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Alphabet Soup - Homemade



I have been having some yucky lunches lately.  I'm so lazy before work sometimes that just throwing stuff in my bag to make when I get there even seems like work.  The tightwad in me won't usually let me eat out and I end up eating something incredibly unsatisfying like graham crackers and peanut butter, or cottage cheese.  Ugh.

I am signed up for some wonderful thrifty-living, work-at home mom blogs and those ladies know how to put it on the table!  They know how to use what they have to make great, frugal, and nutritious meals  One of my favorites is the Prudent Homemaker.  She and her husband stock up and fill their pantry when they have money and then eat from it for long periods of time when they don't.  She bakes her own bread, makes her own soups, and pretty much makes everything from scratch that is possible.   She cooks, sews, gardens, cans, and bakes. She has beautiful pictures on her blog and is always an inspiration to me.

I found her blog post about making homemade Alphabet Soup.  She says that her family is too large for buying canned soups and when I saw the recipe for her Alphabet Soup, I knew I would love it.  I actually had never had homemade vegetable soup without meat but the famous name-brand canned soup that we all grew up eating ... has no meat in it!  Duh....  Soup sounded so good for lunch!  I decided to make some!

I woke up early this morning (old age is heck), threw all of the ingredients (all cans so no prep) into a pot to simmer and hit the shower.  I also grabbed some dough for Crusty Bread (5 Minute a Day bread dough) out of the fridge and baked that while I was cooking the soup, because WHO can have homemade soup without some delicious homemade bread, right?  Let's just say that I can't WAIT FOR LUNCH!  Wouldn't the Prudent Homemaker be proud of ME!

This soup is super delicious.  It puts canned Alphabet Soup to shame!  You will notice that I didn't use alphabet pasta.  I couldn't find it at either Walmart or a local grocery, but I did find little star pasta which is just as cute. 



You will notice that this soup doesn't have potatoes.  You could add some.  I just don't like the texture of leftover potatoes and since Brandy's recipe didn't use potatoes, I knew it would be a winner for my lunches.

Here's how I made Homemade Alphabet Soup AT HOME MY WAY:

Alphabet Soup - Homemade

  • 1 can of green beans
  • 1 can corn
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes (dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water-micro)
  • 2 teaspoons dried/minced onions
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2-3 carrots, diced (I used a few carrot coins left in my fridge - canned carrots would work fine also)
  • salt/pepper to taste (you won't need much salt)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup alphabet pasta (or even spaghetti broken in tiny pieces)
Instructions:

Place all ingredients except the pasta in a pot.  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until carrots are done  (taste to make sure they ARE done).  Add the pasta, stir well a few times while cooking and cook until pasta is done (approximately 10 minutes).

It's ready!!


NOTES:  I think I will save little dabbles of corn and green beans from our meals (we use those most often as they are favorites) and keep in separate bowls in my freezer for adding to this soup to make it even cheaper by using leftovers instead of buying cans of corn/green beans.


Enjoy!
 
Gina


For more inspiration, the Prudent Homemaker's soup recipes page is

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