Zippy Veggie ABC Soup is an old family favorite that can help your children learn to spell and give them something warm and nutritious to eat.
I found something in grocery store that stopped me dead in my tracks.
It seemed quite mundane at the time. I glanced over at this simple box of alphabet pasta. The pasta box was lying there among hundreds of other kinds of pasta and Asian noodles. There were so many types of pasta to choose from but this one was different. I felt moved and sentimental and then it happened...I day dreamed of a day very very VERY long ago....
Teaching your Children their ABC's
I was sitting in the middle of the living room floor with my son teaching him his ABC's. I used to draw the letters of the alphabet on flash cards and place them in a circle on the floor. My son, maybe around 3 years at the time, would drive his choo choo train around and around the center of the circle rug.
I would say a letter of the alphabet and then my son would identify the letter of the alphabet and drive his little choo choo train up to the letter and put it in the train as fast as he could. Of course, all of this happened with all the very cool boy car noises such as the pretend screeching sounds around the corners and full spit spraying raspberry sounds as he took off with the train.
School Time Routines
Then I was abruptly awakened from my day-dream as some lady rammed into the back of my Achilles tendon with her grocery cart at full turbo speed. Back to reality and what should I make with the gluten-free alphabet pasta?
The new school year is upon us and it is a great time for reflection and for looking into the future. It is the time of the year when everyone has a fresh new start for a great year of learning, getting projects done and most of all getting into a healthy eating routine. After all we have brand new pencils, books, calendars and crayons why not a new healthy snack routine to boot.
My boys like after school snacks but sometimes their snacks are more like meals. I am sure I have told you about the time when my eldest teenager came home from school and helped himself to the entire family roast in the crock pot and said, "Sorry mom, I needed a little snack." He left only a small scrap of meat and a lonely carrot behind.
Zippy Veggie ABC Soup is a Hearty Snack and Delicious lunch
My boys need hearty, healthy and filling snacks when they come home from school. A great snack or even a quick light dinner is soup. What could be better to start the new school year then a Zippy Veggie ABC Soup. Nourish their minds and their souls with this fun alphabet soup.
Give them some oyster crackers and let them dunk away or sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese for a little extra zip. Little kids love finding the letters, older kids love spelling words, teenagers like it because it is hearty and tasty and moms like it because it is healthy for them. Working moms also love this one because it is a crock pot friendly recipe.
Come follow along to learn how to make this yummy Zippy Veggie ABC Soup in a flash....
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Easy Beef Pho with Oodles of Noodles
Nourishing Slow Simmered Beef Bone Broth
Roasted Butternut and Carrot Soup
Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)
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Zippy Veggie ABC Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion
peeled and chopped - 1 cup Carrot
peeled and chopped - 1 cup celery
chopped (I used Chinese cabbage as I was out of the usual celery) - 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced finely
- 1 teaspoon ginger
peeled and grated - 1 chili
mild chopped - optional - 1 cup chicken
boneless and skinless cut up into small cubes - optional - 4 cups vegetarian broth
or chicken broth - 15 oz tomatoes
canned pureed or squeezed to break up - 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
(oregano, basil, thyme) - 1 bay leaf
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 packet splenda to mellow out the acid of the tomatoes.
- ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
optional - salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup ABC pasta
dried or pasta of choice - parmesan cheese garnish - optional
Instructions
- In a medium to large saucepan place olive oil and when temperature is medium add onions, carrots, celery, mild green chilies, garlic and ginger and gently saute until aromatic and slightly softened.
- If you want to add chicken you add it now and cook gently until no longer pink.
- Add vegetarian broth, tomatoes, Italian herb seasoning, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, sugar alternative, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn soup down to a simmer allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. ((If you are doing this in a crock pot, you can put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker except pasta and frozen veggies and cook over slow heat while you are at work and when you come home turn it on high and add alphabet pasta and frozen veggies and cook for about 7-8 minutes or per the instructions on your pasta)
- Add your alphabet pasta and frozen veggies and cook for about 7-8 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Serve this yummy Zippy Veggie ABC Soup with a little grated parmesan cheese on top and some oyster crackers to dunk. Leftover Zippy Veggie ABC Soup is great in school lunches, just do a quick heat in the morning and pop into their thermos before they head off to school.
Jen says
How cute
Ian says
So hard to find these noodles now
ioanna aggelidaki says
Awwww, my mom used to make me alphabet soup when i was little! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
It does bring back some lovely memories...
saffronandhoney says
LOL I love the grocery store daydream. I love this recipe, nostalgic and full of veggies!
Purely.. Kay says
I so remember alphabet soup. But I remember eating it faster than I could make a word out of it LOL. This post brought back so many great memories 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
My mom used to serve Zippy Veggie ABC soup in huge coffee mugs with oyster crackers along for dipping. I like passing those sweet memories on to my boys. Take care, BAM
Amelia says
Hi Bam, miss this ABC soup, children grow up so stop cooking this soup. LOL
Yours look delicious, bring back my memories. Thanks for sharing.
Have a nice week ahead.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Amelia. We are still young at heart, so glad I could bring back a fond memory or two. Wow how times flies....Have a super week. BAM
Jasline says
Ahhh alphabet soup! Brings back all my childhood memories! I used to buy a packet and made souvenirs for friends by using the letters to spell my friends' names. The soup looks absolutely delicious! 😀
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Jasline. Memories of alphabet soup brings back the warm fuzzy memories for most everyone. Oh how we all miss the carefree days of being little again, playing hopscotch, and running through the sprinkler without a worry in the world. Take care, BAM
[email protected] Chef in disguise says
You made me smile Bam because I am teaching my 3 year old boy the alphabet but we do it with wooden puzzle pieces 🙂
that soup sound wonderful and we are finally heading towards cooler weather
Healthy World Cuisine says
How sweet! Oh how I miss those days! I would much rather be teaching my kids their ABC's instead of figuring out physics and trigonometry! Take care, BAM
Tandy says
What a wonderful way to teach your kids the alphabet! I have not seen alphabet pasta for ages 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Tandy. ABC pasta was an awesome retro find!
hotlyspiced says
Ouch! That really hurts when you get a trolley rammed into the back of your foot. I've had that happen to me so many times I'm thinking of wearing steel boots to the supermarket. Love the alphabet pasta - my Alfie would love that xx
Healthy World Cuisine says
Good thinking not just steel toed but steel heeled boots! I hope your Alfie has an awesome start to the year! Take care, BAM
[email protected] at Marina says
Each September, when school starts, I ant to buy some school supplies and make and alphabet soup! Your's looks so healthy and delicious! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Everyone love new school supplies! Love the new colored pencils and fresh new binders and organizational tools. I think as moms we most love that our kids are finally back to a schedule and we all love that. Have a great week. Take care, BAM
Kathleen Richardson says
Sweet memories, BAM. Sweet soup! Love it that your boy ate almost the entire roast. The others didn't gang up and take him down for that?
Keep writing...
Healthy World Cuisine says
Kathleen there were some exchange of words for that whole situation.... Lessons learned never leave food unmonitored! Have a great day. BAM
Kathleen Richardson says
Or, BAM, you could say 'never leave a boy unmonitored'. For instance, in the past week, my 5-year old grandson has hidden (causing an entire neighborhood and 4-5 troopers to go on a boy-hunt!) and was seen by a neighbor, on another occasion, fiddling around with a lighter and a piece of paper! The 9-year old on the other hand will eat anything that's not nailed down. Sound familiar?
Healthy World Cuisine says
Boys will be boy! Glad it all turned out all right in the end for you. Take care, BAM