Easy Homemade Alphabet Soup

It’s fall, y’all! Okay, technically not quite…but I’m close enough to fall that I’m calling it.

And you know what that means: Soup & Stew Season has officially arrived at Chez Jenn’s. Last night was my first Soup & Salad night of the season, and I was ready.

I actually chose this soup completely on a whim. I already had dinner planned, but then an email from Averie Cooks landed in my inbox featuring this recipe as a kickoff to fall. I happened to have some alphabet pasta leftover from a recipe I made last year, so I took that as a sign. Why not?

This is a very simple soup. It’s essentially a vegetable soup with pasta added in, so it’s not terribly different from the one I made last year. But simple is sometimes exactly what you want when you’re craving a cozy bowl of soup.

For years, I’ve struggled with soups that contain rice or pasta. How do you keep the noodles from drinking up every last drop of broth and turning into a giant bowl of mush by the time you eat the leftovers?

Apparently, the answer is embarrassingly simple: don’t cook the pasta in the soup. Cook it separately and add it to each bowl when you’re ready to eat.

Genius. And yes, it actually works.

I cooked the pasta separately last night, added some to my soup for dinner, and today I have a perfectly good bowl of leftover soup waiting for lunch—with a little container of pasta sitting alongside it. I can add exactly as much as I want when I’m ready to eat.

No mushy pasta. No missing broth. Problem solved. Apparently I just needed to Google it about five years ago.

Easy Homemade Alphabet Soup

Recipe from Averie Cooks

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 10- ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables, carrots, corn, peas, green beans, or similar (thawing not required)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, or 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste if desired
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 14- ounce can petite diced tomatoes, do not drain
• 32 ounces low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup dry alphabet pasta
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Fresh parsley, minced; optional for garnishing
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional for serving

To a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add the olive oil, onion, celery, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are beginning to soften; stir frequently.

Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minutes; stir constantly.

Add the frozen vegetables, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.

Add the canned tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the mixture is simmering, and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes.

Add the pasta and cook for about 7 to 9 minutes; do not overcook.

Add the lemon juice, remove the bay leaves, and taste the soup. Tips – If it tastes at all flat or boring, I suggest adding more salt, potentially quite a bit more. If the salt balance is fine, but it still needs "something" you can also try adding a bit more of any of the herbs (thyme, oregano, or basil).

Optionally garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with Parmesan cheese, optionally, or as desired. Leftover soup will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 minutes; reheat gently in the microwave. Tips – The alphabet pasta will continue to absorb broth as leftover soup sits in the fridge so don't be surprised if it looks like the broth "disappeared". You can always add a bit more, if desired, to your leftovers and more salt/pepper/seasonings if desired.