Alphabet Soup

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Nostalgic and 100% homemade! This Alphabet Soup is everything your childhood was made of but healthier and made with turkey meatballs!

I’ve had Alphabet pasta in my pantry for a while now and finally figured out what kid-approved recipe I wanted to make with them. When in doubt, all roads lead to soup! More specifically, tomato basil based Alphabet Soup with mini turkey meatballs. Sounds good, right? I definitely had my daughter in mind when I started cooking this up in my mind. Bet your kids are gonna love it as much as mine did!

Ingredients Needed for Alphabet Soup

• Alphabet Pasta – you can find these at your local grocery store. You could also just use shortcut pasta, but where’s the fun in that?
• Olive Oil, Onions, and Garlic – a great soup starts out with a great base, and these three basic ingredients are magical for just that.
• Tomatoes – don’t worry about getting diced or whole tomatoes for this recipe because you’re going to be blending it smooth later.
• Chicken or Beef Broth – either works and adds a ton of flavor to the soup. If you are vegetarian, use veggie broth instead.
• Sugar, Thyme, Basil, Salt, and Pepper – sugar cuts some of the acidity from the tomatoes while the rest of these seasonings add a ton of depth of flavor.

For the Meatballs

• Sandwich Bread and Milk – the milk and bread together will create the most tender and delicious meatball in all the land.
• Ground Turkey – I used Butterball ground turkey for this recipe but feel free to use your favorite brand.
• Egg – this is a binding agent for the meat.
• Garlic Salt – all the seasoning we need to keep these little suckers flavorful.

Alphabet Soup Variations

Consider these simple variations for this delicious Alphabet Soup recipe:

• Meatballs: turkey is a leaner and healthier meat but you can use anything from ground pork, beef to chicken! And if you are vegetarian, you don’t need to add the meatballs at all.
• Veggies: after blending but before adding the meatballs, add some frozen veggies to the pot. That way you get even more veggies than just tomatoes. I like adding the carrot, corn, pea, and green bean frozen mix.
• Side Dishes: I love this recipe with a really good biscuit or even some cheesy garlic bread.

How To Make Alphabet Soup

This Alphabet Soup recipe has two main parts, the soup, and the meatballs. For full details see the recipe card down below.

1. The first thing to do is cook up the alphabet pasta! Originally, I was going to just add the uncooked pasta into the finished soup to cook thoroughly, but I didn’t want all the extra starch added in that would come off the pasta. Sooooo, I cooked it first separately. Set this aside for later.
2. Onto the soup, yo. Dice up a large onion and get that cooking in some olive oil. After a couple of minutes, add in some garlic. After a couple of minutes, things should be getting tender and brown. Good signs 🙂
3. Now we can add in two cans of tomatoes, chicken or beef broth, and some spices. Stir it all up, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cover. Cook it for at least 15 minutes while you make les meatballs.

That’s french for The Meatballs.

You’re welcome for that nugget of information.

Mini Turkey Meatballs

4. Start with some ground turkey. Pop the meat into a bowl with some garlic salt, milk-soaked bread, and an egg.
5. Stir it all together and form your meatballs. I ended up using a cookie scoop and then dividing each ball into two. I wanted über mini meatballs!! My kiddos have to eat these, so I’m thinking extra small. Set these aside.
6. Now’s about the time to puree the soup all together and finish it up! I used an immersion blender to create the smooth texture I wanted, but a regular blender is just fine too. Once you have the smooth soup, drop each meatball into the broth to poach.
7. The last thing to do is to add in the cooked alphabet pasta and dinner is done! Ladle into bowls, add on a little parmesan cheese if you feel so inclined and serve.

Freezing Instructions

Luckily for you, this big batch of Alphabet Soup can be frozen and enjoyed later!

Simply freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months! To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight then warm in a pot.

More Soup Recipes to Try!

• Tomato Basil Soup
• Creamy Tomato Bisque Recipe
• Easy Taco Soup
• Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

Gosh, I loved this Alphabet Soup. It’s not only good, but it’s also fun to eat 🙂 My daughter kept saying things like “I have a B on my spoon now!” or “I didn’t know there were numbers in my soup too!”

It’s an educational soup too. Lol!

Overall, we loved this Alphabet Soup and think you will too! Try it this week and let me know how you like it. Printable below!

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5 from 4 votes

Alphabet Soup

Nostalgic and 100% homemade! This Alphabet Soup is everything your childhood was made of but healthier and made with turkey meatballs!

servings 8 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 large onion diced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 56 oz tomatoes 2 cans
• ▢ 6 cups chicken or beef broth
• ▢ salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil

for the meatballs-

• ▢ 1 slice sandwich bread
• ▢ 3 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 1 lb Butterball ground turkey
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• ▢ 1 cup alphabet pasta or short cut pasta

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Place a large pot over medium heat. Pour in olive oil and saute onion for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook another minute.
  
• Pour in tomatoes, broth, salt, pepper, sugar, and spices. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cover.
  
• Break sandwich bread into bite sized pieces and place into a large bowl. Stir together with milk and soak 1-2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients for meatballs until incorporated. Roll into small, bite-sized pieces.
  
• Using an immersion blender, puree tomato soup until completely smooth. Drop meatballs into simmering broth to poach and cook 5 minutes. {It doesn't take long!}
  
• Add in cooked pasta and stir. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1585mg | Potassium: 868mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1710IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: alphabet soup