Remember your childhood boxed Alphabet Soup? This comforting, nostalgic dish is simple to make at home and absolutely delicious. This homemade Alphabet Soup recipe — Sopa de Letrinha, as we call it in Portuguese — is a family favorite and can be ready in about 30 minutes.
Other kid favorites: Hot Dog Pasta / Cachorro Quente – Brazilian Hot Dogs / Brazilian Stew Chicken Recipe
Why I love this soup recipe:
There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about a bowl of Alphabet Soup. Growing up, my family often served the packaged Sopa de Letrinha as a quick comfort after busy days. We’d linger at the table trying to spell words with the pasta; those meals are among my fondest memories.
As an adult I became more cautious about processed shelf-stable soups because of high sodium and preservatives. That pushed me to recreate a fresh, homemade version that preserves the fun of alphabet pasta while adding real vegetables and simple, wholesome ingredients.
This recipe is easy, comforting, and flexible. Alphabet pasta is available in many grocery stores and online, so you don’t need anything exotic to make it. The soup is mild enough for kids, but satisfying for adults too. Best of all: it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. Beijinhos xx
Tools and Ingredients
- Food processor
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients for Homemade Alphabet Soup:
- Alphabet pasta — about a 7-ounce package (available in many grocery stores and online).
- Olive oil — or another neutral oil, 1 tablespoon.
- Carrot, onion, and celery — the classic mirepoix base. Use one large carrot, 1/2 small onion, and 1 celery stalk.
- 1 bunch scallions — use both white and green parts.
- Chicken stock — about 7 cups. Use low-sodium or unsalted stock so you can control the seasoning. For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable stock.
- Brazilian sofrito or garlic — 2 teaspoons sofrito or 3 cloves garlic, minced.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe variations:
- Mexican Alphabet Soup — add a can of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree for a brighter, tomato-forward flavor.
- Vegan Alphabet Soup — replace chicken stock with vegetable stock.
How to make Alphabet Vegetable Soup
1. Add the carrots, celery, onion, scallions and Brazilian sofrito (or garlic) to a food processor and pulse until very finely minced. The mixture should be almost uniform in texture.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the minced vegetables and sauté until very soft and almost mushy, about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing burns.
3. Add the alphabet pasta and pour in the chicken stock to cover. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. Simmer until the pasta is tender. Because alphabet noodles are very small, this will usually take less than 10 minutes — watch them closely so the pasta doesn’t overcook and break down into mush.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy.
How to Store and Freeze Homemade Alphabet Soup
To store: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to one week.
To freeze: Cool completely and place the soup in a freezer-safe container, leaving about 1″ of headspace for expansion. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to reheat leftovers
Reheat soup gently in a saucepan over low-medium heat until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between intervals to ensure even heating.
Frequently Asked Questions
This version uses alphabet pasta with a simple vegetable base of carrot, celery, onion and scallions, flavored with sofrito or garlic and simmered in chicken or vegetable stock.
Alphabet-shaped pasta varieties have been around for more than a century and were popularized in various forms in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Yes. Swap chicken stock for vegetable stock to make it vegan, or use a different small pasta shape if you prefer, though the playful alphabet aspect will change.
Other soups you’ll love:
- Canja de Galinha Recipe – Brazilian Chicken and Rice Soup
- Bean and Pasta Soup (Sopa de Feijão com Macarrão)
- Creamy Black Bean Soup (Caldinho de Feijão)
- Hearts of Palm Soup (Sopa de Palmito)
- Caldo Verde – Portuguese Green Soup
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Sopa de Letrinha – Homemade Alphabet Soup
A quick, comforting alphabet soup made with finely minced vegetables and alphabet pasta. Ready in 30 minutes and great for kids and families.
Ingredients
- 7 ounce package alphabet pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 small onion, cut into chunks (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
- 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 teaspoons Brazilian sofrito (or 3 cloves garlic, minced)
- 7 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegan version)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
- Food processor
- Dutch oven or large pot
Instructions
- Add carrot, celery, onion, scallions and sofrito (or garlic) to a food processor and pulse until very finely minced. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced vegetables.
- Sauté until very soft, about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the alphabet pasta and pour in the chicken stock to cover.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender, less than 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: Cool completely, refrigerate up to one week.
Freezing: Cool, leave 1″ headspace in a freezer-safe container, freeze up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Variations
- For a tomato twist, add a can of crushed tomatoes for Mexican Alphabet Soup.
- Make it vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
Bom apetite!