When my two sisters and I were growing up, we often asked our mom to make alphabet soup.We loved picking the letters from our spoons and spelling our names, or the names of the boys that we liked. Janie always wanted extra noodles in the batch, but Mom refused, telling us they would soak up all the broth.We didn’t care, because the noodles were the best part. They were small, but still satisfyingly chewy.We also liked to crumble saltines into the soup for some crunch. I have added green beans, peas, and tomatoes to this recipe to painlessly sneak in a few healthy vegetables with the main attraction—the pasta.

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken stock
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced small
1 can (8 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into
2-inch pieces
3/4 cup alphabet pasta
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

In a stockpot add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, and tomatoes and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the green beans and alphabet pasta, and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Add the frozen peas, parsley, and salt and cook until thoroughly heated.

Makes 8 to 10 servings. If your children are learning a foreign language, ask them to spell out basic words with the pasta letters. Not only does this give them a fun way to practice their new vocabulary, it also gives you a chance to learn, too. Just be prepared for them to laugh at your appalling mispronunciations.