This delicious and fun vegetable alphabet soup recipe made in your slow cooker is a yummy and healthy meal. Your whole gang will enjoy eating this flexible, tasty, vegetarian dish!
Who doesn't love to play with their food? This healthy, homemade version of the famous canned soup lets you eat your food AND play with it. All while being educational. Consider it dinner with benefits - for the whole family.
I was so excited when I came across alphabet pasta on the shelf in my local grocery store. It immediately brought back many childhood memories. I couldn't wait to experiment to see if I could make a version of the soup I grew up on.
📝Shopping list
To make this homemade soup, you will need:
- carrots, celery and zucchini - fresh or frozen, cut into bite sized pieces
- peas and corn kernels - fresh or frozen
- green onion - sliced
- diced tomatoes - canned is easiest, include all juices
- tomato paste
- soy sauce
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- vegetable broth - any broth you like will work
- Salt and pepper to taste - if needed
🔪Instructions
This great recipe just involves a few simple steps:
Preparing your slow cooker
Prepare your slow cooker by coating it in a non-stick agent. Any nonstick cooking spray or oil will work. Olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to coatings.
NOTE: some slow cooker inserts come with a nonstick surface. Use of a non-stick agent is still suggested. However, oil is sometimes recommended rather than spray to protect the longevity of the non-stick surface. Check the manual for your slow cooker if you have any concerns.
Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner.
Cooking
Add all ingredients into your slow cooker, other than your pasta. Stir it briefly to mix all the ingredients together and cover.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Your soup is ready for the next step when all your vegetables are cooked all the way through.
30-45 minutes prior to serving, stir in the pasta. Continue to cook until pasta is soft. Taste test and add salt and black pepper to your liking. Serve and enjoy!
🍽Serving suggestions
Serve your yummy homemade alphabet soup with a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, like parsley and sliced green onion. Grated parmesan cheese makes a spectacularly delicious garnish. To keep it vegan, use nutritional yeast in instead.
A crusty sourdough bread along with a crisp garden salad make for the perfect sides. We love to serve this soup alongside a whole chicken or some delicious homemade turkey salad or chicken salad.
🔁Substitutions
One of the best features of this delicious alphabet soup is how easy it is to customize. If you don't want to use alphabet pasta, any small shaped pasta will do. Orzo and ditalini are both great shapes that would work well with this recipe.
Frozen vegetables and fresh vegetables can be used interchangeably in this crock pot recipe. I use fresh carrots, celery zucchini, and green onion, but frozen green peas and corn.
Other fresh or frozen veggies that are delicious in this soup include green beans, sweet potato, and red pepper. Canned beans, such as white beans, kidney beans, or lima beans are a great way to add fiber and protein. Feel free to play around with this hearty soup and add your favorite vegetables/beans to customize to your liking.
To change up the flavor a bit, you can swap out the vegetable stock for chicken broth or beef broth. To turn up the heat, add some red pepper flakes or a dash of sriracha sauce.
Looking to turn this simple alphabet soup recipe into a full one-pot meal? Add some browned ground beef or turkey into your slow cooker along with the other ingredients.
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
Storing
Store homemade alphabet vegetable soup in an airtight container or bag. Leftover slow cooker soups like this one last last 3-4 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. It is easy to defrost and reheat - and sooo much better than the canned stuff.
Keep in mind that the abc pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits. If your reheated soup is thicker than you like, add in some additional broth.
😉Hints & hacks
- This is one of those slow cooker recipes that are great if your people will be eating at different times. After cook time, turn your slow cooker to warm and everyone can have a hot and filling meal - anytime.
- To prep this easy weeknight dinner in advance, mix together all ingredients other than the fun alphabet noodles. Store in an airtight container or zipper top bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to slow cook.
- The perfect way to store leftovers of this slow cooker recipe is in individual serving-sized containers. This makes for easy grab-and-go future meals.
- I like to freeze leftovers in meal-sized portions for easy reheat-and-eat.
- I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine.
- Don't forget to plug your slow cooker in and turn it on! 😏
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Vegetable Alphabet Soup
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 3 carrots chopped in bite sized pieces
- 3 celery stalks chopped in bite sized pieces
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 zucchini chopped in bite sized pieces
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with all juices
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cups alphabet noodles uncooked
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- grease slow cooker with oil or non-stick cooking spray
- add all ingredients to slow cooker, other than pasta, and stir to combine3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 2 green onions, 2 zucchini, 1 cup peas, 1 cup corn kernels, 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 8 cups vegetable broth
- cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours
- about 30 minutes prior to serving, add pasta to slow cooker and stir.1 cups alphabet noodles
- cover and cook for another 30 minutes or so until pasta is al dente.
- add salt and pepper to taste, if neededsalt and pepper
Notes
Nutrition
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Robert G says
amazing and delicious!