. As listed above, you can swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock. You could also use a different type of pasta noodle, though your final dish wouldn’t be Alphabet Soup then, even if it still tasted delicious.
Other soups you’ll love:
- Canja de Galinha Recipe – Brazilian Chicken and Rice Soup
- Bean and Pasta Soup (Sopa de Feijao com Macarrao)
- Creamy Black Bean Soup (Caldinho de Feijao)
- Hearts of Palm Soup (Sopa de Palmito)
- Caldo Verde Recipe – Portuguese Green Soup
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5 from 89 votes
Sopa de Letrinha – 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.
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 255kcal
Author: Aline Shaw
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
Add the carrots, the celery, the onion, the Brazilian sofrito, and the scallions to a food processor, and pulse to mince. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, then add the minced vegetable mixture.
Saute until soft, approximately 8-10 minutes.
Add in the pasta and cover with the chicken stock.
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!
Bom Apetite!!
Did you make this recipe? Show me how it turned out! Snap a photo and share with me on Instagram tagging @aline_shaw!
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.
How to make variations on this recipe:
- Mexican Alphabet Soup is a simple twist! Just add a can of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.
- Make it Vegan Alphabet Soup by swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1750IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
