Alphabet soup is a quintessential childhood staple. But the next time you consider cracking open that red and white can, why not try your hand at this chunky, homemade, stew-like version instead? With a variety of vegetables and two kinds of mushrooms in a thick, hearty broth, you won’t even miss the meat! It’s also easy to tweak this recipe to your family’s tastes or to what you have available. Add a cup of chopped onion if you like. Use any type of potato that you wish. Thin-skinned red or yellow potatoes are fine unpeeled; or russets work, too, if you don’t mind peeling. The mushrooms are also customizable—you can use all the same kind or mix ’em up. And finally, there’s the namesake pasta. While I will warn you that alphabet-shaped pasta can sometimes be difficult to find, I promise that this stew tastes just as good with macaroni or another type of small pasta. Just bear in mind that since pasta can continue to absorb liquid even after it’s cooked, you may need to add a splash of broth to the bowl when reheating any leftovers.
YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
1 lb (454 g) red or yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (13-mm) thick slices
2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup (135 g) frozen corn, thawed
1 cup (121 g) frozen green beans, thawed
8 oz (227 g) white mushrooms, cleaned and cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) thick slices
8 oz (227 g) cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) thick slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-oz [411-g]) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
5 cups (1.2 L) low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp (17 g) tomato paste
1 tbsp (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp (12 g) House Seasoning
1 tbsp (3 g) Italian Seasoning
1 tsp (2 g) chopped fresh rosemary or
¼ tsp dried rosemary
2 dried bay leaves
2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch plus 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
1 cup (112 g) dry alphabet pasta, small elbow macaroni or any other type of small pasta
1 cup (134 g) frozen peas, thawed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, white mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, garlic and crushed tomatoes in a large slow cooker. Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, House Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, rosemary and bay leaves, stirring to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours, until all of the vegetables are tender.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth, then slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker, along with the pasta and peas. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 15 to 30 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Discard the bay leaves. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.
Samantha’s Tip
To quickly thaw frozen vegetables, placed them in a colander and rinse them under warm running water for a minute or two.